Shaun Ryder says 'male menopause' left him 'unable to speak' and 'miserable'

Shaun Ryder has spoken out about the effects of the 'male menopause', saying that it left him 'unable to speak' and 'miserable'. The Happy Mondays star has said he understands how women feel when they hit the change of life after his own battles.

He explained that hormone replacement therapy has changed his life following what he described as 'male menopause'. The medical term, andropause, is more gradual than the female equivalent, and happens when men's hormones decrease.

It can cause symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, depression, anxiety and rapid weight gain. The 61-year-old singer has revealed he now uses testosterone gel to boost his libido and energy levels.

He revealed that if he misses his medication he goes "absolutely mental". Shaun went for a blood test after struggling and says it showed his "testosterone levels were at zero".

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He told The Sun: "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."

Without his gel, he adds, he struggles: "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."

Salford-born Shaun has been open about his drug and alcohol issues in the past. He has now been sober for 16 years and has not had a cigarette in eight, reports MirrorOnline.

Earlier in the year Shaun