Shaun Ryder is using hormone replacement treatment (HRT) to help him deal with the symptoms of male menopause.
The 61-year-old Happy Mondays singer has disclosed his therapy, which includes using testosterone gel to boost his energy.
Menopause is more frequent in women and normally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, resulting in the cessation of menstruation owing to decreased hormone levels.
Men, meanwhile, can experience menopausal symptoms such as sadness, loss of libido drive, erectile dysfunction, and other physical and mental repercussions as they reach their late 40s and early 50s, according to the NHS.
Andropause is the medical name for male menopause.
Opening up about his experience, Shaun said: ‘I was tired all the time, could barely be bothered leaving the house.
‘My libido was gone and I was miserable. A routine blood test showed my testosterone levels were at zero, explaining the way I’d been feeling.
The Celebrity Gogglebox star added according to the Daily Star: ‘I forgot to put on my testosterone gel, and as any woman who’s gone through the menopause will know, if you forget your stuff you go absolutely mental.
‘If I haven’t got my testosterone gel, I can’t speak. I can’t leave the house, I can’t make eye contact.’
However, he added optimistically: ‘I’ve been having HRT ever since and it’s changed my life for the better.’
Earlier this year, Shaun revealed how he dropped two stone after using the controversial drug Ozempic, which is for diabetes but also used for weight loss.
‘Being 60 with hip problems, thyroid problems, f**king testosterone problems and everything else,’ he told The Sun in May.
‘I think I was 16 stone and now I’m down to 14 because of them jabs you stick in your belly, that they say the Kardashians are on? Ozempic. I’ve been on them and I’ve lost two stone.’
What is male menopause?
Menopause is most common in women but men can also experience hormonal changes when they reach their late 40s and early 50s.
According to the NHS, symptoms for men include depression, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction and other physical and emotional effects.
The technical term for male menopause is andropause, and treatment includes hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) which is also used for women with menopause.
It comes just days after it was reported that an NHS Trust will give men 12 months of paid leave and other ‘allowances’ if they’re experiencing the so-called ‘male menopause’.
