Heroin withdrawal: how long does it last?

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Attention! The material contains information about substances, the use of which can cause serious harm to your health!

Heroin is highly addictive to the body. Drug withdrawal begins as soon as a person does not receive the next dose of the drug. Every addict is afraid of this serious condition even more than an overdose.

• Heroin withdrawal syndrome
• What it is
• How does heroin withdrawal work?
• When does it start
• Symptoms of withdrawal in a drug addict
• How does a drug addict feel?
• How do the first signs appear?
• How long does heroin withdrawal last?
• Withdrawal from a drug addict - video
• Coming off heroin
• How to survive withdrawal from heroin addiction
• What to do during an acute period
• Relieving heroin withdrawal
• How to help at home
• Relieve the condition with medications
• Relieve withdrawal from heroin in a hospital

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Heroin withdrawal syndrome

The drug acts on special parts of the brain responsible for the production of so-called “joy hormones”. Because of this, a person feels euphoria, a buzz, he is incredibly sociable and cheerful. As soon as the effect of the substance wears off, the mood is replaced by apathy, depression and indifference.

What it is

Why does withdrawal occur? Any narcotic drug completely restructures the functioning of all internal organs. After the dose is not received, the brain begins to require it to continue the functioning of the systems.

Heroin withdrawal syndrome is one of the most painful and long-lasting. The name “withdrawal” appeared for a reason - a person has the feeling that his body is being passed through a meat grinder.

HOW TO HELP A DRUG ADDICT IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE TREATED

How does heroin withdrawal work?

Symptoms of heroin withdrawal are:

• During the day after the last use of the drug, slight nervousness, panic, lack of appetite and sleep are felt. For now it’s possible to endure this.
• After 2 days, a person feels the same as with a cold - his eyes are watery, his nose is stuffy, and a cough may appear. In this case, there is chills and increased sweating.
• After 3 days, the drug addict’s condition begins to resemble food poisoning - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hand tremors and headache.
• 4 days after taking heroin - pain throughout the body, panic attacks, hallucinations, skin turns gray. At this stage, many drug addicts commit suicide.

The withdrawal state also becomes a reason for committing a crime - robbing or killing another person.

When does it start

Withdrawal syndrome begins to appear within 7-15 hours after the last drug intake. It is impossible to indicate an exact period - it all depends on how long and often the addict has been using heroin.

Heroin addiction

This type of drug addiction is considered the most harmful type, which leads to death. It is widespread in a huge number of states. Heroin has already killed a huge number of people. How does a person become addicted?

Heroin addiction is not always the first drug of choice. Before this, the person most likely had already used such types of drugs as marijuana, as well as medications that contain narcotic substances. Although in some situations the drug heroin . Today there is false information about the fact that there are really soft drugs in the world. And if a person used marijuana once and did not die, then it may not be so harmful. It is not true. Such false information is initially provided to drag as many people as possible into drug addiction.

Even the first dose will lead to poisoning of the body. People experience severe intoxication. Even after the first use of such a drug, dizziness and nausea appear. heroin addiction itself manifests itself quite quickly. After all, the body changes almost instantly, which leads to addiction.

With heroin addiction, he is in complete control of the drug. Because it needs to be taken every day. In a situation where the much-needed dose is missing, a person begins to feel torment and suffering. Due to the presence of withdrawal symptoms heroin addicts are afraid to give it up. This is why they continue to use drugs. As a result, life turns into a constant search for money, which is necessary to purchase heroin . Dependent people in such a situation steal, lie and commit various crimes.

Money begins to disappear from the house, as well as various things. And relatives experience constant severe stress. On average, heroin addicts do not live long and, without appropriate treatment, can die within five years.

Symptoms of withdrawal in a drug addict

In addition to physiological symptoms, a person may also exhibit psychological ones - lack of sleep, obsessive thoughts about death or surveillance, as well as hysterical behavior. Insomnia can lead to a stroke or heart attack, since the body wears out 2 times faster.

How does a drug addict feel?

Only those who have experienced this state can understand how a drug addict breaks down. Even those who are in remission remember with horror the pain of quitting drugs. Many deaths occur precisely under the influence of withdrawal syndrome, as a result of a malfunction of the heart, kidneys or lungs, or suicide.

How do the first signs appear?

