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Menstrual function during methadone maintenance (MM)
Author(s) -
Preston K. L.,
Schmittner J.,
Schroeder J. R.,
Epstein D. H.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.140
Subject(s) - menstrual cycle , amenorrhea , medicine , menstruation , methadone , heroin , methadone maintenance , clinical pharmacology , physiology , body mass index , hormone , gynecology , anesthesia , drug , pregnancy , psychiatry , biology , pharmacology , genetics
Background While heroin use is known to disrupt menstruation, little has been published on menstruation and MM. We evaluated whether cycles were more regular during MM. Methods Participants were 154 polydrug‐using women in MM (70–100 mg/d), not on hormonal therapy, pregnant, or postmenopausal. Cycle length and bleeding days were calculated from start and end dates of each bleeding period (data collected weekly for up to 39 weeks). Women were classified as having regular or irregular cycles, transient or persistent amenorrhea, or cycle restart. Correlates of cycle length and the probability of a long or short cycle were determined by repeated‐measures regression. Relationships among cycle length, body mass index, drug use, methadone dose, and race were analyzed. Results Cycle‐length irregularity was common: Regular 27.8%; irregular 46.7%; transient amenorrhea 5.3%; persistent amenorrhea 8.3%. Improvement occurred with MM: each additional week on MM was associated with decreased risk of both long (>40 d; OR=0.96, p=0.001) and short (>20 d; OR=0.92, p=0.001) cycles, and 16 of 27 women amenorrheic at study entry restarted menses. Conclusions Benefits of MM may include normalization of menstrual cycle and resolution of secondary amenorrhea due to heroin use and associated morbidity. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77 , P65–P65; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.140