I recently looked at the top 10 list of medications prescribed in America and noticed prescription pain medications contained within that list. It's sad but true that pain medications take the lead in our society in terms of use and abuse but did you know that they are also linked to hormone imbalance? Surgeries, accidents, and diseases sometimes require prescription pain medications to be added to a patients regimen, but long term chronic use can bring on hormone deficiencies and especially for men.
Loss of muscle strength, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, and worsened pain can be brought on by the long term use of pain medications. The medical literature is saturated with evidence of this, but often it's not the first thought as to why men might be struggling with these issues. Rule number 1 is to take a medication list with you to the doctor. The medication list is important because numerous medicines and supplements can affect hormone production and your provider should be taking every medication into account on every office visit you have. For instance, cholesterol medications can inhibit the synthesis of hormones because cholesterol is required at the key ingredient of the hormone cascade. "Statins" (cholesterol lowering agents) like atorvastatin, simvastatin, and others are known to cause hormone deficiencies, but so can pain medications like Oxycontin, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and so on. Over time, these medications cause suppression of the endocrine system and adrenal glands and in men inhibit Testosterone production. Low Testosterone is brought on by inhibition of LH (Luteinizing Hormone) which is produced by the pituitary gland and instrumental in Testosterone production. So, in essence, a person is taking one thing (pain medicine) that is causing a ripple effect in bringing about other problems
Often, and sadly, this little fact goes unrecognized by primary care doctors and clinicians. Interestingly, another problem with long term use of pain medications is hyperalgesia which simply means aggravated sensitivity to pain. That's exactly what a person doesn't want and why this should be discussed openly with your medical provider. And what else? Tolerance can also develop from long term use of narcotic pain killers which means that patients have to use higher doses to get the pain control effect. And not just that, but memory and cognitive function also take a huge hit when patients take narcotics for a long period of time and immune function can also be affected by long term use. This can result in patients becoming less able to ward off infections and viruses.
To give an idea of what men might experience if this is happening to them, I thought it would be helpful to provide a list of common low testosterone symptoms.
Fatigue, depression, hot flashes, night sweats, decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, poor mood, weight gain, and so on are often expressed by men who later test and discover they have Testosterone deficiency. Many guys also have diminishing bone density, anemia, loss of interest in activities, outbursts of emotion, and loss of muscle mass.
So what do you do if you have chronic unresolved pain?
Get your Testosterone checked! Administration of both topical and injectable testosterone have been studied and have been found to be effective for men with low Testosterone who are also on pain pills. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies should also be considered as well as doing a review of the adrenal hormones. This can certainly get things going in the direction to obtain the goal of reduced narcotic use and hopefully elimination of troublesome symptoms related to hormone imbalance.
Get tested! Get treated! Get better faster!
To your good health,
Dr. Sonja O'Bryan
Testosterone deficiency in men is gaining more and more attention these days in the media and in medical communities. There are certain links to testosterone deficiency that should be considered when a man complains of fatigue, loss of sexual interest, poor mood, loss of muscle strength, and other known symptoms of andropause. The problem may lie in the use of other medications, and in particular, pain medications. Hormone evaluations can be done affordably and conveniently to determine if testosterone deficiency is the problem in men. Check out http://www.customcompoundingrx.com or call 417-777-7455 to speak with a hormone specialist about problems you may be experiencing that you have suspicion are related to testosterone deficiency. To your good health, Dr. Sonja O'Bryan
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