HealthRX.com · Printable medication review sheet
Sermorelin while on long-term opioids: hormone symptom and test record
Note the opioid and the sermorelin product exactly as dispensed, tick any symptoms the opioid label links to adrenal or sex-hormone problems, and keep hormone results with the opioid dose at the time. Bring it to the prescriber who manages the opioid and the one who prescribed sermorelin.
Your opioid
Name and formtablet, extended-release tablet, patch or pump
Dose and how many times a day
How long you have taken it
Who prescribes it
Your sermorelin, as dispensed
Copy these from the pharmacy label, not from an online listing.
Pharmacy name and location
Product and strength as printed
Who prescribed it, and when
Symptoms the opioid label connects to hormone problems
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue or weakness
- Dizziness or low blood pressure
- Low libido, impotence or erectile problems
- Missed or irregular periods
- Trouble conceiving
Hormone tests
Write the lab's normal range next to each result.
| Date | Test | Result and normal range | Opioid dose then | On sermorelin then? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IGF-1 | |||||
| Morning cortisol | |||||
| Testosterone or estradiol | |||||
| LH | |||||
From the opioid label, the intrathecal opioid study and FDA records
- The OxyContin label says opioids inhibit ACTH, cortisol and LH secretion, and stimulate prolactin and growth hormone secretion.[1]
- Adrenal insufficiency has been reported with opioid use, more often after more than one month.[1]
- The OxyContin Medication Guide says not to stop taking it without talking to your healthcare provider.[1]
- In 73 people on long-term intrathecal opioids, the IGF-1 score was below -2 SD in 12, and the peak growth hormone response to low blood sugar was below 3 micrograms per liter in 9 of 62.[2]
- Geref, the FDA-approved sermorelin, was discontinued by its maker in 2008, and FDA withdrew its approval effective June 18, 2009.[3]
- Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, and FDA does not verify their safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed.[4]
Get emergency medical help or call 911 right away (OxyContin Medication Guide)
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath, a fast heartbeat, chest pain, or swelling of the face, tongue or throat.[1]
- Extreme drowsiness, light-headedness when changing position, feeling faint, agitation, high body temperature, trouble walking, stiff muscles, or confusion.[1]
For the prescribers
- Could my symptoms come from adrenal or sex-hormone effects of the opioid rather than from sermorelin?
- Which hormone tests make sense before anything changes, and when?
- Would a change in my opioid dose change how you read my IGF-1?
- Is the sermorelin product I have the one you meant to prescribe, and who made it?
- If I want to reduce the opioid, how should that be planned?
Sources for the facts on this sheet
- Knoa Pharma LLC, via DailyMed. OxyContin (oxycodone hydrochloride) extended-release tablets, for oral use, CII: prescribing information and Medication Guide. Effective 2026-06-24. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=bfdfe235-d717-4855-a3c8-a13d26dadede
- Abs R, Verhelst J, Maeyaert J, et al. Endocrine consequences of long-term intrathecal administration of opioids. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000. PMID 10852454. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10852454/
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Federal Register. Determination That GEREF (Sermorelin Acetate) Injection, 0.5 Milligrams Base/Vial and 1.0 Milligrams Base/Vial, and GEREF (Sermorelin Acetate) Injection, 0.05 Milligrams Base/Amp, Were Not Withdrawn From Sale for Reasons of Safety or Effectiveness. Accessed 2026-10-19. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/03/04/2013-04827/determination-that-geref-sermorelin-acetate-injection-05-milligrams-basevial-and-10-milligrams
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers. Accessed 2026-10-19. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/compounding-and-fda-questions-and-answers
This sheet records information for a conversation with your prescriber or pharmacist. It does not replace their instructions or the medication's prescribing information.