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Opioids Opiate Induced Deficiencies and Imbalances - Complete list and how to treat

Bropiace

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 4, 2015
Messages
140
Opiate Induced Deficiencies and Imbalances - Complete list and how to treat

First of all, this is not yet an exhaustive list. Your help is needed. Together we can make a comprehensive and extremely useful guide on what are the consequences and what can be done to mitigate them for long term opiate users.

Why do this :

From what I have read on the subject and my personal experience, even some, or dare I say most, medical professional in the fields won't give much attention to those. For instance, none of the toxicologist doctors I've consulted (5 of them) suggested me to check up my levels or to consider therapy, nor refered me to an endocrinologist regarding one of the most notorious imbalance : low testosterone. Even tho it is widely aknowledge as a consequences of long term opiate use. If we want to improve our life quality, compiling this information will be of tremendous help. I am also convinced that taking steps to correct those imbalances will lead to easier withdrawal.

After over a year of opiates usage, I realised my mood and energy levels were deteriorating. I've researched testoterone deficiencies and then wondered if there might be other imbalances associate with prolonged opiate usage.

What I found was staggering.

Altho this information is impressive I believe it might be incomplete. For instance, I haven't look into Mineral and Vitamins deficiencies yet.

I am starting this thread in the hope that people will share their knowledge (and provide credible source) to those known imbalance. I will update the original post as the information comes in.

The Structure :

First there is the list of the imbalances.

I also think it would be appropriate to add a list of supplements and strategies to target each imbalance and symptom in order to mitigate the impact of long term use of opiates.

As I am rushed at the moment I'll go on with the lay out and will update the OP as my personnal research provide more information.

For now, my source of information was this one (yet quite in dept) article. The number (written in this format : #1) following every statement in this post will refer to the source section at the end. As people will submit new information or alternate source confirming statements, I'll edit the post to refer to the new source as well.


________________________________________________________

List of imbalances and their symptoms
________________________________________________________


Opiate-induced a suppression of the brain's pituitary gland.
#1


This suppression results in :

Hypothyroidism
#1

Adrenal insufficiency

-Adrenaline deficiency
-Cortisol deficiency
-DHEA deficiency
#1

Deficiencies of the sex hormones

-Testosterone
-Estrogen (Estradiol)
-Progesterone
#1


The resultant hormonal deficiencies prevent endorphin production and decrease dopamine receptivity. Opiate-induced deficiencies of estradiol and testosterone, disallow serotonin and dopamine, respectully, to activate brain receptors.

This of course cause deficiencies of :

-Endorphin
-Serotonin
-Dopamine
#1


Which in turn causes :

-depression
-anxiety
-insomnia
#1


Additionnaly, prolonged use of opiates causes :

-memory loss
-chronic fatigue
-weakness
-lethargy
-bone loss
-muscle loss
-weakened immune function
-elevated cholesterol
-insulin resistance with diabetes
-metabolic syndrome
-increased risk of heart attack and stroke
#1


Serotonin deficiency also cause elevated norepinephrine which cause parts of those symptoms mentionned, for instance, norepinephrine is a powerful vasoconstrictor which cause an increase in blood pressure. The article also mentioned anxiety and other symptoms as well.
#1


____________________

Potential treatments
____________________


Testosterone deficiency :

-Testosterone Replacement Therapy



________________________________________________________

Source :
________

#1

Written by :
Dr Marvin “Rick” Sponaugle

Based on his clinical research at Florida Detox & Wellness

http://www.choopersguide.com/articl...te-pain-pills-eventually-cause-more-pain.html


________
 
Weakened immune function - was prescribed a form of Iron (Ferrous Fumarate 300mg) to take 2x a day and still haven't gone to check my blood...(I'm afraid of needles, I have a phobia). I get colds extremely easily, I also smoke cannabis, and used to smoke tobacco and heroin for about 1 year that was 48%-53% so a lot of cut considering a gram a day habit. My last test that made the doctor give me the Iron showed a deficiency in my red blood cells. Since then I stopped drinking (6 months ago) and have drank maybe 4-5 times in total since then.

Iron aka Ferrous fumarate treatment was extremely effective, at least for me and I found out one can obtain this product without prescription, I just got it as such because the dose was very high, mine were 300mg each so a total of 600mg a day. During this period all I could do was sleep...I was so weak that eating was a chore, everything was a task. I felt drained of energy and very, very weak mentally and physically. After the 2nd month of iron treatment did my condition start to improve.

Propolis (aka bee glue) is amazing, make sure u aren't allergic and put 1 drop on your wrist. If no adverse effects proceed. I take 10 drops on a piece of bread 2-3x a day, or get a gel cap and fill it up with 10 drops. Whichever is easier.

