Infertility – One of the Unmentioned Side Effects of Opioids

opioid pills in persons hand

There are many damaging side effects related to the chronic use of opioids and some of them hit the headlines. An overdose slows down breathing, potentially to the point of death. That’s well known. You might read about how restricted lung function can lead to pneumonia. But infertility resulting from opioids’ interference with normal levels of sex hormones is not something you hear about in the news.

Opioids—both prescription and illicit—affect the portion of the brain that regulates the production of sex hormones. When opioids are chronically present, the body has less ability to produce a normal amount of estrogen and testosterone. According to one study, lowered hormone levels will occur in more than half of those on chronic opioid therapy.

Wider Effects

In fact, this effect has been recognized since the early days of opium use in Asia. An 1839 report on opium users in India said: “[Opium] has kept, and does now keep down the population: the women have fewer children than those of other countries.”

This particular type of lowered hormone level is called hypogonadism. Here’s the hypogonadism symptoms for either men or women:

  • Loss of libido
  • Infertility
  • Fatigue
  • Depression
  • Loss of muscle strength and mass
  • Osteoporosis
  • Compression fractures
  • Depression
  • And specific to men: Impotence
  • And to women: Menstrual irregularities

Problems Affect Both Legitimate Users and Abusers

These symptoms may affect a person who has been prescribed these drugs over a long period of time for pain and also the person who has been abusing their medications or buying heroin or pills on the street.

Someone who has lost everything to their addiction may not care that they are infertile—in fact, it will probably be a relief to an addicted person if there is no child conceived while they are homeless or living a disrupted lifestyle. But there are undoubtedly many people in relationships who hope for children and wonder why they don’t conceive. Maybe they are on long-term opioid treatment or pain or maybe they have simply become dependent on those pills to get them through each day. Realizing their dream of a baby may require that individual to get help of a medical doctor or a rehab center to eliminate the daily reliance on opioids.

AUTHOR

Sue Birkenshaw

Sue has worked in the addiction field with the Narconon network for three decades. She has developed and administered drug prevention programs worldwide and worked with numerous drug rehabilitation centers over the years. Sue is also a fine artist and painter, who enjoys traveling the world which continues to provide unlimited inspiration for her work. You can follow Sue on Twitter, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

NARCONON OJAI

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION