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Opioids Do opiates decrease testosterone levels in men?

It'd be my guess that drop in blood pressure and general CNS depression is what leads to impotence/disinterest in sex. Certain opioids are NMDA antagonists (Methadone), which seems to make tactile stimuli less intense (so sexual contact/foreplay doesn't have any effect, or minimal effect).

While some may exhibit lower testosterone levels after lengthy Heroin or Methadone daily dosing, I'm still more willing to believe other factors (such as typical addict lifestyle; lack of proper nutrition, etc) are more liable for lower testosterone levels than the opioid itself.
 
Thanks for the links. :)

I bumped it to save it from the prune.
 
i am really concerned about my hormone levels and maintaining normal endocrine functioning.

from what ive read though, it shouldnt be much of a concern unless I am a daily user? i never use more frequently than once a week, but every 2 weeks or so is more accurate (oxycodone; always 40mg or less)...
 
the effect on hormones depends on the user. in my case, opiates lowered my free testosterone pretty dramatically.

being irritable is not necessarily the result of testosterone. when my mother was dying of cancer and taking dilaudid she got irritable from the drugs, but I didn't see her starting to grow a mustache.
 
Just like to chime in that I have completely reversed my earlier position on this topic :)

Some opioids are far more well known to cause lower LH, Testosterone, Prolactin, etc levels than others. Methadone is a particularly nasty culprit.

Plasma Testosterone and Sexual Function in Men Receiving Buprenorphine Maintenance for Opioid Dependence
Niclaas Bliesener, Susanne Albrecht, Andra Schwager, Klaus Weckbecker, Dirk Lichtermann and Dietrich Klingmüller
Department of Clinical Biochemistry (N.B., A.S., D.K.), Division of Endocrinology; Department of Psychiatry (S.A., D.L.), and Café Ersatz Methadone Maintenance Clinic (S.A., D.L.), University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany; and General Practitioner (K.W.), Bad Honnef, Germany

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Niclaas Bliesener, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Division of Endocrinology, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany. E-mail: [email protected].

High-dose methadone is well known to cause testosterone deficiency and sexual dysfunction in opioid-dependent men. Buprenorphine is a new drug for the pharmacotherapy of opioid dependence. Its influence on the gonadal axis has not been investigated to date. We therefore assayed testosterone, free testosterone, estradiol, SHBG, LH, FSH, and prolactin in 17 men treated with buprenorphine. Thirty-seven men treated with high-dose methadone and 51 healthy blood donors served as controls. Sexual function and depression were assessed using a self-rating sexual function questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory. Patients treated with buprenorphine had a significantly higher testosterone level [5.1 ± 1.2 ng/ml (17.7 ± 4.2 nmol/liter) vs. 2.8 ± 1.2 ng/ml (9.7 ± 4.2 nmol/liter); P < 0.0001] and a significantly lower frequency of sexual dysfunction (P < 0.0001) compared with patients treated with methadone. The testosterone level of buprenorphine-treated patients did not differ from that of healthy controls. In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time that buprenorphine, in contrast with high-dose methadone, seems not to suppress plasma testosterone in heroin-addicted men. To this effect, buprenorphine was less frequently related to sexual side effects. Buprenorphine might therefore be favored in the treatment of opioid dependence to prevent patients from the clinical consequences of methadone-induced hypogonadism.
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http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/1/203

A number of personality changes can be linked to these hormonal changes, even if you completely disregard erectile dysfunction and other sexually related problems (anorgasmia, etc)- which on their own can cause psychological problems.

Low testosterone is defined as less than 300 nanograms per deciliter of blood. The symptoms of low testosterone include low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, mood problems, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. Of all men with below-normal testosterone levels, about one-half to two-thirds report symptoms.

Unlike a woman’s menopause, when estrogen levels plummet over months to very low levels, men’s “andropause” is a gradual decline of testosterone levels over years. The effects of low testosterone can be insidious, even go unnoticed.

Some men with low testosterone levels have symptoms without recognizing them, Herbst says. “They may still have a sex drive, but not realize how much it’s declined,” she says.

Men with symptoms of low testosterone can have significant impairment in quality of life. Current medical thinking is “these men should be treated with testosterone replacement,” Herbst says.

Low testosterone can be replaced by using a daily skin gel, patches worn on the skin, orally disintegrating tablets, or injections. The general recommendations are to raise the blood testosterone level only into the normal range.
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http://men.webmd.com/features/low-testosterone-explained-how-do-you-know-when-levels-are-too-low
 
Opiates and testosterone

My question is simple. We know that chronic opiate use lowers testosterone, if someone had an opiate habit that caused them long lasting and/or intense withdrawals with long term sobriety, would testosterone levels be raised during these periods?

I'm curious because I was on tar for a good while, and Suboxone for another good while to straighten myself out and stay steady.IME both these have unfortunately persistent PAWS even with months or beyond with abstinence. I just like to know about these things.
 
I think it'll come back and reverse its self. Luckily my withdrawals always go away pretty quick, no PAWS bs for me.
 
