Heroin withdrawal becomes necessary whenever a heroin addicts or abusers are without opioids to control their abuse, the withdrawal symptoms induced by detoxification may be serious. Even if there isn’t a psychological dependency on the medication, it is very impossible to sever the physical addiction.
Heroin withdrawal recovery will last several days to several weeks, depends entirely on the toxic dosage of heroin, other substances of addiction regularly consumed, dually diagnosed psychological disorders, and other causes. Many that use maintenance drugs to prevent the worst of Heroin withdrawal signs in early rehabilitation will have opioid detox for as soon as they undergo the treatments, although the withdrawal signs will be less severe in most situations.
Symptoms of Heroin Withdrawal
Sufferers who are dependent to heroin who not using it will suffer a variety of Heroin withdrawal signs, which normally come in phases.
Patients Also Develop the Following Symptoms in The First Stage:
- Sweating
- Yawning
- Sneezing
- Irritation
- Pupils that are dilated
- Face well up with tears
- Anger and disturbance
- Apprehension
Such Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms can Intensify with Time And/or be Joined by Others, Such As:
- Constipation and diarrhea
- Nauseous
- Vomiting
- Bone and joint aches that are unbearable
- Trouble sleeping
Such Heroin withdrawal symptoms may appear in any order, and they can be exacerbated by the usage of other opioid medications, dually diagnosed psychological disorders’ symptoms and ongoing medical issues including chronic pain.
Alternatives of Medication
As mentioned in the above lines, heroin addiction damages our lives in all aspects of our life, requiring treatment in all these aspects. There are three essential parts of the treatment of persons suffering from heroin addiction. Medication, Counseling, and Social Support. There have been a variety of drugs shown to be helpful in combating the Heroin withdrawal signs associated with opioid detox. Not all of them would be sufficient in any situation, and certain patients would be better off not taking any at all. The following are the most common choices:
- Methadone is a drug that is used to treat addiction. Methadone can only alleviate Heroin withdrawal symptoms by linking to the opiate receptor in the very same way as heroin does, but it may also block the influence of other medications in large concentrations (usually around 80 and 120 mg) if the patient relapses when on the medication. The medicine is tightly regulated. Only opioid and Heroin withdrawal recovery facilities that are licensed with the DEA and approved by SAMHSA are permitted by law to prescribe the prescription to patients on a regular, in-person basis before they meet the conditions that enable them to take a certain dosage home to self-medication.
- Buprenorphine is a drug that is used to treat addiction. Buprenorphine is the first prescription licensed for the rehabilitation of opiate addiction and may be treated with medications on an outpatient procedure from a general doctor’s clinic, as long as that physician has completed the necessary preparation. It, too, attaches to opiate receptors in the hippocampus, alleviating Heroin withdrawal symptoms.
- Naltrexone is a drug that is used to treat addiction. The other one of all three medications that isn’t an addictive substance is naltrexone. Researches on heroin withdrawal tell certain other painkiller medications are made inactive as a result of this drug’s ability to both inhibit and bind to painkiller receptors. It is a long-acting medication that is given by injecting under the branded product Vivitrol.
Some supportive medicines are also used in combination with the above drugs to deal with physical Heroin withdrawal symptoms like vomiting, constipation, hepatitis, and other diseases caused during or after heroin addiction.
Infants Are Most Vulnerable
Babies born to opioid-addicted moms are more likely to have children with premature birth, early birth, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or NAS, biological dependency on heroin. As per the National Institute on Drug Abuse, triggers Heroin withdrawal signs in babies, a phenomenon that affects one kid per hour (NIDA). These babies spend a total of 16.4 days in the facility after delivery, relative to 3.3 days for newborns without opioid symptoms of Heroin withdrawal.
Detox from Opiates
Detox and intensive rehabilitation at a referral facility devoted to drug and Heroin withdrawal recovery is the most appropriate approach to handle Heroin withdrawal symptoms.
Love is the most powerful treatment in the world; it seems true when it comes to the treatment of Heroin withdrawal symtoms. People (including family and friends) often leave a person alone when he or she gets drug-dependent. In the case of heroin addiction, it happens more vigorously and more immediately. This social pressure increases the severity of drug addiction. During the treatment of a Heroin dependent man or woman, social support becomes more critical. This social and family support helps the affected person to return to normal life more speedily.
