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There is a definite connection between testosterone levels, stress, anxiety, and depression.
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests a link between low testosterone and stress.
Contrary to what you might think, stress does not increase testosterone. It may seem logical to assume that during a crisis, your “fight or flight” reaction may cause a burst of testosterone to flow into your blood to deal with the emergency. This is a misconception.
The hormone related to stress and your “fight or flight” reaction is not testosterone but rather cortisol. Cortisol is the “stress hormone.” It is cortisol that is released into your blood that causes the release of adrenaline and the subsequent higher heart rate that gives us the physical boost you need to escape or handle danger.
However, cortisol and testosterone are antagonists. High levels of cortisol in your blood actually lower your testosterone level. Therefore, men who are often under chronic stress are likely to experience low testosterone and vice versa.
The medical dictionaries describe stress as a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous.
Stress is part of your body’s natural defenses linked to your “fight or flight” response. Stress is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a work deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your mental, physical, and emotional health.
The symptoms of chronic stress include:
Long-term or chronic stress has a number of detrimental health impacts, not the least of which is that stress can lower your testosterone levels.
Low testosterone occurs when a man’s body does not make enough testosterone to support normal health and well-being.
Testosterone is the main male sex hormone. It plays an important role in sex drive, erections, sperm production, muscle strength, body fat, bone health, energy, mood, and mental focus. Testosterone levels are usually highest in early adulthood and then tend to decline as men get older.
A gradual drop in testosterone with age is normal. However, some men develop levels that fall low enough to cause noticeable symptoms. This is often called low testosterone, or low T.
Low testosterone can develop for many reasons. Aging is one of the most common, but it is not the only cause. Being overweight, poor sleep, ongoing stress, certain health problems, some medications, and problems involving the testicles or the glands that control hormone production can also lower testosterone levels.
Because many symptoms of low T can also be caused by other health issues, symptoms alone are not enough to make a diagnosis. Doctors typically look at both how a man feels and the results of blood testing. When low testosterone is confirmed, treatment may help restore hormone levels and improve symptoms linked to the deficiency.
Low testosterone can affect much more than sexual health. Some men first notice changes in energy, strength, mood, sleep, or body composition and may not realize that hormones could be playing a role.
Common signs and symptoms of low testosterone in men can include:
Not every man with low testosterone will have the same symptoms. Some may have only a few mild changes, while others may notice problems in several areas of their health. The best way to know whether low testosterone may be involved is to discuss your symptoms with a doctor and have your hormone levels properly tested.
Stress is a prime mover of your body’s “fight or flight response.” When you are in a stressful or dangerous situation, your body responds by releasing certain stress hormones — primarily cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol is known to be a “testosterone killer.” Several peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that men with high levels of cortisol have low levels of testosterone.
Your body reacts to stress by releasing hormones. These hormones make your brain more alert, cause your muscles to tense, and increase your pulse. In the short term, these reactions are good because they can help you handle the situation causing stress. This is your body’s way of protecting itself.
However, a buildup of too many stress hormones, particularly the stress hormone cortisol, can have damaging effects.
Stress hormones or counter-regulatory hormones are hormones released during stressful situations, such as danger, an illness, or infection. These hormones include glucagon, epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine, cortisol, and growth hormone.
Of these, an excessive amount of cortisol in the bloodstream as a result of chronic stress or anxiety can have several health consequences such as:
Of all of the stress hormones the one with the biggest impact on testosterone levels is cortisol
Cortisol is a hormone made by the adrenal glands. These small glands sit above the kidneys. They help your body respond to stress and keep many daily functions on track.
Cortisol helps manage energy, blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation, and sleep timing. It also helps the body respond when something feels urgent. If you are sick, injured, scared, overworked, or under pressure, cortisol may rise to help you cope. This is normal. In short bursts, cortisol can be useful.
The body is designed to use cortisol in a daily rhythm. For many people, cortisol rises before waking, stays higher during the first part of the day, and slowly drops as evening comes. This helps the body know when to be alert and when to wind down.
Problems can happen when cortisol stays high too often, rises at the wrong times, or fails to drop at night. This can make the body feel like it is always on guard. Over time, that can affect mood, hunger, sleep, weight, focus, and hormone balance.
Cortisol is not something to fear. It is a needed hormone. But like other hormones, it works best when it is in balance.
Cortisol does not work alone. It is part of a larger hormone system. When cortisol is out of balance, other hormones may also shift. This is one reason people with high cortisol symptoms often feel like several parts of their health are changing at once.
In men, high cortisol may be linked with low testosterone symptoms. When the body is under long-term stress, it may give less support to testosterone production. Men may notice lower sex drive, weaker erections, less morning drive, lower motivation, poor workout results, mood changes, or loss of muscle tone.
Cortisol can also affect sleep, and poor sleep can lower testosterone further. This creates a loop. Stress raises cortisol. High cortisol disrupts sleep. Poor sleep lowers recovery and hormone output. Then energy, mood, and sexual health may decline.
Women may also feel the effects of cortisol imbalance. High stress can worsen menopause symptoms, sleep problems, mood swings, cravings, and belly weight gain. It can also make monthly cycles feel more difficult in women who still have periods.
Thyroid function may also be affected by long-term stress. The thyroid helps control energy and metabolism. When stress is high, patients may feel symptoms that look like thyroid trouble, even when the full cause is more complex.
For this reason, cortisol treatment should include a broad hormone review when symptoms point in that direction. Treating cortisol without looking at testosterone, thyroid, menopause hormones, blood sugar, and sleep may leave important pieces out of the plan.
Like stress, related conditions such as anxiety and depression can lower your testosterone levels.
