Body messed up after getting clean?

[theend14]

So.. I'm 21 days clean from H. I used for a little under a year.. mainly snorting (waterlining tar).. occasionally IVing.. used around a half gram a day... I know losing your period is a common side effect in women using opiates but was curious if/how long this lasts after getting clean? Like I said I'm 21 days clean (quit cold turkey) and still no sign of my period.. don't think it was a weight thing that caused me to lose it either as I was of a normal weight but did eat like total shit (basically just whatever was easy/cheap n didn't require work - soup, chips, ice cream, crackers, cereal etc) so I probably was lacking some vitamins/nutrients.. But now since getting clean I've actually put on at least 10 lbs and my stomach has been all messed up and bloated feeling (is this related too?) and no period .. I'm 100% sure I'm not pregnant so I know that's not it ..

Anyway, I've been looking around on the internet and can't find good solid facts on your body after H and how it adjusts .. hormones/digestion/craving sweets/feeling insatiably hungry all the time yet being full? Any info/insight is welcome .. sorry for the longish post !

 

[T. Calderone]

I once went more than a year with no cycle when using opiates heavily and lost a lot of weight. It came back as mysteriously as it stopped. You seem to be doing everything to get healthy again, give your body a chance to adjust. If after a couple months things haven't improved, you may want to see your doctor.
Congratulations on getting clean! (Homeless -------> Healthy Living)

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

Congratulations on stopping your use of heroin and other opiates. Please go see a doctor and be honest about your previous drug use, any drugs you currently use, and your issues or concerns now.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Congratulations on stopping your use of heroin and other opiates. Please go see a doctor and be honest about your previous drug use, any drugs you currently use, and your issues or concerns now.

This. Getting a physical after getting clean for the first time in a while (and in the OP's case seeing the ob/gyn) is a great idea. It helps get one healthy, which makes recovery more accessible. It also orients one around what has to lose if they were to have continued down the same path.

 

[theend14]

Thanks for everyone's response.. I have no medical insurance at the moment and have already racked up debt with hospital visits/am also unemployed at the moment as I was trying to focus on my health and sobriety .. I might see about a free clinic but was just curious about others' experiences with their bodies after getting clean.

 

[Serotonin101]

Proper digestion took me a few months before it returned to normal. During that time meals would leave me bloated and sometimes uncomfortable as I under ate for a long time, my body wasn't accustomed to the volume of food I was putting in it. I ate smaller more frequent meals.

 

[rainyday107]

It may be due to malnutrition.

 

[DayDreamBeliever]

My body took such a long to fully recover after coming off of opiates. Physically it eventually gets better. Waves of withdrawal symptoms can come and go over time. Mentally is another story.