[DRAFT] Post – Heroin Addiction Signs and Treatment Options

The cost of heroin addiction runs into billions of dollars and the drug also wreaks havoc on homes and neighborhoods nationwide. While many people can operate quite successfully as functional alcoholics, the same is not usually true where heroin is involved.

According to 2018 NSDUH data, 526,000 over-12s in the United States had heroin use disorder in the previous year.

Now for some good news. While many may view heroin addiction as a point of no return, it can be effectively treated, just like any other chronic and relapsing disease.

Today, then, we’ll show you how to recognize the signs and symptoms of heroin addiction, and we’ll also showcase the most effective treatment options.

Understanding Heroin

Heroin is an synthetic opioid is up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Heroin traffickers adulterate batches of the drug with fentanyl as it is cheap to produce and also increases the potency of the end result.

Unfortunately, this has contributed to a sharp spike in opioid overdoses as the pandemic unfolded over the past year.

Pure forms of heroin are often smoked and sometimes snorted. Most street heroin is dissolved, diluted, and intravenously injected.

When heroin is mixed with cocaine, this is known as a speedball, an especially deadly combination.

The Effects of Heroin

As an opioid, heroin impacts both the brain and the CNS (central nervous system), delivering a battery of short-term and long-term effects.

As an opioid, heroin impacts both the brain and the CNS (central nervous system), delivering a battery of short-term and long-term effects.

Short-Term Effects

After using heroin, you can expect a surge of euphoria throughout your body almost as soon as the drug enters the body.

Common short-term effects include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Flushed skin
• Itching
• Dry mouth
• Reduced mental functioning
• Heavy arms and legs
• Dropping in and out of consciousness (nodding out)

Long-Term Effects

When used long-term, heroin use and addiction can lead to many adverse outcomes, including:

• Collapsed veins
• Abscesses
• Damaged septum or nasal tissue
• Infection of heart lining
• Constipation
• Insomnia
• Lung complications
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Pneumonia
• Sexual dysfunction in males
• Stomach cramping
• Mental disorders
• Heightened risk of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis

Some of the more prevalent physical symptoms of heroin use include:

• Flushed skin
• Track marks on arms
• Dry mouth
• Constricted pupils
• Loss of self-control
• Reduced rate of breathing
• Suddenly falling asleep
• Itching
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Constipation

You may also experience any of the following side effects:

• Heavy feeling in the limbs
• Disorientation
• Confusion
• Impaired decision-making
• Memory loss

Medication-assisted treatment

Medications can be used to lessen some of the more uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin detox.

Some of the medications used include:

• Anti-nausea medications
• Anti-diarrhea medications
• Anti-vomiting medications
• Sleep aids
• Antidepressants
• Anxiety medications

There are also FDA-approved medications to help you more comfortably navigate detox. These medications act on the same opioid receptors to which heroin attaches, but without delivering the euphoric high.

These medications fall into one of three categories:

• Opioid agonists: These medications fully activate your opioid receptors
• Partial opioid agonists: These medications mildly activate your opioid receptors
• Opioid antagonists: These medications obstruct your opioid receptors, countering the euphoric effects

The following are the most commonly used among these medications:

• Methadone
• Buprenorphine
• Naltrexone

Methadone

Methadone is a very slow-acting agonist that you take orally in a controlled setting, typically a treatment center or an outpatient clinic.

Due to its delayed action, methadone takes longer to reach the brain and doesn’t deliver the high of more direct delivery methods.

Used to treat heroin addiction since the 1960s, methadone can be effective where other medications have not yielded a satisfactory response.

Buprenorphine

This partial agonist helps to tamp down the cravings associated with opioid withdrawal, but it does not deliver the high of heroin.

Suboxone is a combination of medication containing buprenorphine and naloxone.

Buprenorphine implants are now available. These remove the barrier of daily dosing.

Naltrexone

Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that blocks the action of opioids without sedating effects, and without causing addiction.

Like buprenorphine, naltrexone is now available as an injectable marketed as Vivitrol.

Psychotherapy

While medication-assisted treatment is proven effective, it’s best delivered in combination with psychotherapy like DBT (dialectical behavior therapy).

MAT and psychotherapy can be delivered in either an inpatient or an contingency management can help incentivize healthy behaviors to encourage sobriety and a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Getting Help with Renaissance Recovery

Are you addicted to heroin and ready to reclaim your life? If so, you can kickstart your recovery safely and as comfortably as possible at our

Either way, we have highly personalized inpatient and Renaissance Recovery. With