Just the FAQs About Heroin

An array of myths and rumors have been circulated about heroin use. Today’s entry will focus on some frequently asked questions.

What is Heroin? 

-          Derived from Morphine, heroin is classified as part of the opiate family. It is sold as a brown or white powder, or as a brown/black tar-like substance

-          Heroin is extremely addictive – Physical dependence can result after only a week or so of routine use

-          Heroin takes effect very quickly, producing a powerful sense of well being and euphoria

How is Heroin Administered? 

Users administer heroin in one of the following 3 ways:

-          Smoking

-          Snorting

-          Injection

What is Heroin’s Affect on the Brain?

Heroin works to stimulate the opiate receptors located in the brain. When someone uses heroin, the substance moves past the blood brain barrier and fills the brain with opiates. The opiates then engage neurotransmitter receptors in various areas of the brain in charge of pain and pleasure regulation. Once the drug has activated these receptors, the users begin to experience feelings of contentment, euphoria and analgesia.

Over a long enough use period, heroin will begin to alter the addict’s brain chemistry. Chronic heroin use will ultimately result in a reduced number of opiate receptors in the brain. As these numbers dwindle, the user will require more and more heroin to achieve the same initial high.

What Are the Short Term Consequences?

Heroin use can result in nausea and vomiting when taken in large doses or by inexperienced users. Additional short-term consequences include:

-          Itchiness

-          Sweating

-          Reduced cough reflux

-          Slurred speech and confusion

-          Constricted pupils

-          Decrease in heart rate and respiration

-          Analgesia

Overdose is the most extreme consequence of heroin use, which can easily turn fatal. Overdose symptoms include:

-          Convulsions

-          Shallow breathing

-          Coma

-          Extremely constricted pupils

-          Clammy skin

What Are the Long-Term Consequences?

Potential consequences associated with chronic heroin use include:

-          Skin infections

-          HIV or hepatitis

-          Cognitive impairments

-          Pneumonia

-          Organ damage

-          Malnutrition

-          Track marks

-          Collapsed veins

Botulism

Heroin Nicknames to Recognize

Heroin types and availability can vary depending on where you reside in the U.S. While black tar heroin is typically found on the West Coast, the white powder-type version is generally favored along the East Coast.  Each form of the substance has spawned an array of street names and nicknames, which we have listed below.

English Terms (No Particiular Order)

Dragon – Dope - Heron - Herone – Hero – Hera – H – Big - White China -  White -White Nurse - White Lady - White Horse – Boy – He – Black - Black Tar - Black Pearl - Black Stuff - Black Eagle – Brown - Brown Crystal - Brown Sugar - Brown Tape - Brown Rhine - White Girl - White Stuff – Chiba – Chiva – Chieva - Mexican Brown - Mexican Mud - Mexican Horse – Junk – Tar – Snowball – Snow - White Boy – Smack – Scag – Scat – Sack – Skunk - Number 3 - Number 4 - Number 8

Spanish Terms (In Alphabetical Order)

Bombita – Brea – Blanco – Bonita – Caballo – Calbo – Carga - Carne Chapopote – Chatarra – Chicle – Cocofan – Gato – Heroina - La Buena La Chiva – Polvo – Tecata – Tigre - Tigre Blanco - Tigre del Norte - Vidrio -Zoquete

Heroin Drug Combinations

The practice of combining different drugs with heroin is quite common. As such, many of these combinations carry their own unique names:

·         Atom bomb, Canade, Woola, Woolie, Woo-Woo – Marijuana and heroin

·         Bars – Alprazolam and heroin

·         Beast, LBJ – LSD and heroin

·         Belushi, Boy-Girl, Dynamite, Goofball, H & C, He-She,Primo, Snowball – Cocaine and heroin

·         Chasing the Dragon, Chocolate Rock, Dragon Rock, Eightball, Moonrock – Crack and heroin

·         Cheese – Cold medicine and heroin

·         China White – Fentanyl and heroin

·         Chocolate Chip Cookies, H bomb – MDMA and heroin

·         Cotton Brothers, New Jack Swing – Morphine and heroin

·         Meth Speed Ball – Methamphetamine and heroin

·         The Five Way – Heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, Rohypnol and alcohol

Need Help?

If you or a loved one is struggling with heroin addiction, Above It All treatment center is the place to call. Pick up the phone today and let our team of addiction specialists help you back on track towards the healthy, happy lifestyle you’ve been missing.

Cheese Heroin Is On The Shelf

A highly addictive drug known as “cheese heroin” is a blend of black tar Mexican heroin (called “black tar” because of its color) and over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM.

