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Heroin Heroin and Menstrual Cycle

Ps I eat normally and am a healthy weight so I don't think malnutrition is much of a factor
 
hmmmm..

I am so glad i did a search for this topic n found this site with ur posts. I have been using on n off for 8 months now also n i have not had my period for over 4 n 1/2 months now,, which was also around the same time that i stopped taking 'the pill' so i have been really freaked out. i have taken several tests,, and all but the last two said negative. I recently bought the most expensive ones possible n of course both said error,, lol. I plan to still go to the dr. just to completely try to rule it out.. but reading wat u all have said it sounds like were in the same situation..

but i was wondering,, do u still get cramps like ur getting it or has ur stomach felt different? thats wat has made me really freaked out..
 
When I was using heroin heavily my period stopped completely,pretty common from my experience and from what I've learned from other female addicts!But if you have had unprotected sex recently,you are still at risk of being pregnant.Get a pregnancy test just to be safe.
 
i used herion for about 2 years. i am a 28 yr old female. i stopped getting my period after about 7 months of use. i have been clean and taking methadone(which has saved my life and i encourage anyone who is in trouble to PLEASE try it!!) for 93 days. i just got my period for the first time in over a year last week. though it is not like my "normal" period, i do have some bleeding. i have been told that it should return to normal after a while, its different for everyone. however, your period will probably not return until you stop the use of drugs, but i dont believe that there are any long term negative effects of not getting your period. get a preg. test just to be sure if you are sexually active. i hope this helps anyone with questions, this was just my experience. by the way, I HAVE NEVER FELT BETTER!!! i never thought i would ever be abe to quit, i needed it to much. im so glad i gave methadone a chance. please try it, what else do you have to lose??( that your not losing or have lost already, right?) god bless and be carefull, remember you are the only one that can save YOU
 
i don't have a medical explanation; i'm not a doctor, but i've had the same problem in the past when i use opiates for a long time. i've gone at least 6 months without having a cycle before.

i really doubt you could get prego when you're not havin your cycle regularly, but i think it also depends on your size and weight. i never used protection the 3 years i was with my last b/f, and i was in the same situation...never got close to bein pregnant
 
For the past couple of months I have been abusing methadone and oxy, percs, and vikes before that for a while. On the percs, vikes, and oxys I was as regular as ever, but since starting to abuse the methadone my period has completely stopped. I am going on about 2 months now of no flow.

I am 22 years old, 98 lbs., and 5 foot 1 inch. I have lost a little bit of weight recently, but only about 5 lbs. I have read that irregular menstrual flow is a common side effect of methadone, so I haven't been to worried and even my therapist said my period would eventually come back. I have also been extremely stressed and depressed lately, so this could also be playing a part in my period stopping.

Obviously this is a common side effect of opiates in general, not just H and I don't think it's anything to be too worried about.
 
When I was on dope or methadone mine stopped too. When I finally kicked it took another 9 months for it to come back.
Logically you'd think you were safe from unwanted pregnancy if you're not menstruating but I would NOT take the chance.
 
Yes, you can still get pregnant!!!

I ve been using heroin/methadone on and off for a little over 10 years now ( i am 29 years old) and there was a period when I did not menstruate for 3 and a half years . I think there was one incident where I had a mild spotting problem. So yes, heroin use will mess with your cycle, but dont be too happy about that. If you are not getting your period monthly that means that something in your body is off balance. And yes , you can get pregnant , so try to use some form of birth control. Between shooting tons of heroin and being in general careless about birth control I got very careless and ended up having 2 children. On the other hand , once I got on methadone , everything went back to normal, so unless there are other issues involved , you should be fine once you stop using.
 
Just because you aren't actually menstruating doesn't mean you aren't ovulating. When you change your body chemistry, even just a little, it can cause a disruption in your menstrual cycle. You're adding a different stress to your body. As some have said, yes, you can still get pregnant. If you're on hormonal birth control, keep taking it. I, also, had this happen to me several times in my life when I was bingeing on miscellaneous drugs over the years.
 
i have been using for over two years now. for the past year i haven't gone w/o an opiate for 72 hours, and for the past 6 months i haven't gone 24 hours. i still get my period though. i am on birth control though, don't know if that makes a difference.
 
For a Medical opinion....

Some basics on your monthly.....\

Menstruation is the periodic (usually monthly) shedding of the lining of the uterus that occurs under the influence of hormones. Hormones control ovulation (release of an egg from the ovary), the development of the endometrium (uterine lining), and menses (monthly flow). Appropriate hormones in adequate amounts and released in the proper sequence are necessary for the monthly pattern to continue. Without normal hormonal functioning ovulation does not take place, disrupting the normal monthly pattern.

