posted by Leslie B on the About ab-thyroid forum

When I was really hypo, my sex drive hid in the basement. What's worse is that when I did have sex, it hurt and was unfulfilling. Not only that, the depression and apathy that accompanies hypo gave me little interest.

When we are hypo (males and females), either undermedicated or undiagnosed, many physiological things happen that we have little control over. First of all, when we are hypo our body temperature is lower. This causes more blood to be shunted to our essential organs (which do not include reproductive organs or the brain!!) to maintain a constant core body temperature. If the temperature of the body goes below a certain point, the organs cannot function properly. If a greater proportion of life-warming blood is at the core of the body, the extremeties become colder. We all have cold fingers and toes, ears and nose and little blood supply to the genitals.

It is well known that a lack of sufficient blood supply to the genitals can cause impotence. Diabetics have problems with lack of sexual desire and impotency because of this. Impotency is not just for guys - women can have the exact same problem only their personal equiptment looks different. Women have the same erection problems with their clitorises as men have with their penises. It takes blood flowing to the genitals to become aroused sexually.

You may ask why a lack of libido or an inability to perform happens in hypo. Mother Nature feels that when the body has a low metabolic rate, this is no time for pregnancy and babies. That doesn't mean you can't get pregnant having hypo but the odds are not good for the mother or child's survival. Well, if the body is hypo and it's not a good time for making babies, all sorts of signals shut down reproductive function. Men and women can become infertile (the sperm or egg doesn't do its thing), the ovaries and testes slow down production of sex hormones and with it there is a slow down of the signals in the brain for sexual desire.

Although we might argue with Mother Nature on these points, her main concern is survival of the species and can't be concerned with what we desire. She calls the shots here! When the body is in a hypometabolic state, her concern is to keep the heart, kidneys, adrenals, liver, lungs, pancreas, spleen and digestive system working properly. Non-essential organs such as ovaries or testes and the brain slow down in function. The brain slows down to keep the body from wasting precious energy - too much exertion of any sort robs the body of metabolic energy. Sex is certainly energetic! Now while we may consider our brains to be very important, we're talking survival here.

The lack of desire we perceive is real. The brain interprets the signals, regulates body function and the endocrine system. Our minds are disturbed by the lack of physical and emotional sensations. In a hypo state, neurotransmitters are affected and depression, apathy and a lack of sex drive are the result.

Since getting my T4 and T3 where my body needs them, my desire and ability to perform have returned. As I get older I expect that my reproductive hormones will change but by keeping my thyroid meds optimized, I think the problems will be minor.