The drug costs only a couple of dollars a hit and children as young as 9, hooked on cheese heroin, have been rushed to hospital emergency rooms for heroin withdrawal.

The combination of the two drugs can cause vital body functions such as breathing and heartbeat to slow down and result in death. Since 2004, cheese heroin is responsible for at least forty deaths in the North California region, according to local authorities.

When teens were surveyed to find out why they started using drugs in the first place, 55% replied that it was due to pressure from their friends. They wanted to be cool and popular. Dealers know this. They will approach you as a friend and offer to “help you out” with “something to bring you up.” The drug will “help you fit in” or “make you cool.”Drug dealers, motivated by the profits they make, will say anything to get you to buy their drugs. They will tell you that “heroin is a warm blanket” or “heroin will be your best high.” They don’t care if the drugs ruin your life as long as they are getting paid. All they care about is money. Former dealers have admitted they saw their buyers as “pawns in a chess game.”

Get the facts about drugs. Make your own decisions.Heroin is a highly addictive, illegal drug. It is used by millions of addicts around the world who are unable to overcome the urge to continue taking this drug every day of their lives—knowing that if they stop, they will face the horror of withdrawal.

Heroin (like opium and morphine) is made from the resin of poppy plants. Milky, sap-like opium is first removed from the pod of the poppy flower. This opium is refined to make morphine, then further refined into different forms of heroin.Most heroin is injected, creating additional risks for the user, who faces the danger of AIDS or other infection on top of the pain of addiction.

Heroin was first manufactured in 1898 by the Bayer pharmaceutical company of Germany and marketed as a treatment for tuberculosis as well as a remedy for morphine addiction.

During the 1850s, opium addiction was a major problem in the United States. The “solution” was to provide opium addicts with a less potent and supposedly “non-addictive” substitute—morphine. Morphine addiction soon became a bigger problem than opium addiction. As with opium, the morphine problem was solved by another “non-addictive” substitute—heroin, which proved to be even more addictive than morphine. With the heroin problem came yet another “non-addictive” substitute—the drug now known as methadone. First developed in 1937 by German scientists searching for a surgical painkiller, it was exported to the US and given the trade name “Dolophine” in 1947. Renamed methadone, the drug was soon being widely used as a treatment for heroin addiction. Unfortunately, it proved to be even more addictive than heroin.

By the late 1990s, the mortality rate of heroin addicts was estimated to be as high as twenty times greater than the rest of the population. If you have someone in your family that is using or addicted to heroin or any other drug, contact us today at 1-866-918-6089 and we will assist you in getting your family member into a detox program followed by a treatment plan designed to fit their needs.  At Above It All Treatment Center we are here to assist you and your family every step of the way.

Find a Heroin Detox Program

Heroin detox is the first and most important step in ridding yourself of one of the world’s most addictive, dangerous drugs. Without the right heroin detox program, addicts often fail in their attempts to get clean.

Aren’t all heroin detox facilities basically the same?

Not at all. Heroin detox centers vary in how they handle the difficult withdrawal symptoms associated with the drug. Some heroin detox centers, for example, offer “rapid detox” or “detox in a day” services that are downright dangerous. Rapid detox centers often use general anesthesia as part of their speedy detox, but in a 2005 Columbia University study, that methodology led to multiple patient deaths.

Heroin withdrawal symptoms can be nasty. The good news is that high-quality heroin detox or opiate detox programs will give clients medication designed to ease these symptoms. Still, recovering addicts may experience one or more of the following during detox:  Nausea, Body Pain, Insomnia, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Sweats and Cold Flashes.

Getting a cavity filled isn’t the most enjoyable experience, but letting it grow and ultimately rot, you’d be in much more pain by the end of the day. Just like you’d want the best dentist to handle that cavity — someone with the proper level of experience and commitment to minimizing discomfort — the same requirements should be sought in a detox facility.

Deciding on the right rehab treatment center is a very important decision. It can make the difference between someone being successful in recovery. Most drug rehab centers are good. The question becomes how you know if it is the right treatment center for the person. The right criteria to use should include: staff, quality of the program, reputation, and their rate of success.

At Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center, we are here to help you walk the road to relapse free recovery.  We take the time to design a program that is centered on you in order to give you the best chance of a successful recovery.  Contact us today and find out how we can help you.

