Chronic Pain

WayneC brought up a point in a post recently about pain medications and hormones. I was wondering if any of you have found that pain medication (opiate medications like Vicodin, Oxycontin, Morphine, etc) mess with your hormones?
Have you spoken with your physician about it? If so, what did he or she say?
I do know that certain pain medications have the side effect of causing irregular cycles.
I was just wondering what you all have experienced.

Stacy

As for hormones, within the last year i have had to be on a week cycle of estradiol to balance my hormones because they were taken out of wack because of opiates (MSIR fast acting and sustained release) this also caused BAD problems with the cycle as well. It's a big thing that my physician (not the pain clinic, but my GYN) tell me to watch for.
Kellissia aka Troyal147

Thank you all for this thread
I am 45 yrs old and have within the past year been very confused and a bit upset at the fact that my life long regular cycles have been really wacked out.
I'm only having a cycle about every 3-4 months, they are different in flow and sometimes very painful for the first couple of days. I'm having bouts of the worst PMS that I've ever known in my life, it sometimes has even resulted in horrible out bursts of anger and emotional freak outs over otherwise very normal and calm subjects, these out burst leave my poor husband shaking his head in disbelief and confusion as to what is going on with me.
I'm also experiencing hot flashes that make me behave like a wacko, as I scramble for somewhere cool to get it controlled.
When I discussed it with my PC, he said he thought that I was at the age of possible peri menopause, as much as that statement hurt, "OUCH" and made me feel even older than I am. I pretty much thought that he was probably correct and I may be starting menopause, but with the new knowledge of this subject, maybe I'm just reacting to the constant Opiate pain therapy that I've been on for the past few years. I have an apt with my PC on Dec 7th, so I think I am going to bring this all up to him and see what he says. What or is there a treatment to help with these symptoms?

Thanks
Betty