HEALTH
Ask Dr Mark
Our expert advises on testosterone levels, fluid intake and whether you can catch diseases from cats
Q I
am
in
my
late
sixties
and
in
good
shape
for
my
age
(I
don't
take
any
medicines).
However,
over
the
past
year,
my
sex
drive
has
disappeared,
I
have
been
getting
night
sweats,
I
can't
be
bothered
to
do
anything
and
have
become
a
hermit,
according
to
my
wife
and
friends.
I
googled
my
symptoms
and
low
testosterone
levels
seems
to
be
a
likely
cause.
Can
I
ask
our
practice
nurse
to
check
mine,
or
do
I
need
to
talk
to
my
GP
(who
is
difficult
to
get
hold
of)?
\:.,J I feel your pain when it comes to gettinga GP appointment, albeit from the other side of the fence. We are swamped with record demand, a rise in workload that has been matched by an ongoing, and worrying, struggle to recruit and retain staff. And I doubt getting an appointment is likely to get easier any time soon.
'Weare swamped with record demand and a rise in workload'
That said, your GP should still be your first port of call. And it will be worth the hassle and wait because, while low testosterone could well explain your symptoms, there are other more common causes, including depression and/or anxiety. And some rarer, potentially much more serious ones, such as TB and lymphoma (both unlikely but... )