If you use opioids for chronic pain, have you doctor test your Testosterone levels. I've found that opioids deplete Testosterone levels. Many pain doctors seem to be unaware of this, as other pain doc's say it should be common knowledge. If you find you're depressed, have little to no sex drive, and you're putting on weight in funny places, you're Testosterone is most likely low.
If you're 15-24 years old, you're Testosterone should be 750 ng/dl. It goes down as you get older. If you're 85-99, you're Testosterone should be around 400 ng/dl. I'm a chronic pain patient, my Testosterone level was 7 ng/dl when checked.
The problem is you're levels are prepubescent, girls aren't icky, but you literately don't think about sex. This can cause divorces, and I feel the depression, could be a contributing factor in some chronic pain patients suicides.
Do some research, talk to you're doctor, and have you're Testosterone levels checked, you may be surprised.
From: http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/198/2/340
The effects of a single injection of morphine (20 mg/kg) on serum testosterone levels were examined in the male rat. Within 2 hours after the morphine injection, testosterone levels were significantly lower than control levels. The decline in testosterone levels reached a maximum 4 hours after the administration of morphine, at which time testosterone levels were reduced by more than 85% with respect to controls.
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I started taking (both)
I started taking (both) Methadone - @ 10 mg X 6 tablets/day; & hydromorphone - @ 4 mg X 4 tablets/day; due to severe chronic pain. Within 4 months my sex drive went from having sex 2 - 4 X/week, to once per month (at best); due to the opiods. My pain management specialist was unaware of lowered testosterone being a possible side - effect (now he has been informed), thus he did not inform me. The opiods are a form of chemical CASTRATION (which many doctors & pain management specialists are not aware of) ! Now, I need to have injections of testosterone, to get my level back up to normal (it went down to only 5 % of normal, due to the opiods !
opioids and low testosterone
I have been on morphine. for severe chronic pain, for 3 years. Prior to going on it, the pain mgmt specialist who recommended it to my doctor, was not aware that morphine lowers testosterone levels. Thus, I was not advised that morphine lowers testosterone. I first noticed a loss of sex drive, then my breasts became sore & rapidly enlarging. My doctor referred me to a specialist (endochrineologist) who diagnosed it. He told me that all males have a minor amount of estrogen, secreted by adrenal glands. This is not normally a problem, unless the patient is very low on testosterone. Then, the estrogen becomes the dominant sex hormone; feminizing the male body (breast enlargement). I have had to have an injection of testosterone every 2 weeks (for several months now), & am told that I have been permanently chemically castrated by the morphine. My breasts are no longer sore (due to enlarging), but are only very gradually reducing in size. They are still much larger than prior to going on morphone. I have had to wear a b-cup bra for several months, while starting on the injections, to reduce my breast size. I now have a sex drive (due to the injections), but not nearly to the extent as prior to starting on morphone. I'll have to continue the injections for the rest of my life. My body no longer produces testosterone, due to being chemically castrated by the morphine.
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