Side Effects of Heroin
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Side Effects of Heroin

Side Effects of HeroinThe side effects of heroin have a physical impact on the user’s central nervous system. There are also many psychological side effects of heroin. When a person takes heroin, the initial feeling they experience is a rush or euphoria. The user’s mouth will become dry and they often begin to nod in and out of consciousness. Additionally, their arms and legs will begin to feel very heavy. Users will experience diminished mental capacity and dulled emotions. The effects of this drug typically last 3 to 4 hours from the time of the user’s last dose.

Users experience many negative side effects of heroin. The two primary risks are fatal overdose and contraction of HIV/AIDS. It may also cause constricted pupils, nausea, and respiratory depression, which in extreme cases may result in death. When a person takes heroin, it activates brain regions that produce euphoric sensations as well as brain regions that produce physical dependence. These changes in the user’s brain function are what ultimately lead to heroin addiction.

Heroin addicts begin to lose interest in their daily activities. They find that their time is filled with using heroin or that it is focused on obtaining more of the drug. As their use progresses, addicts find that their tolerance continues to increase. This causes them to ingest more and more heroin to achieve the rush or high that they are looking for. As with other drugs of addiction, heroin addicts have trouble keeping their jobs and maintaining personal relationships. Their drug use becomes a number one priority in their lives and their bank accounts tend to diminish. It is not unusual for a heroin addict to spend upwards of $100-$200 dollars a day to feed their addiction.

The side effects of heroin include persistent craving for the drug, tolerance (the need for larger and larger doses to get the same results), and painful and dangerous withdrawal. Women who use heroin while pregnant increase their risk of heroin side effects including miscarriage and stillbirth. Infants exposed to heroin in the womb go through withdrawal at birth and exhibit various developmental problems.

Long-term users of the drug experience side effects of heroin such as:

Severe

  • Respiratory arrest, coma, death
  • Central nervous system:
  • Drowsiness
  • Disorientation
  • Delirium

Cardiovascular & Respiratory

  • Lowered heart rate
  • Weak pulse
  • Hypotension
  • Hypoventilation
  • Shallow breathing
  • Respiratory depression

Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Mouth

  • Dry mouth
  • Pupil constriction ("pinpoint pupils")
  • Miosis

Gastrointestinal

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting (protracted)
  • Constipation
  • Dyspepsia

Urinary System

  • Urinary retention

Musculoskeletal

  • Analgesia
  • Ataxia
  • Muscle spasticity

Neurological

  • Analgesia
  • Physical dependence

Psychological

  • Anxious
  • Confusion
  • Euphoria
  • Psychological dependence
  • Somnolence

Skin

  • Itching
  • Flushing/Rash

What would be an allergic reaction to the side effects of heron include? Allergic reactions to opiate-based drugs can sometimes prove fatal. Contact your doctor if you experience:

Severe allergic reactions

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Hives
  • Itching
  • Rash
  • Swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue
  • Tightness in the chest

The risk of convulsions may increase in patients using heroin or other opiates, who also have a history of:

  • Alcoholism and/or withdrawal
  • Central nervous system disorders or infections
  • Drug dependency, addiction or withdrawal
  • Epilepsy, fits, convulsions, and seizures
  • Head trauma or surgery
  • Metabolic diseases and disorders

Persistent side effects of heroin may be precursors indicating an acute heroin overdose. Different people will react differently to various drugs and medications and can experience different symptoms, or to varying degrees.

The side effects of heroin withdrawal are extremely painful. The withdrawal symptoms may appear a few hours from when the drug was last administered. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health can be fatal.

The user experiences tremendous physical withdrawal symptoms such as:

  • Cold flashes with goose bumps
  • Diarrhea
  • Insomnia
  • Kicking movements
  • Muscle and bone pain
  • Restlessness
  • Vomiting

Side Effects of Heroin
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Heroin Facts

  • Heroin is a highly addictive and rapidly acting opiate (a drug that is derived from opium). Specifically, heroin is produced from morphine, which is a principal component of opium. Opium is a naturally occurring substance that is extracted from the seedpod of the opium poppy.
  • Heroin is an extremely addictive drug, and even casual or recreational users run a real risk of addiction. Heroin is produced from opium poppies and derived from morphine. The synthetic altering of the morphine molecule into heroin significantly increases its potency by weight.
  • Heroin overdoses--which can result whether the drug is snorted, smoked, or injected--can cause slow and shallow breathing, convulsions, coma, and even death. Heroin use can and does kill, and the risks of use are many -- and begin even with casual experimentation.
  • Heroin use contributes to the possible onset of liver and kidney disease. Heroin users quickly develop a tolerance to the effects of the drug and need to use increasingly greater quantities to get high (and to avoid withdrawal symptoms). Heroin addicts incur significant expenses each day to support their heroin habit, and this often leads to criminal activities to finance the costs of heroin.
  • Heroin users smoke, snort, or inject the drug. In previous decades, American heroin was not potent enough for snorting, but today's heroin has a higher potency and can be snorted -- a means of administration that is popular with new users who are afraid of needles and the risks of IV drug use. Heroin users who inject the drug expose themselves to additional risks, including contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C, and other blood-borne viruses. Chronic users who inject heroin also risk scarred or collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and liver and kidney disease.
  • Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder. Heroin withdrawal is a very tough and uncomfortable period, and heroin addicts start to feel mild withdrawal symptoms only hours after their most recent dose has worn off. The fear of withdrawal pains is a significant motivator to keep using the drug.
  • Heroin withdrawal symptoms last for between five and seven days in the primary (intense) phase. High doses of heroin can slow breathing, and high enough doses of heroin can stop respiration completely. Regular heroin users often show cognitive declines (confusion and cloudiness) from their use.
  • It is encouraging to note that many teenagers recognize the risks of heroin. The NSDUH found that 87.8 percent of 12th graders agree that heroin substance abuse represents a "great risk." The fact that so many teenagers recognize the dangers of heroin use is encouraging, and could lead to further declines in teen drug use of heroin.
  • Amongst young adults and college students, heroin use is not seeing the decline it has in teenagers. Perhaps this older age group feels the risks are acceptable. A slight increase in heroin users in college students is seen - from 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent. Additionally, in young adults, those reporting that they have used heroin at least once in their lifetimes has increased from 1.7 percent in 2005 to 1.9 percent. It is a small increase, and one that shows that heroin substance abuse among young adults is stable, and perhaps growing slightly.
  • According to NSDUH information, in the last year about 91,000 persons over the age of 12 used heroin for the first time. Amongst recent first time heroin users, aged 12 to 49, the average age was 20.7. This indicates that many heroin users wait until they leave their teenagers years to begin using the drug. 3.8 million people (1.5 percent of the population above 12) say they have tried heroin at least once in their lifetimes. 560,000 people used heroin last year. 338,000 people used heroin last month.
  • The rate of heroin lifetime heroin use is higher among those in prison (23.4 percent for State and 17.9 percent for Federal). Even though heroin use isn't terribly widespread, it still represents a threat. The devastating effects of heroin overdose and prolonged heroin use, along with its addicting nature, can be very damaging and put strain on loved ones of someone involved in heroin substance abuse.