Does methadone decrease libido

Answer 1

Yes, been on methadone for 2 years and it takes the drive outta your life period. i dont wanna do nothin, including sex. it has alot of pros but the cons are bad ones.

Methadone, as well as any prolonged use of any Opiod, has a direct effect on the endocrine system. In males, this causes a decrease in the production of Testostorone (the main Libido hormone) as well as several others. This condition is called "Hypogonadism" and should be expected as well as address by any doctor prescribing Opiods for a chronic condition.

Answer 2

I wouldn't say that ANY medication causes a DEFINITE reaction. The way one person reacts to a drug or medication is going to be different than the way another person reacts to it. In short - the reaction/side-effect of a medication is dependent upon the person taking it. Now, with that being said, perhaps if you re-worded your question to read something like: "Could Methadone cause impotency?" my answer would be: ABSOLUTELY! But wait, there's more... Now, I do not say this because of the fact that nearly every opiate (to the best of my knowledge) can cause impotency, or even more frequently - a decrease in one's libido (i.e. sex drive). No, I base my answer upon my own personal experience with opiates. Now, believe me, I am not proud of admitting this - but I am pretty certain that I have been prescribed (or have used) every last opiate painkiller available. From the "weakest one's" such as Codeine, Darvon or Vicodin, to the "middle of the road" one's like Oxycontin, Morphine or Dilaudid, all the way up to the "heavier-hitters" including Fentanyl, and Methadone (not to mention any and all in between) over the course of the last 17 years (or more specifically: from the ages of 16 to 33) I believe that I have ran the entire gamut of narcotic pain medicine, and it is from my personal experiences (combined with an expanded degree of pharmacology) that I base my answer. I'd also like to point out that I DO NOT ABUSE ANY MEDICATIONS; however, I will regrettably admit that when I was much younger, I most certainly did. I only make that known in order to let you know that I have experience with high amounts of opiates, and that is exactly why now (after spending more than half of my life on opiates) I find relief in ONLY one: Methadone. Methadone (in my opinion) is far superior to any other medication out there when it comes to controlling pain. Prior to being placed on it 5 months ago (for the second time now) I had been taking (or prescribed) 480mg of Oxycontin a day (2 - 80mg tablets- 3 times a day), and prior to that, I had been on the Fentanyl patch (3 - 100mg patches every 48 hours). Now for all the naysayers or disbelievers who want to say that it is impossible to be taking that much and still be alive, or that no doctor would prescribe such a lethal dose (which is somewhat true - at least, that of the fact that the dosages were well over the therapeutic limit - and did exceed the lethal dose (LD50)) - PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO YOURSELF, FOR I DONT NEED ANY ADVICE ON HOW I LIVE MY LIFE. I ONLY STATE ALL OF THE AFORESAID TO MAKE A POINT. As I was saying, while Methadone totally curbs my pain and is far better at doing so than any other medication I have ever tried, it definitely has it's downsides (or side effects). First of all, Methadone has an extremely long half-life and it metabolizes horrendously slow. So, it takes forever to build-up in the blood, and forever to leave the system once stopped. For me, it seemed like it took about 5-7 days to receive the full effects of decreased/diminished pain, and when at one point I had stopped taking it a few years back, it took about 3 weeks before it had "left me" for good. But aside from the longevity of Methadone, I believe sweating is by far and wide, the WORST POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECT! I have somewhat noticed a little sweating here and there with other opiates, but on Methadone... my God! It's horrible! I don't EVER sweat when I'm not taking it. When I am though... WOW! It's absolutely unreal how much I can sweat at a time, and it is a side effect that never goes away! But anyhow, aside from those two, the other terrible side effect of Methadone is a decreased libido. Once again, I have somewhat noticed this problem with other pain meds, but when it comes to Methadone - if you are on it (and are at levels exceeding 30-40mg a day) you might as well as just kiss your sex life goodbye***! I'm currently prescribed 80mg a day. At this level, the last thing from my mind is sex. And when I "try" to think about it, certain parts of me just don't seem to be that "excited," if you know what I mean. So, after all of that rambling (necessary in my opinion in order to give a rather accurate reply) finally, here it is: Does Methadone cause impotency? Well, if I were in my 40's, 50's or (even if it's possible?) 60's, and was taking this dosage - I would say: YES! It most certainly does cause impotency! Now, when I was in my teens and 20's, it never caused impotency whatsoever. Getting and/or sustaining an erection was never a problem! I just couldn't "get off." And now, here in my 30's - it is somewhere in-between. At times, Methadone doesn't disturb a damn thing; at other times, it's quite the opposite. THEREFORE, IN MY OPINION: METHADONE COULD CERTAINLY CAUSE IMPOTENCY, BUT I WOULD MAKE THE ASSERTION THAT WHETHER OR NOT IT DOES IS MORE DEPENDENT UPON THE PERSON WHO IS USING IT AND ON WHAT THEIR DEFINITION (OR INTREPRETATION) OF IMPOTENCY IS. IT WILL, NO DOUBT (REGARDLESS OF AGE) CAUSE A CHANGE IN ONE'S LIBIDO; MORE SPECIFICALLY, A LOSS OF INTEREST IN SEX (OR) A DECREASE IN ONE'S SEX DRIVE. WHETHER OR NOT THE PHYSICAL RESULT OF THIS "DECREASE" IS MANIFESTED BY THE INABILITY TO "GET IT UP" (IMPOTENCY) OR JUST IN ONE'S INABILITY TO HAVE AN ORGASM, IS GOING TO BE LARGELY DEPENDENT ON THE AGE OF THE INDIVIDUAL, AS WELL AS THE AMOUNT THAT INDIVIDUAL HAD INGESTED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. Hope that helps...) **** THIS IS MY OWN PERSONAL SUGGESTION/ADVICE AND NONE OF IT IS MEANT TO BE TAKEN AS MEDICALLY OR SCIENTIFICALLY FACTUAL.

Answer 3

Methadone can decrease sex drive in males.