What You Need To Know About Detoxing From Heroin

One of the leading causes of death in America is drug addiction. It is also one of the most difficult conditions to treat. When a person starts using drugs it becomes easy for them to become addicted as their body will start to become dependent on the drug. Fortunately, the chances of being drug-free after years of becoming addicted are quite high especially if the patient is taken to a very effective rehabilitation center. If you have a loved one who is suffering from addiction to drugs such as heroin, then you must learn everything that you need to know about detoxing from heroin. 

Effects And Withdrawal Symptoms Of Heroin 

 

Heroin is an opiate drug that has an almost immediate effect on a person's mood depending on the amount that is taken. On higher doses it can cause severe drowsiness within 7 to 8 seconds of intake. People get addicted to heroin because it gives them a sense of pleasure and well-being. It also causes them to feel drowsy and is known to reduce pain in the body. The adverse effects include decreased heart rate and blood pressure as well as nausea and vomiting. Taking heroin in high doses can even be deadly. 

Heroin addiction is one of the most difficult conditions to treat mainly because of the withdrawal symptoms that addicts experience the moment they do not get their fix. Some of the most common withdrawal symptoms include agitation, anxiety, muscle aches and insomnia. Although these symptoms are extremely uncomfortable, they are not usually life threatening and the good news is that they are treatable. 

Heroin Addiction Recovery

Many families opt to send their addicted loved ones to drug rehabilitation centers where they undergo different treatment programs. One of the most used treatments for heroin addiction  is heroin detox which is usually one of the first steps in the addiction recovery process. Experts agree that this is one of the most important steps in getting rid of heroin addiction. The most crucial thing however is to make sure that you enroll your loved one in a facility that will give them the proper treatment.

Different detox centers can vary in terms of how they deal with painful withdrawal symptoms that follow after trying to stop heroin use. Before deciding on which rehabilitation facility to send your loved one to, make sure to do your research.  One of the most commonly used prescription medications is called Methadone which is a non-intoxicating drug that reduces one's desire for heroin and at the same time prevents withdrawal symptoms. Treatment is available to help your loved one heal from his addiction.

How Does Heroin Affect The Skin?

Heroin is a highly addictive and dangerous substance derived from morphine. It is perhaps the most commonly abused narcotic, and is used by way of inhaling, injecting or smoking. Taking the drug is said to offer an intense sense of euphoria and contentment; however, it will ultimately take its toll on the body, including an array of skin issues.

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Got the Itch?

One of the more common short-term effects experienced by heroin users is an itchy or “crawling” sensation on the skin. Opiate use results in a histamine release within the body, causing itchiness and inflammation. Scabs and cuts on the skin are typical in heroin users; resulting from picking and scratching at the skin. In addition, heroin use also serves to inhibit appetite, causing malnutrition in many addicts. A lack in adequate nutrition will ultimately lead to dehydration, resulting in itchy, dry skin.

Bruising

Due to lack of appetite, many heroin users miss out of essential vitamins and nutrients such as vitamins C and A; both of which are required for healthy skin.  This lack of nutrition may also cause added susceptibility to bruising. IV drug users will often exhibit bruising around the areas where the drugs are injected. This is often due to pressing the needed to quickly and too hard into the skin or through the use of dull needles.

Infection

Chronic heroin use can often result in skin infections caused by bacteria. The repeated injection of heroin can cause inflammation of the skin and pain to the user. Heroin injections, especially with unclean needles, can result in abscesses and boils. These boils will fill with puss, swell and can prove fatal if not addressed in a timely manner. 

Scarring

Track marks are the scars left behind by IV use. Heroin addicts use the drug over an elongated period, increasing their tolerance over time. As a result, the addict must inject more frequently in order to achieve the same effect. Over a long enough use period, chronic heroin use will cause toxin buildup underneath the skin. Routine injections will ultimately result in collapsed veins, causing dark, permanent scars.

Need Help?

Searching for a chemical dependency treatment center? Pick up the phone and call Above it All today! With a team of seasoned addiction specialists available to assess and address your individual needs, you can count on Above it All to have you on the fast track to sobriety in no time. 

Heroin’s Effect On The Unborn Child

Heroin is an extremely addictive, semi-synthetic opioid, which is used recreationally to produce intense feelings of relaxation and euphoria. Heroin tolerance often requires users to take heightened doses of the drug to ensure the same effect with long-term use.

When pregnant mothers use heroin, the fetus takes the drug into their system through the placenta. Because of this, children born to mothers who use heroin stand a high risk for addiction before birth.

Heroin in the Unborn

Unborn babies of heroin addicted mothers are at a heightened risk for complications, premature and stillbirth. However, mothers dependent to heroin must not choose to quit using without the approval and aid of a specialized physician. In an effort to reduce a mother’s heroin dependency, many physicians utilize methadone.

Birth

Babies who are exposed to heroin in the womb are at high risk for a variety of afflictions following birth. These include: premature birth, hypoglycemia, respiratory issues, intracranial hemorrhage and low birth weight. Children forced into heroin withdrawal may experience seizures, tremors, moodiness, vomiting, sleeping difficulties, achiness, diarrhea and fever.

Long-Term Effects

The long-term effects of heroin on children are not well known. A number of babies born with heroin addiction often require special needs classes in school, while others are forced to repeat 1+ grades throughout their academic career. Whether this is due to early drug exposure or other reasons is still unknown.

More Information?

Want to learn more about your pregnancy detox options? Pick up the phone and call Above It All treatment center today! 

What makes heroin so addictive?

Heroin is so addictive because of the euphoria is provides for the user. When heroin enters the bloodstream, it heads directly to the brain and begins to take affect. The drug plays tricks on the rewards system and causes physical dependency and makes you want to use over and over again. When you are caught in an addiction to heroin and want to become clean, the first step is to open up about the addiction and then make the decision to enter a heroin detox program.

Did you know heroin is extremely dangerous and you may become an addict after just one use? There are many people who think of themselves as immune to addiction and are surprised to find they are struggling with a heroin problem. Just because you might be a successful, wealthy, educated person does not mean you won’t struggle with heroin addiction because you are no different or special than anyone else. If heroin addiction has touched your life, then consider enrolling into a heroin addiction detox program.

After taking heroin, the abuser experiences a “rush,” the intensity of which depends on the amount of drug taken and how the abuser takes it. The rush is accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities, which can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and severe itching. Heroin blocks pain messages transmitted from the body. After the initial effects, abusers will be drowsy for several hours. Mental function is clouded by heroin’s effect on the nervous system. Cardiac functions slow; breathing is also severely slowed, sometimes to the point of death. Overdose is a particular risk because the amount and purity of the drug cannot be accurately known.