Endorphins: The Body’s Natural Painkillers

By SWA

Endorphins, often referred to as the body’s natural opioids, are chemicals your body produces to relieve pain and boost mood. They work similarly to opioid medications by binding to specific receptors in the brain to block pain signals and create feelings of pleasure or well-being.

Note: Some reference links may currently be unavailable. They will be updated as reliable sources become accessible again.

→ Harvard Health: Understanding Endorphins

When endorphin levels are low or their function is impaired, pain can feel more intense, and mood can decline. This dysfunction may be caused by chronic stress, poor lifestyle habits, medical conditions, or substance use.

→ Cleveland Clinic: Endorphins

Endorphins and Blood Flow: A Deeper Look

In orthostatic intolerance syndromes—such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)—there can be a rise in heart rate upon standing, or in some cases, no noticeable change in blood pressure or heart rate. Despite this, a significant reduction in cerebral blood flow may occur.

→ NIH: Cerebral Blood Flow and POTS

This decrease in blood flow to the brain may contribute to impaired endorphin function. Reduced production or poor endorphin response has been linked to symptoms such as chronic stress, fatigue, low mood, and pain sensitivity.

→ Frontiers in Psychology: Stress and Endorphins

In addition, elevated levels of cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, can suppress endorphin activity, worsening these effects.

→ ScienceDirect: Cortisol and Endorphins

This pattern is particularly relevant in conditions like fibromyalgia, where dysfunction in the brain’s pain-regulating systems—including endorphins—is commonly observed.

→ PubMed: Opioid System Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia

Why Opioids Appeal to People With Low Endorphins

Because opioids mimic the effects of endorphins, people with underactive endorphin systems may respond strongly to opioid medications. This relief, however, often comes with a cost: tolerance, dependence, and addiction. Long-term opioid use can suppress the body’s natural endorphin production, creating a cycle of reliance.

→ CDC: Opioid Use and Endorphin Suppression

→ NIDA: Prescription Opioids and Addiction

What Does "Körpereigene Opiate Endorphine" Mean?

Endorphins – the body’s own opioids.

These naturally occurring chemicals are released during moments of stress, pain, exercise, or pleasure and attach to the same receptors in the brain as opioid medications.

→ University of Michigan: How Endorphins Work

What Causes Endorphin Deficiency or Dysfunction?

Several factors may lower your body’s natural endorphin levels or disrupt their function:

1. Chronic Stress or Depression

Long-term stress or mental health disorders can reduce endorphin levels, leading to increased pain sensitivity and emotional imbalance.

→ Harvard Health: How Stress Affects the Brain

2. Hormonal Imbalances

Cortisol and other hormonal disruptions can suppress the production of endorphins.

→ Endocrine Society: Hormones and Stress

3. Poor Lifestyle Habits

Lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet, and poor sleep can lower endorphin output.

→ MayoClinic: Exercise and Endorphins

4. Neurological Disorders

Conditions like fibromyalgia and certain brain injuries may alter how endorphins are produced or how the brain responds to them.

→ NIH: Fibromyalgia and Pain Modulation

5. Genetic Factors

Some individuals may be genetically predisposed to produce fewer endorphins or have less responsive opioid receptors.

→ Nature: Genetics of Opioid Receptors

6. Substance Abuse

Prolonged opioid use suppresses natural endorphin production, leading to increased dependency.

→ NIDA: The Science of Addiction

How to Test for Endorphin Levels

Direct testing for endorphins is difficult because these chemicals are short-lived and fluctuate quickly. However, indirect methods exist:

Blood Test

A healthcare provider may draw blood to measure related compounds, such as catecholamines—a group of hormones that include dopamine and adrenaline, which often correlate with endorphin activity.

Preparation: You may need to fast for several hours. Avoid caffeine, chocolate, and strenuous exercise before the test.

Because endorphins spike after physical activity, testing may be timed post-exercise to capture a more accurate snapshot of your natural endorphin response.

→ Mount Sinai: Catecholamines Blood Test

24-Hour Urine Test

In some cases, a 24-hour urine sample may be collected to measure catecholamines or related metabolites.

Procedure: You’ll collect all urine passed over a 24-hour period into a special container.

Purpose: This test helps assess how your body is producing and processing stress-related hormones, which may reflect on endorphin activity.

→ Cleveland Clinic: 24-Hour Urine Test

While these tests do not directly measure endorphins, they provide insight into the overall hormonal balance and stress response, offering clues about endorphin function.

Summary

Endorphins are essential to both physical and emotional health. When your body’s natural opioid system is underactive, pain can worsen, and mood may suffer—leading some people to rely on external opioids for relief. Understanding the causes of endorphin dysfunction, how to test for imbalances, and how to support healthy production through lifestyle, can empower more sustainable solutions for chronic pain and mood regulation.

References:

Understanding Endorphins and Their Importance in Pain Management
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3104618/#:~:text=In%20the%20peripheral%20nervous%20system,their%20effect%20through%20presynaptic%20binding.

Genetics of Opioid Dependence: A Review of the Genetic Contribution to Opioid Dependence https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4155832/

NIH: Cerebral Blood Flow and POTS “Post traumatic intra-abdominal pseudo-aneurysms in children” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16981094/

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots

Catecholamine Tests
https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/catecholamine-tests/#:~:text=Catecholamine%20tests%20can%20be%20done%20in%20urine,little%20risk%20to%20having%20a%20blood%20test.

 

 

© 2000-2025 Sieglinde W. Alexander. All writings by Sieglinde W. Alexander have a fife year copy right. Library of Congress Card Number: LCN 00-192742

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