Opioids Morphine/ Poppy Pods..... Can everyday fairly high Morphine and Poppy Pod Tea cause decreased testosterone levels?

[Sk1500]

Hi people,

I had a hospital appointment today with the Endocrinology department. I think my GP referred me as I've put on loads of weight in a very short period of time. I also have an underactive Thyroid which has been treated with Levothyroxine, for approximately 6-7 years.

I changed from Codeine to Oramorph last June, this was after my best friend and the person who kept me grounded unexpectedly committed suicide. At the time I weighed 68kg/150lb, I noticed a almost total drop in my libido. I discovered Poppy Pods in about August, I've probably only had 7-10 days where I haven't had stovetop PPT since!!!!

My weight jumped to 230-240lbs in an incredibly short period of time, I probably peaked around this February. I've managed to get it down to 210-215lbs over last couple several months and it's staying there!!!!

My eating habits didn't change at all, from when I was human sized to now!!!! I eat dinner (usually) and snack bit last thing.

I'm on 140mg Oramorph daily and usually around 50-60g of PPT, I was on about 90-120g PPT from (roughly) October 21 til March 22.

I've been booked for a blood test to test testosterone levels. It was low in 2017/2018 and I was given Nebido to raise it 3x then.

Has anyone else had or heard anything similar linking low testosterone and high Morphine/ Opiates? I'm sceptical as it was a very quick weight gain. I think it's much more likely to be the shock and loss of my closest friend .

Curious if anyone else had anything similar????

Cheers folks

 

[negrogesic]

In short, yes.

 

[Keif' Richards]

In short, yes.

I guess this can qualify for Harm Reduction discussion, but I really prefer for the forums to be dedicated to safety-related issues, whereas this is more a lifestyle thing, I suppose.

LIke @negrogesic said, the short answer is yes. People often experience reduced testosterone when taking Opioids, especially for long periods of time and in high quantities. Opioids are, in genral, anti-libido, anti-social, anti-sexual drugs. I rarely had a true, human interest in sex when I was doing Heroin. I think about girls all the time now. I think about asking them out, treating them right, making them like me, all that good stuff. When I was doing Heroin, that was all way too much work for something that really didn't matter that much to me.

It's typical to have trouble with erections, libido and all of that stuff. It's pretty much par for the course. Your balls and dick do this thing where they sort of recede from lack of use or interest. It's all part of the process. Opioids are supposed to substitute for everything good in your life anyway, so I suppose they're working.

 

[Nas47]

Yes ofcourse

 

[Sk1500]

In short, yes.

Thank you, didn't realise that

 

[Sk1500]

I guess this can qualify for Harm Reduction discussion, but I really prefer for the forums to be dedicated to safety-related issues, whereas this is more a lifestyle thing, I suppose.

LIke @negrogesic said, the short answer is yes. People often experience reduced testosterone when taking Opioids, especially for long periods of time and in high quantities. Opioids are, in genral, anti-libido, anti-social, anti-sexual drugs. I rarely had a true, human interest in sex when I was doing Heroin. I think about girls all the time now. I think about asking them out, treating them right, making them like me, all that good stuff. When I was doing Heroin, that was all way too much work for something that really didn't matter that much to me.

It's typical to have trouble with erections, libido and all of that stuff. It's pretty much par for the course. Your balls and dick do this thing where they sort of recede from lack of use or interest. It's all part of the process. Opioids are supposed to substitute for everything good in your life anyway, so I suppose they're working.

Thank you. Apologies, I assumed it was harm reduction as its caused an effect on my health ...... I've got to have a fasting blood test where I take a tablet the night before, can't read his writing to decipher what it is.

Strangely the instant libido drop off happened about a month before I'd started the Oramorph or Pods and was about a month before my friend passed away, when I realised that he was very depressed due to an incident, which was proved false but sent him down the path that he didn't escape from.