Hormonal changes due to opioids, and their direction and duration, seem to vary greatly from person to person and situation to situation. For example for me in the past when I stopped opioids or lowered my dose I found I was hornier and could orgasm more easily, but this time around tapering off methadone (I've reduced my dose by 90% after being on methadone for years), I have absolutely no libido and have a lot of symptoms of hormonal imbalances (which became noticeable after I started lowering my dose, strangely). But often people find their hormone levels are depressed while on opioids and go up a lot when they quit opioids, think of heroin addicts in withdrawal spontaneously cumming themselves. So I think it's not a very predictable thing, it probably depends on a whole bunch of factors (what drug, how long you took it, at what dose, any pre-existing predispositions to hormonal problems, exercise, mental health, etc etc) and on your individual body. I don't think there's a standard change and standard duration of said change. And I suspect a lot of different hormones and neurotransmitters are affected. So I can't speculate on whether your testosterone levels are raised, and if so, how long it will last. I do know it generally takes a very long time for your brain and body to recover from long-term use of Suboxone or methadone though.
 
just how bad do opioids lower testosterone?

ive been intrigued by this ever since i started taking opiates and learned they lower it. as an avid fitness freak and somewhat intermediate weightlifter, i want to know is they affect it enough to cause significant changes? like do they slow down the growth of facial hair? i have a long goatee and would like to start to measure it when im on them and off them to see if growth slows. also does it prevent the building of muscle? i have had some frequent use of opiates this entire year and started weightlifting a month before i started doing them. i have quite a decent bit of muscle and am wondering if that when you include exercise, the testosterone doesn't even get lowered enough to be a significant matter.
 
I don't know how easy it would be to quantify this. You could say "person A went from ### to ###..." and you can do the math, but without knowing what your level already is, it's going to be hard to extrapolate the trend and apply it to your own levels to see what it would do.

Buprenorphine doesn't hinder testosterone production.

Heroin does, and methadone is the worst culprit that I can think of.

BTW, how long is your goatee?
 
ah ok. i have a sheet from when i had a blood test done in the beginning of the year where it showed what my level was. doctor told me my free testosterone level was fine, and that that testosterone is what effects everything, but the other type of testosterone was on the low side of being normal, but it didn't matter. and my goatee is 4 inches all curly and shit. 7 inches when i straighten it
 
I can only speak from the female perspective about estrogen. I have been on oxy since 2006. in 2010 I found out I was infertile because my estrogen was zilch - not only that the precursor hormones and LH/FSH and growth hormones were also dangerously low. I now take HRT because my osteoporosis and heart disease risks are so high. In regards to exercise, I do a fair bit of strength stuff and this hasn't. Helped at all unfortunately, even pregnancy didn't boost my hormones and the endocrinologist said this was the ultimate boost that might fix things.

My advice from experience is to take HRT earlier than later because of the way the pituitary can become 'exhausted'. you can always stop when you don't take opiates anymore.unless things like exercise and natural supplements help and I know many men who say they do - Maca is a good one. Hth, it's a not fun but serious side to opiate use that not many people discuss.
 
If ability to frequently ejaculate sperm is a measure of testosterone, then it has a massive effect. I've gone from almost daily, to about once a month. I only try every few days now and give up after a few minutes, as i can feel that nothing is going to happen.

But it has no effect on lust and lechery etc. In fact they seem to increase. This produces a frustrating outcome as you can imagine.
 
sludgefactory101 said:
ive been intrigued by this ever since i started taking opiates and learned they lower it. as an avid fitness freak and somewhat intermediate weightlifter, i want to know is they affect it enough to cause significant changes? like do they slow down the growth of facial hair? i have a long goatee and would like to start to measure it when im on them and off them to see if growth slows. also does it prevent the building of muscle? i have had some frequent use of opiates this entire year and started weightlifting a month before i started doing them. i have quite a decent bit of muscle and am wondering if that when you include exercise, the testosterone doesn't even get lowered enough to be a significant matter.
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We have a thread on this topic here, but I'm going to merge this with the other thread on the topic since it's already in this forum. Please search before posting.

Merged.
 
mydrugbuddy said:
If ability to frequently ejaculate sperm is a measure of testosterone, then it has a massive effect. I've gone from almost daily, to about once a month. I only try every few days now and give up after a few minutes, as i can feel that nothing is going to happen.

But it has no effect on lust and lechery etc. In fact they seem to increase. This produces a frustrating outcome as you can imagine.
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completely agree with this. i can't finish on opiates for shit - i can be going for 4-5 hours and i won't come. its just impossible. it's agony for my girlfriend and me too. i thought it would be helpful for my sex life but no it seemed to kill it. as for ejaculation outside of sex - i even forget about it completely, i have no desire to jack off so to speak.

as for the lust etc. when i wasnt in a relationship yes i agree completely - i wanted sex all the time and didn't get it which also fucked me off. now that i am in a relationship the sexual desire i have when not on opiates toward my girlfriend (and any girl for that matter) is completely gone.
 
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