Teens & The Heroin Epidemic

To most people, heroin addiction brings to mind an image of sickly addicts in a dark downtown alleyway, sharing dirty needles to get their high. Unfortunately, this generalization only caters to a small portion of the heroin epidemic, as the drug continues to infiltrate America’s youth.

Shock & Awe

For many loving parents, raising children in a quiet suburban community seems the perfect way to counter the lure of inner-city drug addiction. But behind the picket fences, cul-de-sacs, and ice cream trucks, families throughout the U.S. are finding that these issues may not be so easily avoidable after all.   

Why Heroin?

Heroin comes from the same family as oxycodone, codeine and morphine. With prescription drug abuse a common suburban trend, many teens find the transition to heroin a natural progression. While prescription pain killers may be easier to locate, the expense associated with an addiction is often more than most teens are able to accommodate. Heroin is able to offer the same type of rush at a price much lower than its prescription brethren, with a heightened ease of availability.  

What To Watch For

While most parents would like to believe that their vigilance and determination in keeping a drug-free household is enough, heroin addiction is often an issue that can remain undetected for long periods of time.

Parents are encouraged to trust their instincts. Has their performance or attendance at school recently changed? Are they suddenly associating with a new group of friends? Are their old friends avoiding contact? Have their eating habits recently changed?

Though many of these signs can be viewed as “typical teenage behavior”, it’s important to take note and pay extra attention when something appears “a little off”. Open up a dialogue with your teen in regard to their behaviors, while making point to communicate your love and concern in a calm and collected manner. Threats and accusations will get you nowhere. Listen, breathe, and digest.

The Bottom Line

No family is safe from the ills of heroin abuse. Whether you reside in the slums or a luxury penthouse, drug addiction is an issue that must be confronted head-on in order to protect your loved ones from its grasp.

  

Malnutrition & Heroin Addiction

Many of the dangers associated with heroin addiction do not come directly from the drug itself. Of these, perhaps malnutrition is the most concerning. Though heroin use is not the cause of malnutrition, the drug does affect the appetites of its users. Unfortunately, this appetite loss will often lead to malnutrition.

Significance

While malnutrition is not a major concern in the larger scope of heroin addiction, it does work to negatively affect other types of complications surrounding the issue. Disease, infection and rheumatological issues may result from extreme malnutrition, as the lack in food nutrients inhibit the body’s immune system’s ability to maintain itself. As such, infection and disease are free to take over the struggling system.

Features

Malnourished addicts will often appear underweight, with digestive issues and poor complexions. Fatigue and muscle aches are also common.

Complications

In addition to its effect on the body’s ability to ward off disease and infection, malnutrition can ultimately pose issue with bodily functions. Hair and body will stop growing, women will stop menstruation, and the risk for tooth decay is heightened.

Treatment

In an effect to counter the damage caused by malnutrition, physicians will provide nutrient-rich supplements to the individual. However, this alone will not address the issue completely. Addicts will continue living with appetite loss until the drug is removed from their system completely. Relapse will likely result in a return to the malnourished state.

Misconceptions

Many people hang on to the belief that malnutrition only affects long-term heroin users. However, studies show that that addicts can in fact suffer from the condition after days without food or consuming foods that lack nutritional value.

Oxy To Heroin – A Deadly Transition

When the makers of OxyContin - Purdue Pharma – altered their formula in an attempt to inhibit OxyContin abuse, they had no way of knowing the move would ultimately spawn a radical surge in heroin addiction throughout the U.S. Though OxyContin abuse has decreased substantially over the past couple years, heroin use has all but doubled.

Many law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. are reporting large pockets of heroin use in areas previously unknown to the drug.

In a recent study performed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, over 2,500 individuals in 39 U.S. states where questions about their transitions to heroin use.

Less Oxy Abuse

Of the 2,500 patients questioned, the most common response provided by OxyContin users regarding their switch was, “Because of the decrease availability of Oxycontin, I switched to heroin.”

Statistics:

- Heroin users have doubled from 2010 to 2012

- 30 day OxyContin users dropped from just above 47% to 30%

- OxyContin was listed by 36.6% of patients as their primary drug in 2010

- The percentage dropped below 13% by 2012

Overdose More Likely

In an effort to feed their opioid addictions, OxyContin users unable to access the drug shifted towards more powerful pain drugs, or to heroin. With this development lies the all too real danger that users are much more prone to accidental overdose.

Summary

Though the pressure is off Purdue Pharma, the repercussions associated with their changes have ultimately resulted in a mass opioid migration. Paved in good intentions, though it may be… the road we’re on does not appear a shortcut to greener pastures. 