I'm going to find it very hard even reducing my intake, maybe they'll start the nebido injections again

 

[Nas47]

Wish you success man in this struggle.Drugs...most of them effects hormonall balance in the body.incl.libido.can use good herbal remedies to battle this at some point.

 

[GetMeOutOfThisCRAP]

Absolutely lol. Its the motherload source itself with alkloids not thrown out and processed into a giant super pill of thebaine for instance. It will effect testosterone a bit more so if you're a daily pod user versus a pill goblin.

I do think however the dependency factor shifts a bit.. ironically oxy and extracted pharmaceuticals are more "addicting" than the plant itself per say. The other alkloids within the plant satisfy the brain more than with percocet/oxy and even for pain relief (ironically the plant in its natural form is better for pain relief and less addicting with the incessant urge to redose pills that occurs within most users). That being said, eating 8 pods at once is not good health practice either.

If opiates are your cup of tea, testosterone isn't much to care about for most opiate addicts anyway. Its easier to get high than worry about a hormone balance that junkies trade any day for the buzz. If sexual performance is the main concern--which is important to many men especially--you can time the doses out so you aren't residually high in time for that. Otherwise, there's no true way that I've ever heard of being effective long term to prevent the way opiates destroy testosterone. Its an inevitable and sad trade. In time any opiate user will experience feeling crappy ALL the time from the testosterone depletion of repeated use. You will be finding yourself dosing quite frequently once the perpetual crappy sensation hits... because the redose is the only thing that makes having low testosterone feel okay. Its a wicked dead end.. You can take breaks though if you can pull them off. Breaks do help the body balance its hormones again, and even in withdrawals you also replenish the positive effects of opiates again that decay day after day. Nobody likes ruining their life to not get high anymore. Opiate users never preach enough about breaks being important because they are brutal to withdraw from during some time off daily use.. but its worth it if you reach the wall that doesn't budge until you make taking time off possible. Withdrawals are whatever to face in comparison to taking high dose opiates throughout the day and feeling a tiny bit buzzed. That is true hell.

It's typical to have trouble with erections, libido and all of that stuff. It's pretty much par for the course. Your balls and dick do this thing where they sort of recede from lack of use or interest. It's all part of the process. Opioids are supposed to substitute for everything good in your life anyway, so I suppose they're working.

I do agree with this sentiment, but it also *in my opinion* is a bit related to when you dose it out. I refuse to ever try sexual activity while feeling obvious highs on the stuff because I will last an eternity with an okayish erection and not be able to feel physical pleasure well from their numbing effects. Later in the day though if the high dies out and is maybe slight still, I was fine with that stuff mostly and able to become aroused naturally without the high present. It def pertains to doses and how long someone uses for.. but libido will never be as good as when you don't use any opiates at all. Trade for trade lol. Heroin is sex in a new direction though and the brain views opiates as satisfying the same mechanism that happens when someone orgasms a bit right? It tricks the brain partially into thinking you just got laid real good lol. Might as well just use heroin with urself and get laid whenever if you are in the trap already (but don't recommend life long heroin).

 

[tarman]

The sole reason that I did not continue taking Suboxone was because that it decreased sex drive. For me, the absolute best thing about coming off opioids is you get your sex drive back with a vengeance. Now I did not do my homework and so when I started buprenorphine, I thought that because it was a partial agonist it was going to not kill my sex drive. Wrong. For me anyway, kratom doesn't seem to reduce my sex drive as much, if at all. But yeah, like others have said opiates and opioids will decrease your test levels.

 

[Nas47]

Kratom is better in that regard yes-itbdoes not reduce the sex drive...personally split oabout bupr.-it decreases sex drive,but that really not bothers me much...not so good for my wife....and before that I was too hypersexual.....so now feel somekind a reliefe....strange really.Can errect without much problem,vut don't have drive-much less sex till on it.....ad properties compensate this for me.....so...so-this bupe

 

[Sk1500]

Had my test results back today, for 3 things (Testosterone levels, serum Dopamine and my SP02 at night, with sleep apnea excluded).

