IMS: real or no deal?

MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK

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Hey guys, listen up; I'm gonna post this thread since I recently learned of this "condition", and wanted to get all opinions. But before I do, I want you all if you could to try & observe the following guidelines:

1) This is a serious topic for yours truly, at least I consider it that, and would like it to be treated as such. You don't have a reply/post that in any way indicates that, don't even bother. I'd rather not bother to ask the mods to close this thread.
2)Please, no belligerency, or offensive remarks. Again, I came here for support on this, and I already enough self deprocation going on in my current life.
3)Please don't post here if you wish to follow up on another poster's reply with a flirt.

Now that the guidelines are set in place, here goes;

Recently, I went to my Primary doctor for a shot of cortisone, (I have strained rotator cuff, and need it after sometimes grueling work.) and we got to talking about my personal life. Simple stuff, you know, friends activity. And I just told him sometimes that I felt whacked, grouchy and almost as vicious as a mongoose.
He then told me I might have IMS, Irritable Male Syndrome, which according to him, is caused by a drop in testosterone. I was amazed because I never looked upon it like that at all.

So I researched the topic on the web. Sure enough, Webmd.com gave me a more than informative couple of pages. I'm currently rescheduling another appointment with my Doctor to see what can be done about this.

So, My big quiery to this is......................


What's the input on this from all members? Sound like a valid condition? Think it can be remedied?

All input welcome as always, but I humbly ask to try & remember the guidelines with your input.


Oh! And for those interested in the subject here's the pages I looked at. Hope you find as useful as I did.
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/82/97150.htm
 

D_alex8

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I would file 'IMS' along with 'depression' as one of those conditions which suffers due to the fact it's been given a crappy name; one leads others to question why people are depressed, rather than letting them see that 'depression' is being used here in a completely different sense to describe a clinical condition; and likewise, "irritable male syndrome" sounds like it was dreamt up for a stand-up routine, rather than pointing people towards seeing it as a medical condition with clear physiological causes.

To reduce IMS to the summary of the condition given by the BBC a couple of years back: "stress can cause men of any age to suffer testosterone levels to plummet, affecting their mood and behaviour" [source].

Looked at coldly in terms of its symptoms, effects, and presumed causes across a broad array of medical literature, it's hard to see why anyone should question its validity imho ... and I suspect that if it had been given a less unfortunate name, such as, to pluck something out of the air, "low testosterone mood-swing condition"... then people might not have to battle the first hurdle of skepticism which its current 'comedy' name induces.

 

MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK

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I dunno, I mean, I look at the symptoms more & more, and I can't just up & chalk it up to nothing more than depression. Sure, in all aspects, it could be misconstrued as clinical depression, but the article I mentioned from webmd seems to feel that low testosterone fits more into the blend.
 

joyboytoy79

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IMS is a real condition. It seems to be caused by low testosterone levels, although why testosterone levels drop remains speculative. Your doctor can probably refer you to a specialist who can do a blood test and confirm your testosterone levels. Treatment is pretty simple, and usually includes the use of a small adhesive patch (similiar to a "nicotine patch") attached to the scrotum. Most men who undergo testosterone therapy notice great improvement in mood AND energy levels.
 

D_alex8

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MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK said:
I dunno, I mean, I look at the symptoms more & more, and I can't just up & chalk it up to nothing more than depression. Sure, in all aspects, it could be misconstrued as clinical depression, but the article I mentioned from webmd seems to feel that low testosterone fits more into the blend.
That wasn't the point I was making at all in my post.
I was agreeing with both you, your doctor, and [now] joyboytoy. :cool:
 

D_Gunther Snotpole

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MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK said:
I dunno, I mean, I look at the symptoms more & more, and I can't just up & chalk it up to nothing more than depression. Sure, in all aspects, it could be misconstrued as clinical depression, but the article I mentioned from webmd seems to feel that low testosterone fits more into the blend.

I think Alex is singing from the same songsheet. He's not equating it with depression except to say that the name 'IMS' might, like 'depression,' tend to engender some skepticism and dismissal in the minds of those who hear it.

I'm not sure I agree entirely with Alex.

It's so new, we don't know how its connotation will shake down with the public.

But the very idea that men are under control of various hormonal moons, just like women have long been known to be, might cause some extensive baying on the part of comedians. That seems obvious, but would be true under any name.

Anyway, chuck, if you do have a low testerone level, that, at least, is an easily treated condition, though your doctor may have to spend some time tinkering with your dosage.

EDIT: Oops, I see Mr. Celerity has already entered a correction. Tnx, Alex.
 

