Common withdrawal symptoms include muscle pain, sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, and intense drug cravings. As noted by Chapple (1964) in “Heroin Addiction,” the rising number of heroin users over time has contributed to increased cases of withdrawal-related relapses. The main effects of heroin include pain relief, slowed breathing, drowsiness, and a feeling of euphoria, but these are accompanied by nausea, confusion, and a high risk of respiratory depression.

How Is Heroin Different from Prescription Opioids Like Fentanyl and Morphine?

Cocaine is a stimulant that increases heart rate and blood pressure, while heroin is a depressant that slows breathing. This conflicting effect puts immense strain on the body, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory failure. Similarly, mixing cocaine and alcohol is dangerous because the liver metabolizes them into cocaethylene, a toxic compound that heightens the risk of sudden death and liver damage. In medical classifications, heroin addiction is formally recognized as Opioid Dependence under the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) with the specific code F11.2. Heroin looks like a white or brown powder, or it appears as a sticky black substance known as black tar heroin. The powder form of heroin is usually found in white, off-white, or brown hues, depending on its purity and the substances it is cut with.

Is Heroin Illegal?

If you think a friend or family member is using heroin, don’t wait and hope things will get better. Always call 911 or seek medical help if you think someone is overdosing. Emergency responders are there to save lives, not turn you into the police. Most states (except Kansas and Wyoming) have Good Samaritan Laws that legally protect people who get medical help for someone who is overdosing. Anyone can carry naloxone, and many health experts think it’s something everyone should have at home.

What Are the Withdrawal Symptoms of Heroin?

If you suspect that you or someone you care about has a heroin addiction, talk with a professional. This can include a mental health professional like a licensed drug or alcohol counselor or a social worker, physician, or psychiatrist. Heroin addiction, also known as heroin use disorder, is a chronic brain disorder characterized by compulsive heroin use despite adverse consequences.

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The symptoms peak within 24 to 48 hours and last for up to 10 days, depending on the individual’s level of dependence and frequency of heroin use. Withdrawal occurs because the brain has become reliant on heroin’s effects, and when the drug is suddenly removed, the body struggles to function without it. Information about heroin has been available for over one hundred years making the question, “what is heroin?” easy to answer. Heroin is a semi-synthetic drug derived from morphine, which is derived from poppies (how is heroin made?). Heroin information also indicates heroin how long does heroin stay in your system is an opioid drug – a drug that binds to opioid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, and gut. The key information to know about heroin is that it is most commonly found as a street drug and has a high potential for abuse, addiction, and harm.

What is Heroin? Information about Heroin

Naloxone can be injected intramuscularly (into a muscle) or delivered by intranasal spray. Heroin overdoses are especially dangerous due to the unpredictable purity levels and the presence of cutting agents that amplify toxicity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2021 report, there were approximately 9,173 heroin overdose deaths in the United States. The 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NIDA) found that 0.4% of people aged 12 or older, around 1.1 million individuals, used heroin in the past year. Approximately 9,173 Americans died from heroin overdoses in 2021, emphasizing the ongoing impact of addiction.

Over time, heroin changes the brain’s reward system, making it harder for users to feel pleasure without the drug. Heroin is so addictive because https://dev-petsera.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/01/quitting-weed-how-to-stop-smoking-marijuana-pot/ it precipitately trusses to opioid receptors in the brain, triggering an intense surge of euphoria and pain relief. This powerful high reinforces repeated use, solidifying compulsive drug-seeking behavior. The drug causes a rapid release of dopamine, creating a cycle of craving and dependence that makes quitting extremely difficult. Repeated heroin use alters brain function, diminishing the brain’s ability to produce natural dopamine, making users reliant on the drug to feel pleasure or normalcy. Additionally, heroin causes terrible withdrawal symptoms like nausea, muscle pain, and intense cravings- driving continued use to avoid discomfort.

• This opium is refined to make morphine, then further refined into different forms of heroin.
• Alcohol enhances heroin’s sedative effects, making it harder for the body to regulate vital functions.
• In the United States, heroin is completely illegal and is only used illicitly.
• These nicknames are commonly used in both street conversations and by drug users to refer to heroin.
• Symptoms of a heroin overdose are slow or shallow breathing, pinpoint pupils, blue-tinted skin or lips, a weak pulse, extreme drowsiness or unconsciousness, choking or gurgling sounds, low blood pressure, and seizures.

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) due to its high potential for abuse and lack of accepted medical use. Heroin overdose is usually treated with the opioid antagonist naloxone. This reverses the effects of heroin and causes an immediate return of consciousness but may result in drug addiction withdrawal symptoms.

Short-term effects of heroin

Chronic heroin use leads to severe physical and psychological deterioration, making it difficult for individuals to quit without medical intervention. Over time, heroin alters brain function, damages vital organs, and increases the risk of life-threatening diseases. Heroin stays in your system for approximately 5 to 7 days, depending on the testing method and an individual’s metabolism. The half-life of heroin is extremely short, around 2 to 6 minutes, as it rapidly metabolizes into 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) and morphine. Heroin and its metabolites are detected in blood for up to 6 hours, in urine for up to 3 days, in saliva for up to 24 hours, and in hair for up to 90 days.