Losing Interest In Sex? Is It You, Your Love Life Or Hormones?

Dr. Geno Tutera

As we have noted in past blogs this past month, a decreased interest in sex as we age is a common occurrence that couples face. We have outlined how the effects hormones have on your body  as it change as you get older. Especially note how they affect men and women differently.

Combating these imperceptible biochemicals that run through your body constantly seems like an

impossible task and it may be easy to put the weight of the consequences on yourself. It is of utmost importance to understand how large of a role hormones play in your love life. Most likely it is not you or your partner’s fault if either of you have experienced a decreased libido. You should look at your situation from a rational perspective instead of from an emotional one, which is easier said than done.

At SottoPelle, we have couples that approach us about concerns they have with their romantic lives. By assisting them in restoring hormone equilibrium they often report an increased libido and desire for sex. This in turn helps their relationship grow stronger. Hormones will forever be part of our lives and at times we may have to find ways to keep them in proper balance. TheSottoPelle Method assists with just that.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Where there is love, there is life.” At SottoPelle we can help you rediscover both your love and your life. Please visit www.sottopelletherapy.com for more information.

www.sottopelletherapy.com/doctors/enrique-jacome-md

Bioidentical Or Pharmaceutical Synthetic HRT—Which Is The Best Choice?

Dr. Enrique Jacome

The hormone replacement decision you’re about to make is the single most important choice you will face in defining your long term health.

Did you know that the type of hormones you choose seriously impact the outcome of your HRT? Before you decide, you should understand the differences between bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormones. It will certainly enlighten you.

SYNTHETIC HORMONES: FDA-APPROVED BUT SIDE EFFECT-RIDDEN

The FDA officially accepted synthetic and conjugated hormones for contraceptive and HRT purposes more than 50 years ago. Since then, reports of dangerous side-effects have repeatedly appeared in scientific journals. Today, pharmaceutical companies face thousands of lawsuits over these seriously flawed drugs.

Just look at some of the health risks listed on the FDA-mandated black warning labels for contraceptive pills:

• Increased risk of cervical and breast cancers
• Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
• Migraines
• Higher blood pressure
• Gall bladder disease
• Infertility
• Benign liver tumors
• Decreased bone density
• Yeast overgrowth and infection
• Increased risk of blood clotting

Despite this, the tide of synthetics persists. Doctors continue to prescribe them. Patients continue to use them. Currently more than 100 million women worldwide use oral contraceptives. Millions more continue to take synthetic HRT. In addition, millions of men now use synthetic testosterone products.

WHAT ARE PHARMACEUTICAL SYNTHETIC HORMONES?

Pharmaceutical companies specialize in marketing synthetic HRT drugs. The biggest sellers feature imitations of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. Unlike bioidenticals, they are crafted to differ structurally from human hormone. This basic difference is intentional and essential. It allows the patenting of synthetic hormones. Needless to say, patented medications generate big profits.

These non-identical imitators do reduce some symptoms of hormone deficiency. However, they cannot restore the balance that supports good health. Built-in dissimilarities prohibit synthetic hormones from communicating with many receptors that control crucial body functions. This creates an environment for serious health problems.

Pharmaceutical companies also market a few so-called ‘natural’ products, like Premarin. Premarin is made from conjugated equine estrogen (CEE). This comes from the urine of pregnant mares. Even though Wyeth-Ayerst calls it ‘natural,’ the body sees CEE as foreign. Another product, Prempro, was created from a combination of Premarin and synthetic progesterone. This notorious drug produced disastrous results for participants in several long term studies of women’s health. Both heart attacks and breast cancer incidence skyrocketed during those studies. Because of this, the FDA now recommends doctors prescribe HRT in the lowest dose possible for the shortest time needed.

BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES: THE HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE

Bioidentical hormones, on the other hand, have a long history of safety and effectiveness. Studies supporting BHRT date back to the 1930s. Since those times, bioidenticals have provided hormone deficient men and women a healthy alternative to patented drugs. With proper, consistent hormone blood levels, the body returns to balance and a state of well-being. All of these factors make properly administered BHRT healthier and safer than pharmaceutical versions.