There all really bad and potentially could either cause sudden death or indicate other undiscovered issues.

Had a 3 night hospital issued Oximeter, whenever I woke up in the night it was max 90% and saw it at 83%, I'm waiting for the averages to come through but really really low and could sudden death .

My Testosterone level came through post today and only tested less than 72 hours ago. My serum Dopamine is incredibly low and I'm on an antidepressant that only increases Dopamine .

So my results........

Serum Testosterone 2.6 nmol/L, normal range is 8.64-29!!!!!!

Serum Cortisol 23 nmol/L, normal range (for time of day testes is....) 137-429 nmol/L!!!!!

All 3 things are panicking me as I don't know if opiate related. All can lead to sudden death or indicate something else nasty going on, if you know what I mean.

Really panicking now, not getting a phone back from Endocrinology in October!!!!! I have to have 2 subsequent tests done, just hoping not too late. I was more worried about the weight and assumed, especially with the weight gains coinciding with my best friends suicide that it was caused by the Trauma but opiates can play role in all 3 results.

Feel even more stressed now, the impossibly bad somehow keeps getting worse. Stuck in quicksand with a retarded rescue team, they'll forget the handbrake and squash me!!!!!!!

 

[Nas47]

Hey cooldown man pop a benzo,ifyou want.it's too early docs to say from where came the problem.Lowervtestosterone could be from opies-(even lower cortisol levels as i remember)but it's not death penalty.Probably they must gonna do another examines in order to make better diagnostic.Try to not bother 'cause nothing is clear yet

 

[Sk1500]

Hey cooldown man pop a benzo,ifyou want.it's too early docs to say from where came the problem.Lowervtestosterone could be from opies-(even lower cortisol levels as i remember)but it's not death penalty.Probably they must gonna do another examines in order to make better diagnostic.Try to not bother 'cause nothing is clear yet

Cheers bro, I know I'm just frustrated at all 3 things at once, plus being generally depressed and anxious anyway. My GP is so shit for not even thinking to check that out.

I had 3x 3 month Nebido injections in 2016/17 as was going to the gym obsessively for 3 years (only had Sundays and bank Holidays off, plus missed 2 or 3 days (in total in that period) going 2-3 hours each day and walking ½ hour there and back. So for him not to even think about it and always the nonchalant attitude.

Just mega stressed. I had 12x diazepam yesterday anyway lol, so an extra 20mg anyway. Nothing seems to be going my way. It's the extra estrogen making me panic

 

[Sk1500]

Cheers bro, I know I'm just frustrated at all 3 things at once, plus being generally depressed and anxious anyway. My GP is so shit for not even thinking to check that out.

I had 3x 3 month Nebido injections in 2016/17 as was going to the gym obsessively for 3 years (only had Sundays and bank Holidays off, plus missed 2 or 3 days (in total in that period) going 2-3 hours each day and walking ½ hour there and back. So for him not to even think about it and always the nonchalant attitude.

Just mega stressed. I had 12x diazepam yesterday anyway lol, so an extra 20mg anyway. Nothing seems to be going my way. It's the extra estrogen making me panic

Yh I've gotta do a repeat blood test in a month, then another repeat few months after.

What wasn't explained on the blood results form though was, forgot to mention this, I had to take a tablet the night before called dexamethasone, then do the blood test at exactly 9am. I think this is a way to test you not been taking Steroids , could be way off though BUT if you take it the night before your serum cortisol should be under 50. The fact they give you the 'normal range', rather than the normal range with dexamethasone is pretty dumb!!!!

I've done pretty well, this week (starts each Wednesday). I'm prescribed 500ml/ 1000mg bottle Oramorph, which works out at 71.4ml/142.8mg daily, I've averaged 62ml a day. Plus on 8x 5mg Diazepam daily and only had 60mg, 20mg, 20mg this prescription week is good, considering how stressed I am. Have had more than avg PPT tho lol