In addition to causing damage to internal organs and brain changes, drugs may also cause problems with typical bodily functions and processes, including your period.
Each woman’s body is unique. Some women already have irregular menstrual periods, but substance abuse can exacerbate these issues. In the same way, some prescribed drugs and pharmaceuticals can disrupt your periods, illicit or misused drugs can have comparable, and in some circumstances, more serious, impacts on your period and reproductive health. Inpatient drug detoxification programs like the ones held in Gallus Detox can give you a good knowledge of the drug’s impact on your periods. Find out more about it here.
What Do Drugs Do Before Or During Your Period?
Everyone is unique. The drug being abused, the frequency with which it is abused, the length of addiction, the interaction with other drugs or prescriptions, hormones, and reproductive health all have a role in whether or not it affects your period. Since most recreational drugs are prohibited, few studies on how they affect the menstrual cycle have been conducted. However, we have found out that cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and LSD are among the illegal drugs tested, and each has different adverse or unknown effects on menstruation or pregnant women. Coke, for example, can induce hormonal shifts and irregular periods by altering ovulation and increasing a hormone called prolactin.
How Does Cocaine Impact Your Period?
Cocaine is one of the most prevalent illicit drugs that impact your menstruation. Cocaine usage, particularly regular cocaine use, has been shown to interrupt the menstrual cycle, interfere with sex hormone levels, and even block ovulation. This means that a cocaine addict’s cycle may be irregular or nonexistent for several months or even years. Long-term cocaine usage can damage the fallopian tubes, making it more difficult to conceive a child later. Because of this risk, seeking treatment at a cocaine detox clinic sooner rather than later may save you time and money in the long run.
How Do Opioids Affect Your Period?
People in the United States have been misusing everything from synthetic opioids like Oxycontin to prescription painkillers, especially during the last pandemic. This class of medicines is hazardous for various reasons, including the fact that they may interfere with your menstrual cycle. Chronic heroin use can cause irregular periods, and certain opioids can alter your flow, making your periods heavier or lighter. People who abuse Oxycontin often face the problems of stopped periods. It may cause them to think that they are pregnant, which causes depression and anxiety. Sometimes, even if you have stopped having periods for opioid abuse, you could still be pregnant, which may harm your fetus.
How Does Alcohol Affect Your Period?
While different medicines have distinct effects on your period, alcohol use can also disrupt your menstrual cycle. While there is still a lack of study on the subject, several studies suggest that women addicted to alcohol may experience menstrual cycle disturbances such as changes in sex hormone levels and irregular periods. Alcoholism treatment may be able to alleviate or eliminate some of these issues.
Alcohol might temporarily raise estrogen and testosterone levels. Estrogen and testosterone are two key hormones in women who have periods, and when they are elevated by alcohol, they can influence when you ovulate and hence when you menstruate. This results in irregular periods, which can be aggravating to manage. Fortunately, small doses of alcohol don’t usually change hormone levels, and while this varies by person, it would take a lot of drink to alter hormones substantially.
How Do You Regulate Your Period After Drug Abuse?
Since medicines can influence your period and your reproductive health, you should see your gynecologist right away if you have any irregularities with your period. Some of these concerns could be symptoms of something more serious, or they could lead to fertility troubles in the future. Your doctor will be able to study these issues further and, if necessary, devise a treatment plan.
Stopping your drug misuse may be enough to regulate your menstrual cycle in some situations. It may take a few months for your body to adjust and your period to return to normal once you get sober, but that could be all you need. We recognize that quitting is easier said than done. Therefore, our San Antonio drug detox center assists you in quitting more safely and comfortably than trying to do so on your own. You’ll also be under the supervision of medical professionals who will keep an eye on you and manage any issues that arise.
Does Medical Marijuana Usage Affect Your Period?
Some people say medical marijuana can help you deal with PMS symptoms, from headaches and irritability to menstrual cramps excruciating pain. It makes sense because weed has been used for thousands of years to treat similar problems. More persons suffering from severe PMS and PMDD can now test its effects safely and lawfully with its recent approval in many places. In addition, studies have shown that marijuana can help with chronic pain and that particular strains can help with anxiety and nausea.
Since marijuana use was just recently authorized in some parts of the United States, most data on smoking weed to relieve PMS and period cramps was mainly anecdotal. While the short-term results appear to be beneficial, additional research is needed to fully understand the drug’s benefits and hazards, as well as its long-term consequences.
To be honest, doing research for this post was a bit of a letdown. This is because few studies have been done on how substance usage, especially recreational drugs, impacts a woman’s menstruation. Of course, we know that women drink and take drugs, and we know that these behaviors can be harmful to their health, but we’ve just scratched the surface when it comes to their effects on the menstrual cycle.
This gap must be filled, and hopefully, as marijuana legalization spreads across the United States and medical professionals recognize the importance of safety measures when it comes to substance use, more in-depth research will be conducted on the subject.
Stop Abusing Drugs
If you face the problems mentioned here, you must treat your drug problems right now. As women, you are here to bear the cross of periods, so you should not worsen the condition with your deliberate attempts of drug abuse. Get help right now if needed. Period!
Period! is an independent, online magazine about all aspects of menstruation. Period! is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. If you’re suffering from medical complaints, always visit your doctor or GP. Editorial articles can contain affiliate links. Sponsored collaborations can be found in the category Spotlight. Do you have any questions? Check our Contact page.