The very first “bells” about approaching withdrawal are nervousness, hysteria, the addict becomes twitchy. The pulse may begin to falter, and periodic spasms may be felt in the muscles. At the same time, the skin itching intensifies, the secretion of sweat with an unpleasant pungent odor increases.

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Coming off heroin

How can you tell if a person is a heroin addict? A drug addict who has not been using for too long often reveals himself during the period of withdrawal or withdrawal. The following signs should alert you:

• A sharp change in mood, especially if the person was previously quite calm;
• glassy gaze, dilated or, conversely, constricted pupils that do not respond to light;
• as soon as the effect of heroin wears off, appetite may disappear, while thirst increases;
• a complete change in social circle, family and friends begin to irritate, while the addict cannot control his behavior;
• lethargy and drowsiness.

Have you noticed these signs in a loved one? We need to watch him more closely. Syringes in bags or trash cans, secret calls, suspicious conditions, missing valuables from the house - if drug use is confirmed, immediate action must be taken.

How to survive withdrawal from heroin addiction

What helps with withdrawal symptoms? Heroin is one of the hardest drugs, and withdrawal symptoms during its withdrawal are a terrible combination of physical pain and mental disorders. Today, narcologists offer a number of procedures that will help overcome withdrawal symptoms.

DETOXIFICATION

One of them is UROD (ultra-rapid opioid detoxification). This is the cleansing of special receptors in the brain from drug residues and its breakdown products. It is performed under general anesthesia. UBOL does not replace detoxification of the body.

What to do during an acute period

The acute phase of withdrawal occurs approximately 3-4 days after the last dose of heroin. In some cases, a person loses consciousness and breathing becomes difficult. The only correct decision at this moment is to call an ambulance and turn the drug addict on his side until the brigade arrives. This must be done so that he does not choke on vomit.

It is unacceptable to use sedatives, give teas or herbal decoctions. The effect of traditional medicine in such a situation is unpredictable. You can’t leave a person alone - he can attempt suicide at any moment.

Breaking out of addiction without the help of psychoactive substances

To overcome withdrawal symptoms and get rid of addiction, a heroin addict must overcome withdrawal symptoms without taking any drugs. This is very difficult to do, because when drug withdrawal occurs, drug addicts feel very bad and fear death appears.

There is a category of patients who can overcome withdrawal symptoms only with a small dose of the drug and under the supervision of specialists. Typically, such patients have the following diseases:

• HIV.
• Cirrhosis.
• Viral hepatitis.
• Heart problems.
• Kidney disease.
• Tuberculosis.

A person who has recently started taking heroin can cope with withdrawal symptoms on their own. This requires a lot of willpower. And even if a drug addict manages to overcome his addiction, proper treatment is necessary. In addition to physical dependence, there is also psychological dependence. If drug addiction is dealt with incorrectly, relapse can occur even after several years.

Relieving heroin withdrawal

The physiological mechanism of heroin withdrawal is such that it is not enough to relieve withdrawal symptoms alone. It is important to help the brain receptors get rid of drug residues and its breakdown products. Therefore, in difficult cases, UBOD is carried out, and only after that - droppers. They cleanse the body, and the doctor may also prescribe a sedative to normalize sleep and the mental state of the drug addict. The infusion solution and the number of procedures are prescribed strictly individually, depending on the severity of the patient.

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How to help at home

Theoretically, if a person has been using heroin for less than two months, it is possible to go through withdrawal on their own, while at home. In reality, there are practically no such cases - already at the second stage of withdrawal syndrome, the addict cannot withstand this state and administers a new dose. Another option is that the relatives themselves, unable to watch their loved one suffer, give him the drug.

Searching the Internet for recipes to overcome withdrawal symptoms is not only useless, but also harmful. For example, herbal infusions can cause bleeding or an allergic reaction, since the body is already weakened by taking the drug. Many people confuse heroin withdrawal with a hangover - in the first case, the condition cannot be alleviated with chicken broth or orange juice. All drug addicts describe withdrawal with one succinct word - “hell.”

Therefore, the best help is to call a narcologist or place the person in a clinic. It is worth noting right away that it is preferable to treat drug addiction in a hospital. It will be easier for the doctor to monitor the patient’s condition and prevent a sad outcome. An addicted person, even after withdrawal symptoms have been relieved, may behave inappropriately.