DC_DEEP

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SR, this may not be as new as you think, although the terminology may have changed several times.

We have all known, accepted, and joked about, fluctuating hormone levels in women, that those fluctuations are normal, have generally classifiable symptoms. We now call it PMS.

I read a study, some 20 years ago, that made the assertion that men also go through fluctuations of hormone levels, but more on a quarterly, rather than monthly, cycle. I don't know about how well the study was conducted, but some of the theories seemed very plausible. It reasoned that these cycles in men had some influence over why the more aggressive sports tended to be in autumn, why springtime was generally the more "amorous" season, etc.

We now know that SADD (seasonal affective depressive disorder) is somehow triggered by shorter days affecting the pineal gland, which in turn triggers changes in other body systems. I don't really see a reason this could not also have some effect on IMS, nor why other life factors could not also affect these systems. IMS? No reason not to take it seriously.
 

chrisj428

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MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK said:
Oh! And for those interested in the subject here's the pages I looked at. Hope you find as useful as I did.
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/82/97150.htm

After reading your post and WebMD's page, I'm sitting here with mouth agape. For two years now, I have been taking steps to combat what both my PCP and I have considered to be depression. Now, I'm wondering if we're not very much on the wrong track.

Most, if not all, of the symptoms sound familiar to me. Especially the lack of both amorousness (if that's not a word, you get what I mean) and the lack of interest in anything. The desire to escape (not in a "self-inflicted harm" kind of way, but in a "run away to a tropical island and live on the beach" kind of way) is palpable.

I'm going to have to ask Dr. C about this whence I see him next (December). In the meantime, I'll watch this thread closely.

Chuck -- a question: did your Dr. offer any remedies, courses of treatment or advice? I know a transdermal patch was brought up and WebMD almost seems to make light of the condtion by telling you to eat more chocolate. :mad:
 

MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK

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Thanks for your input on this there, DCDEEP. I wasn't sure on the whole topic until about month and 1.5 ago. But the more I study, gather more info from websites, and even get input from a psychologist cousin, I don't want to blow this off since it might excacerbate into something more serious.
 

D_Gunther Snotpole

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DC_DEEP said:
SR, this may not be as new as you think, although the terminology may have changed several times.

I meant merely that the term 'IMS' is scarcely known to the general public ... hence, new.
I don't mean that the condition is new or that doctors have not known about it.
I could have been more clear about this.
As for the rest of your post, you bring your now familiar clarifying light.
Tnx.:biggrin1:
 

DC_DEEP

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Ha, well, look how far we have come from women suffering from "the vapors" to our current understanding of the complex ebb and flow of hormones.

Hormone levels and balance are so incredibly, unbelievably complex and interconnected, and the slightest imbalance can cause more problems than you can imagine, up to and including severe personality change. Of course, that's one reason I'm so adamantly opposed to the use of "recreational hormone use", as in anabolics used just simply to increase muscle mass and decrease body fat. It's just too dangerous.

Once testosterone levels change, for whatever reason, that causes a cascade effect in the pituitary gland. Yeah, it certainly can turn you into a grump, even if that is not your usual demeanor.

Note to all: ANY time you start noticing changes in your personality or behavior, get it checked out by a doctor. I'm not talking about the usual being pissed off because the coffee filter folds and you get mud in the pot; I'm talking about a developing pattern where you find that you snap at a friend who points out that you dropped a pencil, or you find you cry every time you watch an episode of The Simpsons. Anything you notice where you think, "WOW, that's not like me, and that's the fifth time I have responded like that...."
 

joyboytoy79

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chrisj428 said:
... I know a transdermal patch was brought up and WebMD almost seems to make light of the condtion by telling you to eat more chocolate. :mad:
Surely they're joking! Chocolate does help alleviate some symptoms of PMS, partly because it contains endorphin-like compounds, but also because it contains estrogen-like compounds. I don't see how that would help with a lack of testosterone.
 

