Opioids and Endocrine Dysfunction

Steve Stanos, DO

Clinical Instructor
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois
Opioids are a potent class of medications that provide significant pain relief for many patients. While considerable attention has been pain to the importance of managing the risk of inappropriate opioid use, clinicians need also to be aware of the potential for endocrine dysfunction, and in particular hypogonadism, related to chronic opioid use, its implications for therapy, and the importance of continual monitoring.

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