If you have chronic pain, you're male, and take opioids. Please read this.

If you use opioids for chronic pain, have you doctor test your Testosterone levels. I've found that opioids deplete Testosterone levels. Many pain doctors seem to be unaware of this, as other pain doc's say it should be common knowledge. If you find you're depressed, have little to no sex drive, and you're putting on weight in funny places, you're Testosterone is most likely low. If you're 15-24 years old, you're Testosterone should be 750 ng/dl. It goes down as you get older. If you're 85-99, you're Testosterone should be around 400 ng/dl. I'm a chronic pain patient, my Testosterone level was 7 ng/dl when checked. The problem is you're levels are prepubescent, girls aren't icky, but you literately don't think about sex. This can cause divorces, and I feel the depression, could be a contributing factor in some chronic pain patients suicides. Do some research, talk to you're doctor, and have you're Testosterone levels checked, you may be surprised. From: http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/198/2/340 The effects of a single injection of morphine (20 mg/kg) on serum testosterone levels were examined in the male rat. Within 2 hours after the morphine injection, testosterone levels were significantly lower than control levels. The decline in testosterone levels reached a maximum 4 hours after the administration of morphine, at which time testosterone levels were reduced by more than 85% with respect to controls.