WHAT ARE BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES?

Bioidentical hormones are plant-based hormone substances. Made from soy and yam, they precisely match the molecular structure and function of human hormones. The body recognizes them. This enables them to bind appropriately to the same receptors as their human counterparts. The body metabolizes bioidenticals in the way it was designed to. These hormones produce the same physiologic responses. Thus, bioidenticals can provide vital support to the body’s organs, tissues and cells. In fact, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, when administered properly, can be virtually side-effect free. Additionally, bioidenticals can be compounded to meet the dosage needs of each individual.  That isn’t possible with mass-produced pharmaceutical synthetics.

BIOIDENTICAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT RESEARCH DATA

Contrary to popular myth, a great deal of research evidence supports the use of bioidentical hormone replacement.  Much comes from overseas. Primary sources include important medical journals in England and Australia.  Research literature from the Netherlands, Germany, France and Japan likewise provide positive support for BHRT.

Studies in the U.S. are also plentiful, but somewhat limited in scope. This is due to outcomes based on short term research that lacks comparative data. The funding it takes to perform large scale, double-blind studies remains prohibitive. Larger studies consistently focus on pharmaceutical synthetics. Big drug manufacturers tend to provide the brunt of support for these.

Even so, scientific data showing the safety and effectiveness of bioidentical hormone replacement appeared in conventional U.S. medical literature as early as 1976. BHRT appears to carry a reduced rather than an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. Available research clearly supports the claim that bioidenticals offer distinct advantages over synthetics.  

With so many side effects linked to synthetic pharmaceuticals, why put your health at risk? Doesn’t it make better sense to give your body the hormones it recognizes and flourishes with?

Of course it does. But remember, it takes an expert to properly balance hormones with BHRT.  Someone who understands correct dosing and provides close monitoring. Just using bioidentical hormones is not enough to ensure health benefits.

www.sottopelletherapy.com/doctors/enrique-jacome-md

Who Wants It More: Are Libido Levels The Same For Men And Women?

Dr. Geno Tutera

Have you ever wondered who has a stronger desire for sex? Men’s sex drives are stronger and straightforward than women’s. Women’s sex drives are weaker and more susceptible to be influenced by external and internal factors.

Women connect with emotions and their libidos are harder to recognize. Emotional connection is considered a component of sexual desire for women whereas that bears little to no recognition in men in relation to their sex drive. Environment and context also play into a woman’s desire for sex. If the mood or place is not to their liking they may not be willing to engage in sex. Menopause tends to decrease a woman’s libido and cause vaginal dryness. Vaginal dryness can make intercourse painful for women and decrease their desire for it as well.

The average male thinks about sex more than about seventy-five percent of women. Men desire sex throughout an entire relationship. When aroused, men are both physically and mentally ready. This is not always the case for women. Although they may be physically ready that can also experience mental unpreparedness. Some researchers believe this is in part to them being more susceptible to dealing with the results of sex, such as pregnancy. On the other hand, men have an urge to reproduce. Women are often more cautious about who they engage in sex with than men.

As men age, their testosterone levels decrease. Lower testosterone levels can lead to a lower libido or sex drive. They can also lead to erectile dysfunction. Testosterone stimulates nerves in the brain, with less testosterone there is less stimulation. This leads to a lower libido. Men are less physically capable of desiring sex at this point in their lives without the proper treatments.

www.sottopelletherapy.com/doctors/enrique-jacome-md

Testosterone - Here Are 13 Surprising Facts

Dr. Enrique Jacome

When most people hear the word testosterone, they think of aggressive behavior. There is a link between the two at least in competitive situations, such as with a peer or for a sexual partner. However, there appears to be a subtler interplay between testosterone and behavior in other types of situations in both men and women. Here are a few facts:

Women in love have more 

Women in love have higher testosterone for the few months after a relationship starts than women who are single or in long-term relationships, a small Italian study suggests. The opposite is true for men; those newly in love have lower testosterone than men flying solo or with a long-term partner. As with early passion, though, the changes don't last. When the researchers tested the study participants again one to two years later, the differences had disappeared.

