Andropause Symptoms Checklist: What Men Over 45 Should Know

The symptoms of declining testosterone are easy to attribute to other things: work stress, ageing, relationship problems, not sleeping enough. This checklist is a starting point for recognising that there may be a hormonal component worth investigating.

The Checklist

In the past 3–6 months, have you noticed:

• Persistent fatigue, particularly in the afternoon, that doesn't fully resolve with rest?
• Reduced interest in sex or difficulty maintaining sexual performance?
• Increased irritability, moodiness, or a general reduction in emotional resilience?
• Difficulty concentrating or a sense of mental slowness?
• Loss of motivation for things you used to care about?
• Increased body fat, particularly around the abdomen, with reduced muscle mass despite similar activity?
• Disrupted sleep — difficulty getting to sleep, waking in the early hours, or sleeping more without feeling rested?
• Reduced performance in exercise or longer recovery times?
• A general flattening of confidence or reduced sense of drive?

If you recognise several of these, it's worth having a conversation with your GP and requesting a fasting morning testosterone test.

What the Test Shows

A fasting testosterone blood test gives a total testosterone reading. "Normal" ranges are broad, and some men experience significant symptoms at the lower end of the normal range. If your result is low-normal and you're symptomatic, that's worth discussing with your doctor rather than accepting as baseline.

Lifestyle First

Resistance training, quality sleep, alcohol reduction, and stress management all have evidence-based effects on testosterone levels. These are the starting point regardless of where your levels test. Medical options — including testosterone replacement therapy — are available and appropriate for some men. That's a GP conversation.