According to the Mayo Clinic, depression is defined as “a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called “major depressive disorder” or “clinical depression,” it affects how you feel, think, and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.”
Current statistics from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America say that major depressive disorder affects an estimated 16.1 million adults annually in the United States alone.
The World Health Organization describes depression as “the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.”
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests a link between low testosterone and depression. Specifically, current research has shown a definitive link between low levels of testosterone and increased depression and anxiety. A 2016 study published in the journal, Psychoneuroendocrinology found that in older men, “low serum testosterone was associated with an 86% increased hazard of depression.”
Looking at the reverse relationship, it is hard to say if low testosterone “causes” depression, but the correlation between men with low testosterone and depression, anxiety, irritability, and other mood swings has been well-documented. Low testosterone also leads to erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, and a lack of physical energy. These physical symptoms can lead to less enjoyment in life, which increases stress and can lead to depression. But there could be something more to the link between low-T and depression.
Testosterone is necessary to produce serotonin and other important neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters like serotonin are the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals that help to regulate mood and stave off depression. In fact, most antidepressants work by keeping levels of serotonin high.
There is little doubt that high levels of stress and low levels of testosterone are intricately related. Stress and testosterone exist in a kind of vicious cycle – with low testosterone leading to more stress and more stress leading to low testosterone and vice versa and on and on and on.
Making serious efforts to reduce stress will not only help to maintain your testosterone levels, but stress reduction has a number of other health benefits. Here are some proven ways to reduce stress:
A study published in the journal Hormones and Behavior provides new evidence for what’s called the cortisol testosterone hormonal axis. Researchers measured hormone levels in 57 men who were pitted against each other in one-on-one competition. Their cortisol and testosterone levels were measured after competing. The men who lost were asked if they wanted to compete again. All the men who declined had high cortisol levels and had a significant drop in their testosterone.
Similar to depression, there is also evidence that your level of testosterone can and does influence feelings of fear and anxiety.
Studies have shown that low testosterone can increase feelings of anxiety and anxiety symptoms. What is even more interesting is that researchers have found that men who have been diagnosed with low testosterone and have complained of feelings of anxiety saw significant decreases in anxiety after being prescribed testosterone replacement therapy.
The researchers qualified their results by indicating that decreased anxiety could be influenced by other positive impacts of testosterone replacement, such as alleviating depression and improving sexual function. However, they also concluded that testosterone is “believed to impact anxiety levels independent of other factors.”
But the most definitive study on testosterone and depression was published in 2019 in the journal JAMA Psychology.
The study was a meta-analysis or a “study of studies” that looked at testosterone and depression. According to the authors, their analysis was the “largest examination to date of the association of testosterone treatment with depressive symptoms in men.”
Specifically, the researchers aimed to “examine the association of testosterone treatment with the alleviation of depressive symptoms in men and to clarify moderating effects of testosterone status, depression status, age, treatment duration, and dosage.”
After analyzing relevant studies that had nearly 2000 participants, the researchers concluded, “Testosterone treatment appears to be effective and efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms in men, particularly when higher-dosage regimens were applied in carefully selected samples.”
The right low testosterone treatment starts with finding out why your testosterone is low and what your body needs to feel its best.
At the Nexel Medical locations nationwide, we do not believe that every man with low testosterone should receive the same treatment plan. Symptoms, hormone levels, age, health history, lifestyle, and personal goals can all affect the type of care that may be right for you. That is why your treatment begins with a complete medical evaluation and appropriate blood testing.
Our experienced medical team looks beyond a single testosterone number. We consider your symptoms along with your test results to determine whether low testosterone may be affecting your health and whether testosterone replacement therapy is appropriate for you.
When treatment is prescribed, your program is built around your individual needs. Your doctor determines the proper type of therapy and dose and follows your progress with regular testing and medical monitoring. Treatment can be adjusted as your hormone levels, symptoms, and needs change.
Nexel Medical also makes treatment convenient. Qualified patients can receive ongoing care through telemedicine, allowing you to speak with an experienced medical provider without frequent office visits. When prescription medication is required, it is prescribed by a licensed medical professional and provided through a licensed pharmacy.
Are you stressed out? Do fatigue, reduced sex drive, loss of strength, weight gain, or other symptoms have you wondering whether low testosterone could be the cause?
The first step is finding out where your hormone levels stand. Contact Nexel Medical today to schedule your consultation and learn whether personalized low testosterone treatment may be right for you.
Stress is the body’s reaction to a threat, whereas anxiety is the body’s reaction to the stress. Depression is a feeling of sadness. Most of those who suffer from depression have a general sense of hopelessness. Depressed individuals are listless, dwell on the negative, and sometimes have suicidal thoughts. All of these conditions can and often do overlap with one another.
We know that testosterone is a “neuroactive steroid,” meaning that it can influence mood, making it reasonable to assume that low testosterone can cause depression, moodiness, and anxiety. But researchers hesitate to use the word “cause” and would rather say that low testosterone and depression are linked.
We used to think that the emotional distress most women experience during menopause was largely due to the lack of estrogen that occurs in the post-child-bearing years. However, current research seems to indicate that the depression and mood swings typical of menopause are more related to low levels of testosterone than of estrogen.
Testosterone has been shown to be a potential treatment for depression, particularly in men that have been diagnosed with both clinical depression and low testosterone. The is a growing body of evidence that testosterone replacement can be an effective treatment for managing depression and anxiety, equally as good and in some cases better than typical antidepressants such as SSRIs. In fact, studies have shown that in patients where “first-line” treatments for clinical depression such as SSRI have failed, testosterone replacement has worked.
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