It can shrink your belly
Men whose levels of testosterone are below normal may lose their spare tire when treated with testosterone."Most of the studies show there's a reduction of abdominal obesity in men who are given testosterone," says Adrian Dobs, MD, a professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore.

Because the long-term effects of testosterone therapy have not been well studied, however, it is generally only recommended in men with below-normal testosterone levels and symptoms such as fatigue, muscle or bone-mass loss, or sexual dysfunction.

Making money affects it
Young men who are futures traders get a testosterone spike on days when they make an above-average profit, British researchers found. And on the mornings when men's testosterone levels were higher than average, their average afternoon profits were higher than on their low-testosterone days, suggesting a possible cause-and-effect relationship. More experienced traders showed an even stronger tie between testosterone and profits.

Too much can shrivel testicles
In men, taking steroid hormones such as testosterone as performance boosters can cause testicles to shrink and breasts to grow. For women, it can cause a deeper voice, an enlarged clitoris, hair loss from the head, and hair growth on the body and face. In both genders, steroid abuse can cause acne, mood swings, aggression, and other problems. Men working with an experienced doctor to treat low testosterone or women taking small amounts of testosterone under medical supervision are unlikely to have testosterone-overdose symptoms.


Sports fans get a winner's boost
In the run-up to a competition, whether it's wrestling or chess, a man's testosterone levels rise, studies have shown. After the game, the winner's testosterone will increase even more. And fans' hormone levels seem to mirror those of their athletic idols. In a group of 21 men watching a Brazil vs. Italy World Cup match, the Brazil fans' testosterone levels increased after their team won, but the Italy fans' testosterone fell.


Fat can lower testosterone
Obese men tend to have lower testosterone than thinner men, Dr. Dobs says. It's not clear why, she adds, although one possible reason is that obesity promotes a state of widespread inflammation in the body. "When there's fat cells, there's a lot of inflammatory factors," she says. "These inflammatory factors have been associated with suppression of testosterone synthesis."


Hands reveal hormone secrets
In men and boys, the right pointer finger is shorter in relation to their right ring finger than it is in girls.This has even been found in other five-fingered creatures, such as rats. Scientists have found that the difference is a clear marker for fetal exposure to testosterone. The higher your testosterone level before birth, the lower your pointer-finger-to-ring-finger ratio. Men with the lowest ratios made the most money and stayed in business for the longest time, according to the U.K. study of traders and testosterone.

It's hard to measure accurately
Men are often diagnosed with low testosterone after a single test. This is a big problem, says Neil Goodman, MD, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine. "If I take blood on a guy and I send it to three labs, I'm going to get three different levels," he says. Efforts are underway to standardize blood tests. In the meantime, testosterone should be checked more than once, Dr. Goodman says, and done in the morning when testosterone is highest.


It's not the fountain of youth
It would be great if an aging man's vigor, muscle power, and sex drive could be restored with testosterone. But it is not clear whether therapy will do anything for the 75 percent to 80 percent of men over 65 who have normal levels of testosterone. Men with below-normal levels, however, may get a boost in libido, sexual function, and bone mass from supplemental testosterone. And it may help diabetic men with low testosterone build lean muscle mass.


Taking it doesn't cause prostate cancer
It has long been thought that taking testosterone increases the risk of prostate cancer. Testosterone treatment can boost levels of prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, a nonspecific marker for prostate cancer, which may lead to more prostate biopsies and more prostate-cancer diagnoses, Dr. Goodman says.
There are now, however, major questions about whether it's worthwhile to treat—or even diagnose—prostate cancers in older men, given that they're common and often slow-growing.


Low levels are linked to sleep apnea
Men with sleep apnea are more likely to have low testosterone, and treating sleep apnea can help return it to normal. But if a man with sleep apnea is diagnosed with low testosterone alone, taking the supplemental hormone can worsen sleep apnea. That's why it's crucial for men with low testosterone to get a thorough workup by an endocrinologist so underlying conditions that can cause low testosterone, such as sleep apnea or pituitary-gland tumors, don't go undiagnosed, Dr. Goodman says.


