Study, 1988
Do women's body chemistry responses to an opiate drug differ between menstruation and ovulation?
Yes. Growth hormone response was weaker during menstruation than at ovulation. Prolactin was about 1.5 times higher at ovulation. Other hormones and mood did not clearly differ.
What they did
Five healthy women received the drug Fentanyl (dose of 0.2 mg per 70 kg body weight given through a vein) at two times in their cycle: at menstruation and at ovulation. Doctors measured five hormones (growth hormone, prolactin, cortisol, noradrenaline) plus mood and behavior.
What they found
Growth hormone response to Fentanyl was weaker at menstruation than at ovulation. Prolactin was about 1.5 times higher at ovulation than at menstruation. Cortisol, noradrenaline, mood, and behavior did not differ between the two cycle phases.
What it means for you
The menstrual cycle affects how women's bodies respond to opiate drugs, particularly for growth hormone and prolactin. This is a very small preliminary study of only one opiate drug, so larger studies are needed to confirm the results.
5
women
0.2 mg per 70 kg
Fentanyl dose
1.5 times higher
prolactin at ovulation versus menstruation
About the study
- Original title
- Influence of the menstrual cycle on neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to an opiate agonist in humans: preliminary results
- Authors
- Hoehe M
- Journal
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Year
- 1988
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- Fentanyl 0.2 mg per 70 kg body weight intravenously
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0306-4530(88)90059-5
Topics
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