"Opioid Overuse Can Lower Hormones to Harmful Levels" - Dennis Thompson
Add one more issue to the growing list of harms from opioid abuse: Long-term use may lead to hormone deficiencies that affect a man’s health. Researchers reviewed the latest medical evidence and found that about two-thirds of men using opioids for more than six months develop hypogonadism, which is insufficient testosterone production. The review also found that about one in every five long-term opioid users also winds up suffering from low levels of the hormone cortisol. According to Ronald Tamler, MD, professor of medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, this new study, "is an excellent reminder that chronic opioid use affects multiple hormonal axes, especially the gonadal axis. Some men treated with opiates can revive their own testosterone production by altering their pain regimen. This should always be done in close consultation with a pain specialist."
— Ronald Tamler, MD, Professor, Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Digital Health Implementation, Mount Sinai Health System
Additional coverage: U.S. News & World Report