davidjh7

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This sounds like a valid condition, and I have read a bit on it. But before I would comment further, I suppose a trip to the hospital library to check on some medical journals on the subject would be in order. Regardless, I would think that a series of tests are in order. Seeing how much testosterone is in your system is fairly easy---saying what is a "normal, correct" level for YOU is where the difficulty is going to come in. Unless you have had tests in the past for testosterone levels, to establish a baseline, your doctor is going to have to try hit and miss a bit, I suspect---prescribe a low dosage, monitor the effects closely, increase the dosage as necessary, up to some maximum established safe level. Medicine, unfortunaterly, even with all the science behind it, is not a very exact science. Doctors prescribe a treatment based on their knowledge of how the body is basically SUPPOSED to work, on getting enough background to correlate the general information to how YOU are supposed to work, and trying to find what has gone off the mark. Definately follow up with your doctor on this, but recognize it is likely going to take awhile, and some experimentation. Now, I am going to throw out a completely baseless observation, based on my PERSONAL research--it hasn;t been validated by collegues or journal publications.:rolleyes: . Men that have certain secondary male characterisitcs, such as large penis, hairy body, certain musculature, etc., APPEAR, from some anecdotal evidence, based on testing done for secondary reasons, to have higher testosterone levels than those males who hve LESS of said characteristics. Stress, as mentioned, can have a huge effect on yoru body chemistry. Perhaps the fact that you posses MORE secondary sexual characteristics than many of your fellow men, MAY indicate that your levels may be more sensitive to fluctuation, and have a higher risk of having your levels go below what is good for YOU. I wish you the best on this, and definately follow up with your doctor, and with the group, to let us know how you are progressing. If I find any relavent findings in any of the journal articles I read, I will let you know, and cite references. Hang in there!:smile:
 

GBF64

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You are most likely going through Andropause, better known as male menopause. After age 35 testosterone levels decrease about 1% each year, and other things like SHBG increase. By age 40, some of these may start to manifest themselves, they are; depression, irritability, weight gain, insomnia, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, night sweats, loss of energy, thinning hair, and loss of lean muscle.
In most men over age 40 it's a slow and gradual decline that may not be noticed immediately. In some men it can hit hard and fast. That's what happened to me, I started with quite a few of the symptoms coming on almost entirely over a period of 5 months after I turned 42 years old. But there is an answer, and it not a transdermal testosterone patch, which produces more severe side effects, and is only used in the most severe of cases. But there is a neutraceutical available for the Sera-Pharma company called Amidren(GNC usually carries it), and it will balance your hormone levels including testosterone, and addresses all 5 stages of Andropause. I can truly say it has saved my declining sex life, and has put a lot of energy and wood back in my unit that was getting harder and harder to achieve.
 

MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK

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No, i don't think I have andropause at all there,GBF64. Like I said, the only thing i have been experiencing is the mood swings and just plain whacked out. The other things, well, my dick still gets hard in a heartbeat, and my hair is just fine, and I'm still as muscular & lean as ever. And my wieght is controlled as well.

The symptoms you described sound like something for someone in his mid forties, which if you'll read my profile, you'll see I'm not there just yet.
 

STYLYUNG

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Chuck, when you see your primary care doctor the next time, have him do a
blood check for testosterone level and a PSA---the PSA to see if it is safe to prescribe testosterone to avoid accelerating prostate troubles. I think that I can speak with some authority about the effects of testosterone use. I have been on testosterone injections for over 14 years. I know that I have a brighter outlook on life in the period right after receiving the injection. At first the injections were every 28 days, then 21 days, and now at 14 days, with PSA tests every six months---at present my reading is 1.5; above 4.9 the alarm goes off. At the 14 day spaceing of the injections, I have noticed there is less time with feeling blue. I think the stress of a bad business deal brought on the nosedive of my libido and the actual shrinking of my package. There side effects of this treatment also. On the plus side, the need to ejaculate often is almost everpresent (no complaints). On the minus side, the testicles take on the consistancy of a raw oyster--- the testosterone is doing their work.
The reason for the injections instead of the patch is the cost.
 

endofsummer

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Find a new doctor!! You don't state your age but if you are under 60 you should definetely not be getting cortizone. Have you had any physical therapy? Your condition causes pain, pain causes tension in a cycle. You need to break the cycle. Do you think the prolonged pain could be causing you to be angry? At least get a second opinion.
 

Anyjoe

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I have been on medication for depression for many years.
Recently I attempted to lower the dosage. With in threee days I noticed I was VERY short tempered, grouchy and kind of nasty in general. My Dr. said that these could be MY symptoms of depression. When I returned the dosage back I was sweet ole me again.

Also sometimes when I have not eated and my blood sugar get too low, I can get pretty nasty.

Hope this is helpful.
 

B_IanTheTall

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Restless Leg Syndrome is also a real syndrome.

I think many of these syndromes are marketing gimmicks created by pull pushers. They are the drug industry's equivalent to bosses day. I think most of these syndromes have non drug "treatments" and "cures" that run along the line of MOVE, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, DO SOMETHING.

Tight Ass Syndrome has a cure that I'm reportedly very good at administering. :biggrin1: