Heroin Heroin and Menstrual Cycle

[DexterMeth]

Pregnant on heroin? Jesus christ. Use a condom.

 

[Janalied]

So I think I’m unfertile (can't have babies) I have been pregnant before but I had a really bad miscarriage.
I don’t want kids yet, me and my fiancé aren't ready at all. But he has cam in me a million times! I can't count how many times...
And nothing ever happens I get my rag once a month still...
I have done heroin for over 2 years now don’t really know how long,
could that make it so I can't ever have a baby
or just temporary
cause I'm 7 days clean now...
I just want to know if my option for having a family is gone and I’m only 19 years young?
And if heroin stops some girls from having their period.
wtf is up with me
I have my period but its is unusual some times I have 2 short ones a month like 3 days long and some times I have 1 a month that lasts like 2 weeks.
I have really bad cramps and sometimes it makes me puke.
I sometimes ball my eyes out cause it hurts sooooo bad in my back and lower tummy.

 

[BuddingPharmacist]

Here is what happens:

Opiates destroy the endocrine system, sometimes permanently with prolonged use.

In men and women, opiates heavily suppress hormones. This is causing your issue.

This isn't something to be proud of. You need to get off or risk becoming sterile if it is doing this much to you.

 

[thizFreckles]

i was gonna post this exact question to see if there was anybody else like me. guess there is! ha... well i've been using oxycontin everyday for about a year and a half. & the past 6 months my period has stopped completely also... i also have gotten a bit skinnier due to my usage so that could be part of it...

 

[verso]

Here is what happens:

Opiates destroy the endocrine system, sometimes permanently with prolonged use.

In men and women, opiates heavily suppress hormones. This is causing your issue.

This isn't something to be proud of. You need to get off or risk becoming sterile if it is doing this much to you.

Wait, what? Opiates permanently destroy the endocrine system? Could you explain how, exactly? And could you link me to the research articles? Because before we worry anyone unnecessarily, I think that it's important to make clear whether or not opiates permanently destroy the endocrine system or merely suppress it for a period of time.

 

[thizFreckles]

^^ yes please explain...!

 

[BuddingPharmacist]

Wait, what? Opiates permanently destroy the endocrine system? Could you explain how, exactly? And could you link me to the research articles? Because before we worry anyone unnecessarily, I think that it's important to make clear whether or not opiates permanently destroy the endocrine system or merely suppress it for a period of time.

^^ yes please explain...!

Sure.

Before I link some articles, I'll use myself as an example. I abused opiates for 6 years, and now my testosterone never goes above 150. Normal is 300-800. I'm only 22, and my endocrinologist says I'm screwed for life in this regard. I have to take testosterone supplements to even feel normal.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1821355/

Partial text, same idea:
http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c4462.full

http://www.jstor.org/pss/4462565

CLIFF NOTES ON ALL THIS: Opiates fuck up the endocrine system, suppressing and even wiping it out.

Long term use of opiates = Impotence, testicular shrinkage, lack of desire, and everything else associated with people who's sex hormones are low.

I'm an example. Permanently damaged...

Something to keep in mind before abusing these things.

 

[verso]

I could be missing it, but none of these articles seem to explicitly state, or even strongly suggest, that opiate use/abuse leads to a permanently damaged endocrine system...

In the first article, it states, "During withdrawal from opiates and cocaine, the HPA axis is activated which may reinforce relapse behavior" which seems to suggest that in fact the opposite is true, that the endocrine system is suppressed but re-activated once the drugs are removed.

In the second article, those with hypogonadism are receiving on-going treatment with opiates, so of course their endocrine system would not reactivate.

In the third article, opiates are cited only as a contributor to endocrine complications for those with HIV.

To be honest, man, I'm just not convinced. I'm not a doctor, but I'm going to go out on a limb here for a minute and say that, in your case, there's likely something else going on. You're young still, so I'm not sure why exactly this might be the case for someone like you, but having low testosterone is not all that uncommon a thing.

Opiates have been widely-studied and there's been nothing at all that I've ever come across that would even seem to suggest any lasting damage from opiates, not to the endocrine system or otherwise. There would be complications, perhaps, from IV use and perhaps hemorrhoids from the severe constipation... but a permanently-destroyed endocrine system? I just don't think so... I really don't.

 

[BuddingPharmacist]

I could be missing it, but none of these articles seem to explicitly state, or even strongly suggest, that opiate use/abuse leads to a permanently damaged endocrine system...

In the first article, it states, "During withdrawal from opiates and cocaine, the HPA axis is activated which may reinforce relapse behavior" which seems to suggest that in fact the opposite is true, that the endocrine system is suppressed but re-activated once the drugs are removed.

In the second article, those with hypogonadism are receiving on-going treatment with opiates, so of course their endocrine system would not reactivate.

In the third article, opiates are cited only as a contributor to endocrine complications for those with HIV.

To be honest, man, I'm just not convinced. I'm not a doctor, but I'm going to go out on a limb here for a minute and say that, in your case, there's likely something else going on. You're young still, so I'm not sure why exactly this might be the case for someone like you, but having low testosterone is not all that uncommon a thing.

Opiates have been widely-studied and there's been nothing at all that I've ever come across that would even seem to suggest any lasting damage from opiates, not to the endocrine system or otherwise. There would be complications, perhaps, from IV use and perhaps hemorrhoids from the severe constipation... but a permanently-destroyed endocrine system? I just don't think so... I really don't.

Well, the way my endocrinologist explained it to me is like this: When the natural levels of hormones like testosterone are suppressed for a long period of time, sometimes the body gets used to only making small amounts.

My doctor says he sees it all the time in long-term opiate addicts or people who needed to use pharmaceutical opiates for persistent pain. Back when I was at a methadone clinic, the three head physicians also said something similar. They said a lot of their patients had lasting problems with their endocrinology after stopping the use of methadone, even up to ten years later.

 

[BuddingPharmacist]

If you wanted, I'm sure I could speak to my endocrinologist in a week or two and see if he can point me to more studies like these.

Another thing to consider is this:

Because opiates squash the natural hormones of the body, people can be mis-diagnosed as naturally low on these hormones. Then these people go out and get pharmaceutical hormone replacements, which would only make the recovery of natural hormone levels worse.

People who take testosterone to body-build often end up with little or no testosterone of their own, right?

Even after being off all forms of opiates for a year and being on nothing, my testosterone levels only went up 100 points maximum. My doctor firmly places the blame on opiates, and keeps telling me that they wrecked my endocrinology.

Regardless of whether or not opiates cause long term damage, opiates DO seemingly destroy hormones while using them (short term), and could take a while to recover.

This is why the TS is missing periods, and is why males and females who are using opiates generally feel no sexual urge to have sex.


After short usage of opiates, people seem to have a sharp uptake in sexual desire. Especially after withdrawal. Perhaps this is the endocrinology returning to normal in those people?

I am not speaking lies. I am speaking what I have been told by one of the best endocrinologists in the state of Utah.

 

[verso]

I believe you, man. I believe that you have low testosterone and that you have a doctor who places the blame squarely on your history with opiates, but there could be and likely is something else going on as this is, at the very least, not a well-documented occurrence.

It's true that men and women who abuse opiates regularly tend not to experience those more common sexual urges, but I can assure you, speaking from experience and as a regular user, two days is all it takes me for those urges to come back more strongly than ever. I could tap my cock against the side of my computer desk, and there's a chance that it would go off... lol

I would love for you to speak with your endocrinologist and ask him to point you in the right direction because if this is the case that opiates can permanently cripple the endocrine system, then the information is certainly not widely disseminated in any research or articles that we have access to...

It's nothing against your doctor, my man. I'm sure that he's a great doctor, but sometimes doctors can be quick to find reasons for a condition that they otherwise have no explanation for; I'm not even sure that there is an explanation for why men begin to lose their testosterone as they grow older, so your history with opiate abuse would fit the bill nicely in this case. Do you see what I mean?

 

[FlyBoy81]

I think these opiates really fuck with your hormones. For guys, there is a drop in testosterone, lose sex drive, and lose some fertility. For gals there is a loss of period, and a loss of some fertility as well. H and all opiates mess around with testosterone and estrogen and other hormons.

I know for a fact that these hormones (for me testostorone) drops with high and continued usage. I seriously would rather get high than fuck. Getting high just interested me more.....

 

[andghosts]

I've had the same happen to me. I've been using several times daily for about five years and last month I was charged with theft and possession of heroin and prescription narcotics (not to say the obvious but, do not resort to robbery when high and/or carrying illicit and/or prescription medications not in your name) and had been ordered to spend a rather large period of time, for me at least (three weeks) in a detoxification centre with only a steady stream of Suboxone and after having not had a monthly visit from the lady in red in over 18 months, I found myself plagued by a period with a vengeance. Perhaps, this is the other way our bodies say "relapse!" besides using the physical and psychological battery experienced when in withdrawal. Regardless of which, it works.

 

[bliz62]

I'm not on H, but pills, and I haven't had my period in months. Same thing as the others have posted, I took tests, all came back negative. I assumed (I guess rightly so) that it was the amount of opiates in my system that was preventing me from menstruating. I'm not all that concerned as I believe it'll start back up when I quit...when that is though, that's a 'nother story.

 

[phoenix_risin]

Actually i stopped getting my menses when i was addicted to heroin and doing it daily all day i stopped getting it about a month into my addiction and it did not come back until after having my son So Yep you can still get pregnant.
There is a name for this it is amenorrhea. It can happen when your body fat falls below a certain number or a hormonal imbalance, or diet issues excessive weight loss (this was partially mine) over exercising
(another of mine) It can also have other medical causes and i am sure web MD or on of those can give more info on it
YES you can as i stated still get pregnant with Amenorrhea so be sure to use birth control of some type.

 

[nightmaster4545]

it happens to a lot of women, itll come back when u quit.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

I have been using Heroin for 8 months now and for the past 4 months my menstrual cycle has stopped completely. I was just wondering if anyone had some comments on this, for example: Is this normal? Can I still get pregnant? If so, is it safe to use birth control? What exactly is going on..am I still producing eggs, etc.? If I ever quit using Heroin will my menstrual cycle return to normal?
Thanks.

I wish people wouldn't reply when they have no clue what they're talking about (not referring to everyone, just some of the posters, especially the first ones who replied). This is perfectly normal. With long-term use, opiates either change or stop women's menstrual cycles altogether. This happened to me and all the women I know who used opiates, and it is well-known by the medical community. It does not mean it will stay consistent or that you can't get pregnant. Make sure to still take precautions against pregnancy and stds. Menstruation has nothing to do with egg production. A woman has a finite number of eggs, you don't produce a new egg every month, all the eggs are sitting in your ovaries. You can read more about menstruation if you want to understand how it works. Heroin basically slows down a lot of your biological functions and it also changes hormone production, so that's probably why it affects menstruation. It should go back to normal (or semi-normal) if you stop taking heroin, or often even if you decrease your use, or go on a maintenance opioid like methadone or buprenorphine. Not menstruating is not known to be damaging in any way however.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

if this is the case that opiates can permanently cripple the endocrine system, then the information is certainly not widely disseminated in any research or articles that we have access to...

I have definitely read research about opiates crippling the endocrine system, sometimes permanently in long-term sensitive users. For some people they are fairly resilient and will bounce back, others take a few years (which is still a long time!), and others have problems for much longer, if not the rest of their life. Just one example, even the methadone literature from the makers says that users are far more likely to develop pituitary adenomas. When they quit using the problem doesn't go away.

Would you like me to try to dig up some info online about this? I know it can be hard to find much info on the long-term health effects of opiate use, which leads many people to assume there are none (and argue that stance vehemently in my experience - not saying you are doing that )

 

[verso]

I have definitely read research about opiates crippling the endocrine system, sometimes permanently in long-term sensitive users. For some people they are fairly resilient and will bounce back, others take a few years (which is still a long time!), and others have problems for much longer, if not the rest of their life. Just one example, even the methadone literature from the makers says that users are far more likely to develop pituitary adenomas. When they quit using the problem doesn't go away.

Would you like me to try to dig up some info online about this? I know it can be hard to find much info on the long-term health effects of opiate use, which leads many people to assume there are none (and argue that stance vehemently in my experience - not saying you are doing that )

Yeah, for sure. If you can dig up the research, I'd love to see it.

 

[PoppyDreamz]

Hey...I have been using heroin for abuot 8 months...but been using pills like roxies for a couple years. And honestly..it has been about a year since I have had my period. It is just your body being off kiltered from the drugs, and not eating...I guess