Almost everyday I have someone tell me they have no libido, that they could care less if they never had sex again, and then ask me for testosterone supplementation. Unfortunately, diminished or non-existent libido is much more complex than mere testosterone supplementation. Interestingly, there are many people with objectively low testosterone levels who have great sex drive and feel very sexy. And conversely, there are just as many people with objectively normal testosterone levels who have very little sex drive. So you see, there are many different reasons people will experience loss of libido and it takes some investigative work to uncover the root(s) of the problem. Some things to consider:

*How is your overall physical health and level of physical “fitness”?: If you suffer from any chronic medical problems like diabetes, heart disease, or pulmonary problems these, or the medications to treat them, can impact your libido; Are you a couch potato? We know that exercise helps with weight control. Carrying extra weight generally affects our level of desire and desirability; Some studies have shown that exercise increases testosterone levels.

*How is your mental health and stress level? Depression and anxiety can significantly decrease your libido, as can medications to treat these problems. We all experience stress in our lives, but when it starts getting out of hand it will negatively affect our libido.

*How is your relationship in other areas? It sometimes amazes me that people come to see me with the complaint of decreased libido, often wanting a quick fix of testosterone supplementation. Rather quickly in the session it comes out that they either don’t really like their partner that much, have years of resentment and anger built up or don’t like what their partner does sexually–and hasn’t for 25 years! All the testosterone in the world is not going to have any affect on issues like these.

*Be aware of what you’re putting in your body: Some over the counter medications, cigarettes, alcohol and street drugs can all cause libido problems; limit red meat, processed foods, and “junk food”–they can drain your energy, and affect cholesterol and circulation, which can negatively impact libido

*Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and “rejuvenation” time(whatever that means to you): young children, aging parents, and overtime at work can all zap your sexual energy, so make plenty of time for sleep and re-charging your own batteries

*Normal aging and changes in hormone levels

These are just a few of the many things that can cause a decrease in libido. Many can be addressed and improvements seen. So talk to your health care provider or sex counselor/therapist soon.