Are physicians brain dead?

[POTHS]

My wife has been taking Vicodin (6 x 10/325) for several years.  For the past year this escallated to hydromorphone (8 x 2, 2mg tabs).  She raised the issue of having zero libido with her physician.  Rather than addressing her opiod "saturation" she now is also taking a plethora of hormones, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, etc. with no change.

Do they not think of other solutions?  I bought a TENS unit, she tried it, and it seems to be as good or better than the pharmacological solution.  Let's see if her libido will increase.

[Sonrissa]

Hi, clean_in_ks reply is correct. Does your wife want to come off of the opiates? If so, she should talk to her doctor about the best way for her to do that. Are you simply concerned about your sex life? Another question that should be expressed to her doctor. I can tell you from what I have read and experienced, while taking opioid pain meds I had zero drive or desire. I'm not sure that a TENS unit will be able to address that issue.

Best wishes, others with more experience will weigh in with better advice, I'm sure.

[clean_in_ks]

Welcome to the forum!  After reading your post, I'm not clear on a few things.  Does your wife want to get off opiates?  Is she still taking the hormonal supplements?  What is it exactly that the TENS unit is improving?

Chronic opiate use alters estrogen levels.  There is also inhibition of the entire endocrine system and adrenal hormone suppression when taking opiates.  We won't start healing and producing our own natural hormones while ingesting opiates chronically.