Dear Dr. Gott: I am a 70-year-old male and in very good physical condition. All my life I had been easily irritated and often in a bad mood. I was very argumentative and always felt under pressure. A year ago, I started taking my wife’s 0.625 milligrams Premarin twice a week. The difference was fantastic.

I’m no longer upset by everyday matters. I’m calm and in a wonderful mood all the time, and my friends can’t figure out what has happened to me.

My wife loves the new me. She says that I should have started taking her hormones years ago. I’m happier than I ever was in my whole life. Life is now so good. I appreciate many things that I never noticed before. Do you think other men would benefit from this?Dear reader> Perhaps. But in most men, female hormones cause breast enlargement and the sex drive to “go south,” thus the trade-off can be unacceptable. While 0.625 milligrams twice a week is a minimal amount, you should check with your physician to determine whether your new drug therapy is appropriate.

Dear Dr. Got$> I am 41 years old, and I want a child at this point in my life. There is uncertainty, however, whether I can conceive. I do not have medical insurance to pay for the testing that I need. Also, I have been experiencing problems with my cycle. I don’t know if there is some kind of blockage or if it is that I am having encounters with the wrong husband. What should I do?Dear read<$> Both you and your partner should be tested for infertility as well as communicable diseases and overall health. The problem may not be you. There is always the possibility that the man you have chosen to father your child is infertile.However, I am concerned that you are having menstrual problems. It is possible that you may be experiencing the beginning signs of menopause. While you are still young, it is fairly common for women to start missing cycles, spotting, etc., in their 40s, making it harder to conceive, if at all.

If you are set on having a child, work with your gynaecologist, who should be willing to help you with a payment schedule and may even reduce some of his or her costs. You and your husband need proper testing.

As another option, adoption is always a consideration. While such a child is not genetically yours, you will become attached to, care for and love the child just as if you’d conceived the child yourself. There are many children here in the United States and around the world who need loving homes.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Menopause.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title. Doctor Gott is a practising physician and the author of the new book “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet,” available at most chain and independent bookstores. Write directly to Dr. Gott c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th fl., New York, NY 10016.