Heroin
Usually ingested by self-injection
or sniffing, heroin is a highly
addictive and illegal narcotic that
produces an almost immediate feeling
of euphoria for the user.
Withdrawal Symptoms
The
symptoms associated with withdrawal from heroin can begin
anywhere from six to eight hours following the last ingestion,
becoming most severe between forty-eight to seventy-two hours
after the last usage. Symptoms may include:
-
 dilated pupils
- piloerection (goose bumps)
- watery eyes
- runny nose
- yawning
- loss of appetite
- tremors
- panic
- chills
- nausea
- muscle cramps
- insomnia
- stomach cramps
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- shaking
- chills or profuse sweating
- irritability
- jitteriness
Treatment
Initial treatment for heroin use includes immediate detoxification,
which is meant to provide a safe and painless withdrawal process
to a drug-free state. Following detox, continued treatment
may involve a prescribed methadone program to alleviate cravings,
as well as a variety of other medication such as LAAM, naloxone,
buprenorphine and naltrexone that block the effects of opiates
like heroin. While the use of medications is necessary in
most cases of heroin addiction, recovery is most successful
when combined with behavioral therapies that include both
residential and outpatient programs. Behavioral therapy is
meant to help change the addict’s way of thinking, their
expectancies from drug use, and their learned behavior and
to help them better cope with life’s daily stressors. |