REMOVAL AT HOME

Relieve the condition with medications

You should not give medication to a drug addict yourself. There is a misconception that withdrawal symptoms can be relieved with strong sedatives or sleeping pills. All that such pills can do in this situation is to help a person get hooked on them instead of heroin.

After completing the detoxification course, the doctor will select medications to normalize the psyche and sleep. Drugs that restore the liver may also be needed. The program for relieving withdrawal symptoms and further treatment is always individual.

TREATMENT OF DRUG ADDICTION IN A HOSPITAL

Treatment of withdrawal under the supervision of a narcologist

Please note that a relapse after several days of abstinence is especially fraught with overdose. A cleansed body is less tolerant even to the usual doses. When treating in a drug treatment clinic, the patient’s access to drugs is excluded, so it is safest to treat withdrawal symptoms in a specialized hospital.

We have already written above that detoxification using IVs will quickly relieve withdrawal symptoms. In addition to droppers, the narcologist at the clinic also has hardware methods of detoxification and therapy, including ultra-fast opioid detoxification for drug addicts who use opium derivatives.

A narcologist can also provide assistance to a drug addict during withdrawal at home, if acute conditions are not observed. Infusion therapy is now carried out at home at a high level. At the same time, to eliminate the possibility of a relapse, medications are used that reduce cravings for drugs, and coding methods are also used in agreement with the patient.

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The danger of another breakdown remains for life. Therefore, it is important to constantly work with a psychologist. A specialist will help identify internal problems that often lead to drug addiction. In addition, it is necessary to work with the patient’s family - almost 80 percent of drug addicts’ loved ones behave completely incorrectly, aggravating the situation.

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The advantage of treatment in the clinic is that each patient has the opportunity to be accompanied by a doctor after completing the course. This means that a person can call the doctor at any time and find out how to overcome insomnia, drug cravings, nervousness, fear, etc. Family support and a good specialist make up 50 percent of the success of treatment. The remaining 50 is the desire of the addict himself to get rid of the addiction.

Article prepared by an expert

Terekhova Anna Vladimirovna

psychologist-consultant on socio-psychological work with addicted clients and their families. More than 9 years of experience.

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2 comments on “Withdrawal from heroin”

1. Vania:

   December 9, 2021 at 02:41 pm

   Withdrawal from heroin begins on the third day after the last dose. The condition can last from 5 to 15 days, but it all depends on individual indicators. For some drug addicts, the symptoms subside on the 5th day, and by the eighth day they feel completely healthy. It is necessary to understand how it works and what exactly changes in the body. This drug is based on an opiate, or more precisely, opium alkaloids. The drug belongs to this group

   Answer

2. Veronica:

   December 15, 2021 at 16:05

   If the addiction began much earlier, it is better to contact a professional narcologist. Many private doctors practice relieving symptoms and withdrawal symptoms at home. In addition, clinics also offer such services. For example, our Nika-Israel clinic relieves symptoms. Doctors use only the most modern, innovative drugs approved by international medical organizations. Thus, yesterday's drug addict completely gets rid of the consequences of drugs and can safely start life from scratch.

   Answer

Help with withdrawal symptoms

If withdrawal symptoms appear, you should never self-medicate. You cannot take into account all possible complications, so a doctor should deal with withdrawal symptoms. Modern medicine offers several ways to relieve drug withdrawal syndrome, but they have their own contraindications. An experienced doctor will conduct the necessary research and find out what type of drug the addict is using, his experience and other existing diseases. Only after this will he begin to relieve withdrawal symptoms to alleviate the patient’s condition.

The process of reversing withdrawal symptoms involves detoxifying the body to remove drugs from the blood and tissues. The patient is given sedatives, painkillers and sleeping pills, as well as antidepressants. If a person has diseases of internal organs and body systems, the doctor includes in the course of therapy additional drugs to strengthen these organs. Finally, for general strengthening of the body, the doctor prescribes vitamin complexes. With the right set of medications, the patient’s condition improves within a couple of hours. Complete relief from the effects of withdrawal occurs within a few days.

However, getting rid of withdrawal symptoms does not mean complete elimination of drug addiction. The psychological craving for drugs can be quite strong. Many drug addicts, having gotten rid of withdrawal, quickly forget about the suffering they endured and take up drugs again. Naturally, after some time they again end up at the doctor. To completely get rid of addiction, comprehensive treatment is necessary, which necessarily includes work with a psychotherapist and long-term rehabilitation.