Counseling of Heroin withdrawal symptoms is also a compulsory part of treatment. Physiatrists give counseling sessions to bring a dependent person back to normal life activities. It helps them to start a new life with better behaviors and feeling their social and family responsibilities.
Black Tar, Hell Dust, Skunk, Junk, White Horse, Smack are commonly used names of a highly addictive drug, Heroin. It is obtained from the seeds of a naturally occurring plant, the opium poppy. White, whitish brown, or brown colors of Heroin prevail. Studies on heroin withdrawal tells Opium poppy plants, required to produce Heroin, are most often grown in Southeast and Southwest Asia. Mexico and Colombia are also popular for their cultivation and processing.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse published a report to show the number of people dependent on Heroin and heroin-like opium-based drugs. The data exhibited that nearly 2.1 million people were dependent on opium derivative drugs in the United States of America. This report also showed that between 26.4 and 36 million people use Heroin and other opioids worldwide.
There are two main reasons why people get dependent on Heroin. The first is, as in every case, our social circle. People we are getting in touch with and have relations with always produce a great impact on our lives. It is truly said that we are the shadow of our friends and family. Our social circle can lead us to heroin dependents in two ways. Studies on heroin withdrawal tell the company of dependent persons can be a reason for this addiction. Family stress is also a great factor in this regard.
Heroin is derived from opium and is illegal to produce, sale and purchase in the whole globe. Same opium plants are used to produce different medically useful drugs. Many of these drugs are used as painkillers and prescribed by several physicians around the world. These opium-derived drugs provide us another reason for Heroin withdrawal symptoms. People often use these drugs as painkillers and their use for longer periods results in the fatal opium-based drug, Heroin.
When it comes to diagnosing any disease or substance addiction disorder, it requires a thorough examination of the patient and an assessment of the level of disorder by a qualified psychologist. Qualified physicians are also allowed to diagnose Heroin withdrawal symptoms. Both psychologists and physicians check the physical and mental health of the patient to diagnose a problem. Along with physiological and psychological examinations, different lab tests are also required. These lab tests include blood and urine tests.
“Every poison is useful if used in adequate amounts.”
This proverb is a universal truth in the case of Heroin withdrawal. It acts as a pain reliever, helps release stress, and gets rid of different mental and physical health issues. But its addiction has more harms than its benefits as medicine. People take it as medicine, starting with opium-based medicines, and end up with giving everything, I’m saying everything, to this white horse. Poor performance, Homelessness, Unemployment, Financial instability, Broken relationships, Loneliness, Divorce, Legal problems, can be some social problems faced by heroin addicts.
The list of signs and symptoms of Heroin withdrawal found in drug-addictive people never ends. These drugs cause unlimited and unpredictable losses to our physical and mental health. But moral losses are more dangerous than health losses. The co-occurrence of the above Heroin withdrawal symptoms is often observed when a person gets addictive drugs for a long time. The severity and co-occurrence of these Heroin withdrawal symptoms depend on different factors. These factors are: Type of drug used, amount or dose of drugs taken, use of different drugs at the same time, period of drug addiction, any mental disorder prevailing, any physical disorder or disease problem, genetic disorders if any, and family and social relationships.
In general, the type of treatment that is suitable for a specific person depends on the following factors: The status of the person’s physical and mental health must be taken into consideration. the type and amount of drug being used by the patient, as well as any other mental or physical health problems which were diagnosed in conjunction with the heroin withdrawal symptoms and addiction.
Various methods and drugs are available for the treatments of Heroin withdrawal symptoms, but they should be used under the strict supervision of qualified physicians and psychiatrists. In most cases, a collaboration of physicians and psychologists required for a complete cure of the patient. They often use multiple forms of treatment at the same time to address all the issues faced by the patients and also to deal with the consequences of symptoms occurring after the Heroin withdrawal.
Get in touch with us right away to find the perfect heroin therapy for your dependent beloved ones. We can assist you regarding Heroin withdrawal.
Ben Lesser is one of the most sought-after experts in health, fitness and medicine. His articles impress with unique research work as well as field-tested skills. He is a freelance medical writer specializing in creating content to improve public awareness of health topics. We are honored to have Ben writing exclusively for Dualdiagnosis.org.