Hormones Therapy: Newest Pain Care Advance
Severe, uncontrolled pain may exhaust the adrenal gland, resulting in low levels of pregnenolone and cortisol. While adequate pain control will usually normalize serum hormone levels, opioid-induced suppression of the system may require additional treatment. The effect of severe, persistent pain on the hormone system is profoundly negative.1-5 If the patient’s hormone system is not kept homeostatic and balanced, the patient with pain will rapidly age and deteriorate. Episodic excess of cortisol in the blood, which occurs during pain flares, is particularly deleterious. Consequently, the achievement of hormonal balance—not too high or too low—has to be a primary goal of…