What Is The Heroin Addiction Rate

The rate of heroin addiction in the general population has always been difficult to gauge. People who use heroin are typically more mobile (thus more difficult to track), may or may not exhibit signs of heroin addiction and due to the illicit nature of their addiction, more apt to lie or omit the truth of their addiction. As a result, nationwide figures tend to underestimate the scope of heroin addiction. Nonetheless, even conservative estimates point to a large and growing problem.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is published each year and offers a conservative yet largely accepted picture of drug use in the U.S. According to the 2009 report, the number of persons who were dependent on or abused heroin jumped from 213,000 in 2007 to 399,000 in 2009.

The 2009 NSDUH also produced statistics indicating that first-time heroin use increased. Between 2002 and 2008, the average annual number of heroin initiates was slightly over 100,000. In 2009 the number increased significantly: 180,000 persons over the age of 12 injected, snorted, smoked or inhaled heroin for the first time. The average age of new users was 25.5, tracking with previous years.

Injection—into a blood vein or muscle—continues to be the most prevalent method for using heroin. Rates of inhalation have fluctuated over the past few years, mirroring the availability of low-cost, high-purity heroin. New and more affluent users continue to favor non-injection routes of administration, but as usage continues, injection, which offers the most potent high and quickest onset, tends to become the preferred method. All routes of administration are equally addictive.

Whether you are a newbie to the world of heroin addiction and a long time user, Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center has a program that is just for you.  We can help you beat that addiction and become drug free to live a long and happy life. Contact us today.

Identifying Heroin Addiction

Because of its sheer destructiveness, heroin addiction is relatively easy to identify. Very few heroin addicts are able to maintain the appearance of a normal lifestyle while using, and the physical effects of heroin are hard to disguise. What’s more, after prolonged use, users typically abandon most efforts that would conceal their addiction, as their priorities have shifted so completely toward their addiction.

Signs of heroin addiction vary based on the state of the user—whether he or she is intoxicated (“high”) or, as is more often the case, in withdrawal. After repeated use, generalized symptoms appear, including unsettling changes in personality and physical appearance.

Heroin addiction is painfully apparent in long-term users. The scars of their addiction are visible in every aspect—social, spiritual, psychological and physical—of their being. Families in crisis, careers destroyed, potential wasted: these are the legacies of long-term heroin use.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, heroin’s toxicity isn’t limited to the actual active ingredient. Illicit heroin often contains contaminants or additives that can result in permanent damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys and brain.

Heroin users often drink alcohol, smoke and use other illicit drugs, frequently to counter the effects of withdrawal while they find their next fix. As a result, heroin users can display a range of symptoms that reflect their poly drug use.

If you are finding that you fit into any of the categories above, then we can probably provide you with some help.  Above It All Treatment and Recovery Center can design a program around you to stop the addiction and ease your withdrawals.  We can help you pick yourself up and start treading down the long road to recovery.  We are here for you. Contact us today.

Heroin Does Not Discriminate

Drug addiction doesn’t discriminate amongst its victims. In fact, addiction to drugs affects people of all ages, genders, socioeconomic levels and classes. It’s easy to make assumptions about those who struggle with addiction; the most popular assumption to make is that they are lacking willpower and mental fortitude. This just isn’t the case. Addiction is a life-threatening disease that literally alters brain chemistry.

Two approaches to heroin addiction rehabilitation are generally taken. The first is to substitute heroin use with a longer-acting opioid such as methadone or buprenorphine. The doses of these drugs are slowly reduced over time. Studies have shown that methadone treatment is safe for heroin dependency patients who are pregnant. The second approach uses benzodiazepines to suppress the anxiety that is associated with heroin withdrawal. This approach is used with caution, since benzodiazepines are also an addictive drug, whose withdrawal causes many more fatalities than heroin itself. Some addiction rehabilitation programs offer detox under anesthesia – where large doses of opiate-blocking drugs are administered to an anaesthetized patient. Rehabilitation programs for heroin almost always include a behavior change component, which is needed to help users devise strategies to combat the addictiveness of heroin.

Given its extremely addictive properties, many reformed heroin addiction patients will return to use the drug. Heroin use in newly-detoxed patients is particularly dangerous, since tolerance to heroin rapidly decreases. Doses that may previously have been acceptable to the user may, after detox, be lethal.

At Above It All Treatment Center, we care what happens to you.  That is why we provide a detailed examination of you, your life and your addiction so that we can provide you with a personalized plan that will assist you on the road to a successful recovery.  Contact us today and see what we can do to return you to a successful and rewarding life.