Fatigue (chronic) - I tire out extremely fast; a 2 minute walk and I get the sweats, a sensation of having to catch my breath - taking small breaths every time creating a feeling that the perspiration is coming from the chest with this labored breathing. A 2min walk feels as if I'd taken a 25min walk even though I take clonidine for sweats, I feel *exhausted* in the summer months due to excessive perspiration and this feeling in my chest that is hard to explain which intensifies when walking and subsides when sitting, but a feeling that my sickness stems from the chest.

In cases of extreme fatigue when not even the opioids are helping me get work done, and a cup of coffee fails to do the trick, I've been recently resorting to a small dose of Ephedrine (not pseudo-) no higher than 24mg, usually 16mg with a cup of black/green tea or coffee gives a good synergy. I don't like stimulants but find this one isn't very rough and pretty smooth especially if taken with care and not exceeding 20mg-25mg maximum as the effects aren't worth it anymore at that point. This is a very cheap way to alleviate fatigue, although this too weakens the immune system as ephedrine is classified as a xanthine like caffeine is. Another much gentler but more expensive option (for Europeans & North Americans) is to use coca leaves, either in tea, chewed or as I took them, that is the finely grinded leaves in a powder form you would use for tea taken by the tablespoon and chased with water. As opposed to tea this method guarantees you that 100% is absorbed and none lost in the tea process. It does have a longer onset but the effects last longer and once they start are stronger than the tea. There are even 5x extracts of coca leaves and I've had one such extract domestically but like I said it was extremely expensive and 3x-4x more expensive than just getting 1 gram unknown purity street cocaine which is $80-$100 if you got fire, while the coca leaves and the coca extract which was only 1 dose ended up costing me about $50 and I got light effect not even a common/normal dose.

I take B vitamins, on top of my multivitamin & diet. A B12 time release is great to take in the morning as is what I'm currently taking called Vitamin B50 complex, basically it contains all the B vitamins in doses of either 50mg or 50mcg. There is also B25, or B75, and B100 with doses of 25mcg & 25mg up to 100mg or 100mcg.

Propolis aka bee glue works amazing for fatigue, much like a B vitamin, it its extremely efficient and worth trying anytime! Take it on top of a small piece of bread sandwiched together and taken with water 2-3x a day or filling up a gel capsule, whichever is easier for you. Results are amazing and seen immediately.
 
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Thanks for the info, but does anyone have a list of supplements we can take to correct these problems.??
 
If you have legit deficiencies in some of these things you need to make sure the problem actually exists and then come up with a treatment plan with a doctor for them, rather than attempting to medicate with "supplements" based upon a self-diagnosis.

it's also worth remembering that everyone responds to drugs differently, not every chronic opioid user will experience low T or thyroid problems neccesarily
 
Exactly. I wake up with morning wood every day and have hardly any of the other side effects some oxycodone users report. I been on a heavy daily dosage since 2011. I function better on oxy tbh.
 
I have hypothyroidism. I had it diagnosed by a doctor and I have to take synthroid.

If you cannot put on weight, and your hands and feet swell regularly you may want to have t1-t3 checked.
 
I was diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism (low calcium and low hemoglobin) while addicted to hydrocodone. It was very recent and was the only blood test ive had that i know of. Anyone else have this? I didnt tell my GP i was addicted but did say i took hydrocodone the day of the blood test (as perscribed from another doc). My doctor seemed baffled and i couldn't get any real answers from him how to treat it. Waiting for insurance to get second opinion
Now im curious if this is somewhat common among other users or just coincidence?
 
I'm pretty sure it can cause a magnesium deficiency or at least WDs will. A magnesium deficiency will include muscle fatigue/weakness and muscle aches.

I've been aided by a calcium/magnesium supplement enough times when I've had this heavy, weak feeling in my legs (like it was an effort to move them) that I'm pretty confident that this is an issue. I thought it was a possible placebo effect, but I've done it a lot of times and I've been in WD more than enough to know what seems to alleviate what. There is very little placebo effect in WD aids from what I've noticed, unless you're not actually in that bad of WD yet and it's just your anxiety making it worse.

The feeling of muscle weakness usually makes me feel weaker overall and it makes doing anything much tougher.
 
Question about the lowering of testosterone by chronic opiate use. Can it cause gyno in males? How can it get? I am going to my PM doctor today, if I told him I was getting minor gyno symptoms from my subutex would he give me a blood test? If so he could start me on testosterone? Also I know that going on T without taking breaks or "cycles" can be dangerous, so would they put you on test for a month, then a PCT or some sort? How would this work? Because Getting an RX for test would be amazing for my working out, especially if that is why I am having such a hard time breaking this plateau.
 
I knew about the low T, but I thought this self corrected when coming off opiates. I know it can also cause male infertility (methadone in particular)
 
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