It may hurt men's hearts
In 2010, researchers halted a study of testosterone therapy in older men because of a higher rate of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack in the group taking testosterone instead of placebo.
The reason isn't clear, but caution should be used in prescribing testosterone to older men in poor health, Dr. Goodman says. Declining testosterone in men is associated with health problems, but this doesn't mean giving older men testosterone will extend lifespans, he says.


Too much may kill brain cells
It's only known to happen in a petri dish, but Yale researchers showed that nerve cells exposed to high levels of testosterone were more likely to self-destruct. The hormone boosted a "cell suicide" mechanism known as apoptosis, which, under normal circumstances, is supposed to help the body wipe out cancerous or otherwise abnormal cells. And the higher the testosterone level in the dish, the shorter lived the cells were. Exposure to low levels of testosterone, however, had no effect on the cells.

www.sottopelletherapy.com/doctors/enrique-jacome-md

Valentine's Love, Are You Not Feeling It? – A Women’s Perspective

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Valentine’s Day,  the day for love and romance.  Can you feel it?  Do you look forward to it or shy away from it?  When you’re affected by menopause, the romance can be dampened by the onset of uncomfortable symptoms. Hormones effect you in such different ways than they did when your were a teen, yet they still play a role in your sex life.

Menopausal women complain about lacking energy. While this is a difficult thing to combat on a daily basis, it often makes sex less desirable. After a long day, it is challenging for women, going through menopause, to find the energy or desire to engage in sexual activities.  Menopause tends to decrease a woman’s libido and cause vaginal dryness. Vaginal dryness can make intercourse painful for women.

While these are often the most common problems associated with sexual and romantic desire as women

grow older, there are unfortunately more with the most common being: Hot flashes and Night Sweats.  These symptoms can also play a role in how women respond to sex. Weight gain associated with menopause can make a woman feel less attractive and influence her confidence in the bedroom.

There is a bright side to all these unromantic symptoms. SottoPelle Therapy has crafted a favorable treatment method for dealing with menopausal symptoms. SottoPelle can help you age gracefully by balancing your hormone levels and helping you battle the symptoms that come with menopause. SottoPelle wants you to experience the love and romance you remember from Valentine’s Days past. Visit www.sottopelletherapy.com  to learn more about our SottoPelle Method and talk to your doctor about your options.

Be kind to yourself and others on Valentine’s Day! Remember that true happiness, joy and love comes from within ourselves. 

www.sottopelletherapy.com/doctors/enrique-jacome-md

Valentine's Love, Are You Not Feeling It? – A Men’s Perspective

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Valentine’s Day is approaching rapidly and everywhere we look we are flooded with romantic ideals from the grocery aisles to television commercials. Year after year it is the same message. Love is in the air.  But are you in love? Are you  experiencing a noticeable reduction in your sexual desire? This is a common occurrence in men as they age and is seldom discussed for fear of embarrassment by either party.

As men age, their testosterone levels decrease. Lower testosterone levels can lead to a lower libido or sex drive. They can also lead to erectile dysfunction. Testosterone stimulates nerves in the brain, and with less testosterone there is less stimulation. This leads to a lower libido. Low testosterone also can mean less energy and more fatigue. Neither of these make for a pleasing time in the bedroom. This often puts a strain on relationships and marriages that carries into other parts of their lives.

If you have found yourself experiencing any of these symptoms, there is a significant possibility that you may have andropause. Andropause is the decrease of testosterone in men, essentially the male version of menopause. It generally occurs in men ages 44 to 55 years old. Without treatment, men go through a variety of symptoms at this time. They can have mood swings, loss of mental focus, develop osteoporosis, decreased endurance, and sleep disturbances, to name only a few symptoms.

SottoPelle has been diagnosing and treating men with andropause for years. SottoPelle understands the strain a low sex drive can put on your relationship and is committed to helping you rekindle the fire with the one that you love. 

www.sottopelletherapy.com/doctors/enrique-jacome-md