What are Heroin Withdrawals?

When going through heroin withdrawals, the first sign of withdrawals is when you begin to feel aches within your legs, followed by discomfort in your stomach when your stomach feels like it is going to rip apart, you get cramps and you are VERY irritable and want to keep moving your stomach because if you keep still it gets worse. This is followed by a serious yawning that continually progresses steadily and every time you yawn you produce tears but that's not annoying. Ironically the yawning feels good, almost euphoric to the rest of the withdrawal symptoms.

Then on the second day you get a serious case of diarrhea and your stomach is constantly grumbling, you have no energy whatsoever.  It only takes a little bump of Heroin or an opiate pill to get rid of it. That’s why it’s so hard to get through withdrawals because it’s the idea that only one little drug can get rid of all your problems. Your neck feels so restless that you can’t keep your head up. You don’t want to eat, you have no desire to eat, you just want to lay there and get some heroin. You vomit on random occasions.

On the third day of withdrawals (the worst day of them all) you can't get out of bed. It really is that bad. And that is if you got any sleep while suffering from the stomach cramps.

One minute you're very hot and sweating, the next minute you're extremely cold (but still sweating), you constantly feel uncomfortable...constantly one or the other of the extremes, you're never "just right".

While going through withdrawals never sounds like fun, it can also be dangerous to go through it on your own.  Contact us at Above It All Treatment Centers to see how we can help you by designing a program that will help you make it through the withdrawals with as little discomfort as possible.  Our certified counselors will start you on the road to a successful recovery with little chance of relapse.  

Would Your Teen Use Heroin ?

If you think your teen would never touch heroin, think again. A recent SAMHSA study found that an alarming 40 percent of teens don’t perceive any great risk in trying heroin once or twice, and almost 19 percent of teens don’t perceive any great risk in trying heroin once or twice a week. Unfortunately, heroin is a highly addictive drug that can quickly produce physical dependence and whose strength varies from dose to dose, leaving users vulnerable to overdose each time they use it. If your teen is using heroin, it’s important to recognize the problem and seek treatment right away. 

Drug abuse destroys lives. For adolescents, this destruction can be even more severe and far-reaching. Studies show that people who become chemically dependent at an early age are more at risk for developing addictions that are very resistant to treatment and have a higher likelihood of developing other substance abuse problems and relapsing later in life. Heroin rehab can save your teen from a lifelong battle with addiction.

As you enter into your heroin treatment, your inner dynamics begin to change. It may not seem like it, but even during your detox period, you have started your self-transformation. No longer are you focusing on doing whatever it takes to obtain and use heroin. Now, you are focusing on the future, one which is sober. To explain this better, it is important to consider the types of treatments you will go through.

One of the best programs for breaking a heroin addiction is the 12 step addiction recovery treatment program.  It provides a structured program to reprogram your inner self to resist heroin and the need for it.  You can find a 12 step program rehab center in Los Angeles CA by contacting Above It All Treatment Facility.  We are here to help you with the finest staff in the Los Angeles area.  Let us help you break your addiction.

Treating Heroin Withdrawal

Heroin is an illegal substance classified within the opiate family. Withdrawal from the drug begins once an individual drastically reduces or quits taking it following an extended period of routine use. Common withdrawal symptoms include sweating, goose bumps, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting. In this entry, we will outline a few ways to combat these symptoms.

Step 1 – Get in touch with your general physician. Though they may be unable to treat your symptoms personally, there is a good chance they’ll be able to refer you to someone who can. If you do not have a general physician, you may want to consider a trip to your local urgent care or emergency room.

Step 2 – A variety of medications are common in treating heroin withdrawal.  Some medications may even reduce the withdrawal period. Popular medications include buprenorphine, methadone and clonidine. Additional medications may be prescribed to patients experiencing extreme diarrhea or vomiting.

Step 3 – Locate and enroll in a residential heroin rehab facility. Not only will these facilities help you through the detoxification process, but will serve to educate and prepare you for a happy, fulfilling and sober existence post program completion.

Step 4 – Locate local meetings for support groups such as SMART Recovery and Narcotics Anonymous to keep yourself in a sober mindset. Many recovering addicts find solace and support within these groups; ultimately reducing the relapse risk.

Step 5 – Seek out private counseling following completion of substance abuse rehabilitation.

Step 6 – Undergo an evaluation to determine the presence of any underlying depression or mental illness. If a diagnosis is made in the affirmative, you should strongly consider appropriate treatment measures to help avoid future relapse down the road.