"True"Periodic, monthly bleeding can only result following ovulation, since it is this event that promotes progesterone production and decline two weeks later, bringing on menses.

For many women, "the period" simply means vaginal bleeding without regard to the pattern of bleeding. In this sense, it is possible to bleed without ovulating, but the bleeding will be irregular. This is known as dysfunctional uterine bleeding or anovulatory bleeding. Anovulatory bleeding varies in flow, duration, and schedule, and often is mistaken for a menstrual period.

Now to directly answer the questions. Heroin and other opiate/opiod meds certainly can cause irregularity in menstration sometimes to the point of complete cessation (though not permanently). Hormonal balance is important to a regular cycle.

In my experience It typically manifests itself as breakthrough bleeding or spotting between periods most often. So it can cause you to be overactive or not at all. I dont have this issue (born w penis), however I would think going without would be preferrable. Ive worked on alot of women who go to great lengths to eliminate breakthough/anovulatory
 
Since last february (a year ago), I only get mine every two months. I've been on Suboxone since that June, but this began 4 months before I got on subs and it continues today. Strange. Must be a hormonal thing.

Months after writing this, I now have a period every 2 weeks (fun, I know). Opiates most definitely cause a disruption as far as a woman's period is concerned. I guess now the Suboxone is doing it. I should go to the doctor just to rule out any other reason for this imbalance. I suggest anyone else having these problems do the same.
 
First, I am not a Dr but I was doing some searching today & I read that opiates block the chemical called dopamine in the brain & this can cause your prolactin to rise which in turn can make your cycles irregular or just stop your period altogether. If your prolactin is too high, you don't ovulate.

If you aren't having a period then it is extremely unlikely that you will get pregnant as you are PROBABLY not ovulating. It's ovulation that brings on your period when you DON'T get pregnant because the lining in your uterus begins to thicken AFTER you ovulate & when you don't get pg, the lining sheds & you get your period thus beginning a new cycle.

I don't know for sure because as I said, I am NOT a DR. but I would think that your cycles would go back to being normal after you stop the heroin.

I hope this helps & good luck to you.

Jen
 
When I started heroin, it made my period stop right away. I had my period for a day right around when I started dope, and then the next day it stopped. I had been doing oxy's and roxies before that so I was already kind of malnourished, and it got worse with dope. I'm 5'1 and I started at 115 pounds and went down to 95. I stopped doing dope after 8 days by using roxies again, and then had to quit everything cold turkey the day after. My period started normal again soon after. Now i'm clean and back up to 110 pounds and hopefully reversing all the crap that opiates did to me. I never worried about being pregnant because I've been on the nuvaring for a while.
 
Its very common for opiates addicts to have very odd menstrual cycles and to not even have one. Like everyone else stated your body is in distress and does not feel like its in the right health for having a kid. Once you quit it should return back to normal.

My ex Gf was kinda lucky she never lost her cycle while addicted. But it was kinda odd , sometimes only once every 2 months and such.
 
I've always been irregular-however I find that with opiates, my weight drops even more furthering the irregularity of my cycle. Are you underweight ?
 
well first off are you positive you arent pregnant? if heroin is stopping your menstral cycle then that is probably a good idea to stop using and seek medical attention. I am not i doctor or anyone with an excess of knowledge about the female redproductive tract but being not able to reproduce is probably something you will regret later.


Jesus CHRIST , dont scare the girl. . .you will be fine! my girl would have probably 2 or 3 maybe 4 cycles a YEAR when she was usin dope everyday. doctor said it was normal for heroin addicts!

and i am going to look into this more, but for now all i got to say is couple more months of use and gettin pregnant will prob be out of the question cause of lack of sex drive:) . . and if it isnt recreational sex then you should definately be using a condom anyway. . .

good luck
Technical User
 
allmost clean

I used h for the last 4 years. After 2 months of heavy use my periods stopped completely! I'm 45yrs old and thought I went into menopause. I'm NOT sexually active so I'm not pregnant. A year ago I got on methadone and was still using h. I quit using h in September 2010 and I'm now detoxing from methadone. I started bleeding Tues. like I was having my period and freaked out! I was pretty sure it was the lack of h in my system that let me start menstruating again? After reading your posts I feel I'm not alone in this. Nobody knows I used so nobody knows what I'm going through except at the clinic I go to. Like others, I didn't think I could ever stop but I did!!!! You can too, good luck.
 
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