Heroin Detox
Withdrawal Symptoms, Timeline and Methods
Heroin is by far one of the most well known drugs out there and is also one of the most fast-acting and highly addictive substance. It has many street names: dope, junk, smack, H, horse, or snow. And this is because this drug comes in the form that looks like black tar and sometimes white or brown powder.
Originating from the poppy plant, heroin is a highly destructive opioid that affects the brain’s ability to process information and also negatively affects heart rate, breathing, and may cause gastrointestinal issues.
When heroin becomes a fixture in one’s life though, addiction becomes a looming shadow not just for them but also to their loved ones. It only requires one or two doses for heroin to make someone fall into this trap.
If you suspect yourself or a loved one with heroin addiction, below you’ll discover the withdrawal symptoms, timeframe of its effects, and ultimately how to treat it.
What is a Heroin Detox?
Detox is usually the first step in treating any kind of addiction. This process helps the person flush out the toxic elements in their body, which in this specific case is heroin.
When it comes to detoxifying heroin, it’s crucial that it takes place inside a treatment facility. You see, the thing about detoxification, when the body flushes out the toxins in their body the brain also readjusts and experiences withdrawal symptoms. This means experiencing vomiting, diarrhoea, cold sweat, anxiety, agitation, and the likes.
At some point, these effects can be a health risk and may lead to life-threatening situations. Which is why it’s vital that there are medical professionals near you so they can offset the withdrawal symptoms quickly with medication.
Heroin detox is just the first phase of treating the body from this drug. To fully eliminate a person’s dependency on heroin, they also need to uncover the underlying reasons that led them to use heroin in the first place. This is where therapy and other nourishing activities comes in during the recovery journey.
Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction
ends up being the biggest step of your life
Tiptoe if you must, but take the step
What is Heroin Withdrawal?
When a person continues to consume heroin, the body also adjusts and builds tolerance until it reaches a point that it requires heroin in order to function. This dependency is brought by a person’s increased consumption as they wouldn’t be able to get the same effect or “high” with a smaller dose. As the body quickly adapts, it also quickly rebalances itself which causes the effects to wear off really fast.
The dangerous part is that, when people get dependent on heroin they also experience extreme withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms may present as gastrointestinal issues like vomiting and diarrhoea, and it can also increase heart rate, cause irregular breathing, and even induce sleep problems.
And even if people try to cut back from their heroin use, they can find it extremely unpleasant as their body reacts negatively without the opioid.
While withdrawals are not necessarily life-threatening they can be very painful and might convince people to keep on using heroin in order to cope.
What are Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms?
First off, not all people using heroin will experience the same withdrawal symptoms. In fact, there are multiple factors like how long they have been taking it, how much they are taking, and if they also have underlying mental health issue, in order to gauge its effects.
The severity of heroin dependency in the body ultimately dictates how withdrawal symptoms can present. Some people also mix other drugs with heroin and this also contributes on how the withdrawal symptoms will present in the body.
Heroin withdrawal symptoms are not necessarily life-threatening and some people usually will experience diarrhoea or vomiting instead. In turn, this can lower their potassium levels, imbalance electrolytes in the body, and when this becomes more frequent it can lead to life-threatening situations.
Again, this has to do with the severity and frequency so even if the symptoms may be manageable on their own at first, the negative effects can compound.
Psychological symptoms of heroin withdrawal
Withdrawing from heroin can lead to a variety of mental health challenges, including:
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Mood swings
- Increased irritability
- Depression
- Brain fog or confusion
- Poor decision-making skills
Physical symptoms of heroin withdrawal
Physical symptoms during heroin withdrawal include:
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Muscle soreness or pain
- Bone pain
- Cold sweats and skin temperature
- Constant leg twitching
The physical symptoms may not be as recurring or obvious at first, but it’s still an important factor to monitor. Alongside this, people can also feel an immense craving for heroin whenever they try to cut down on using it without medical supervision.
How Long do Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms Last?
Not every person using heroin have the same timeframe in experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Factors like age, severity of heroin use, and co-occuring mental health issues also comes into play.
Here you’ll find a general timeframe of heroin’s withdrawal symptoms depending on the different factors.
- 6 to 12 hours after the last dose
After the first 6-12 hours, people will usually experience the first withdrawal symptoms. What happens is that they’ll have intense cravings for heroin and may want to engage in drug-seeking behaviour. The next thing is that they’ll experience symptoms like runny nose, yawning, sweating, and restlessness as the detox gets longer. - 24 to 36 hours after the last dose
During this time, the worst of the withdrawal symptoms often crop up and people will feel their cravings get more intense, they are more irritable, lose their appetite, and even have dilated pupils. Afterwards, the worst symptoms start to appear, this includes fever, increased heart rate, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, and a general sense of weakness in the body. - 7 to 10 days after the last dose
After the first two to three days where the symptoms have peaked, this is the time when the symptoms start to subside. During this time, they will feel more present and their cravings as well as physical symptoms start to lessen. - More than 10 days after the last dose
At this point, most of the withdrawal symptoms will be gone but there will be other symptoms that might linger mostly for weeks. People will usually still feel muscle soreness, weakness in the body, anxiety, and have trouble with sleep.
Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction
ends up being the biggest step of your life
Tiptoe if you must, but take the step
Fast Access to Residential Treatment
We are currently able to offer fast access to private inpatient treatment. Please call us today and speak to one of our expert advisors.
Call in confidence: 0800 0148 970
Methods Used to Detox from Heroin
Getting heroin out of your system via a detox clears the way to focus more precisely on your recovery. Below are the available detox options:
Home detox
One of the ways people detox from heroin is by doing a DIY approach in their homes which isn’t advisable as it can pose great danger to them. This is what most people call “going cold turkey” but when they suddenly cut off their consumption too quickly it can lead to potentially life-threatening situations like seizures, abnormal heart rate, etc.
Another thing about doing at home detox is that people won’t get the medical assistance they need when the withdrawal symptoms heighten after 6-12 hours. An unsupervised heroin detox can be fatal which is why it’s crucial that there are medical professionals ready to offset the symptoms through medication.
When people detox on their own, it’s important to remember that they don’t have access to therapy or emotional support as they try to wean off heroin in their body. They also don’t have any skills in order to prevent relapse when withdrawal increases. Lastly, they don’t have access to medical professionals to help them if complications should arise during the detox process.
In order to avoid these dangers, it’s crucial that heroin detox will be done in a treatment facility where it’s safe, secure, and monitored by professionals.
Inpatient detox
Inpatient detox is by far the safest approach when it comes to weaning off heroin from the body. In this setup, people have access to round-the-clock medical professionals that monitor their condition and will be ready to help them out when issues arise.
Alongside this, inpatient detox has high success rates for recovery since it’s not just the physical symptoms that is treated but also the psychological aspect. Detoxing the body from heroin is only the first step, the next would be addressing the root cause that led to the addiction and developing healthy coping skills to avoid relapse.
Heroin Withdrawal Medications
When it comes to medically-assisted detox, specialists will provide the patient with medication that can substitute for heroin minus the addictive properties. This is done so they can easily taper off the doses without the adverse withdrawal effects that can happen. This substitute drug also doesn’t make people reach euphoria nor does it make them psychologically dependent.
After 2-3 weeks of tapering down the medication, the body can acclimate itself again and the patient will need less of the drug to offset the withdrawal symptoms. The result is that heroin is also flushed out in the system efficiently.
Here’s a list of substitute medication used in the detoxification process of heroin. These medications are also used to help prevent relapse during the detox process as it gradually offsets cravings.
- Methadone
Methadone is by far the most popular and trusted synthetic opioid drug scientifically designed to help wean off heroin during detox. This drug mimics the chemical properties of heroin without the harmful addictive and damaging effects it has. It’s often used as it can help people be free from unpleasant or painful withdrawal symptoms for 24 hours. All it takes is the right dosage for the patient as this medication is also a long-lasting opioid. - Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is another substitute that mimics heroin chemically but doesn’t possess the addictive properties. This drug however, is considered to be a safer option for detoxifying heroin as it carries less risk of overdose as opposed to methadone. This is mainly because buprenorphine can offset withdrawal symptoms for 24 hours or more which means people only need to consume it every other day. - Naltrexone
This drug is part of maintaining abstinence and helping patients avoid relapse after the detox process. Most people will still feel the lingering effects of the withdrawal symptoms after detox so having medication to offset it can be incredibly helpful. Naltroxene also doesn’t induce the same euphoric feelings like heroin does, it’s just a drug that negates the effects of heroin if the patient will try to consume it again. - Suboxone
Lastly, suboxone is a drug that also cancels out the psychological and physical effects of heroin and protects the user. This substitute drug contains elements of Naloxone and Buprenorphine which helps in reducing cravings for the patient. Like Naltrexone, Suboxone is also a crucial drug to prevent relapse among patients.
The Benefits of a Medical Detox from Heroin
The withdrawal symptoms of heroin can be incredibly dangerous which is why doing medically-assisted detox in a treatment facility is crucial. Here, people can safely detox with the guidance of healthcare professionals to help them if complications arise.
Alongside this, patients get to access medication that prevent relapse and help maintain abstinence. While relapse is completely normal during the recovery process, getting access to medical professionals who can provide support during relapse is vital.
Sobriety is a life-long process, and having the right support in the first phase of the recovery goes a long way.
Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction
ends up being the biggest step of your life
Tiptoe if you must, but take the step
The Components of Heroin Withdrawal Management
Managing withdrawal symptoms doesn’t start and end with the detox process. In fact, there are around three components that help patients experience a safe and secure withdrawal process.
Evaluation
In this process, the patient goes through an assessment to gauge the severity of their heroin use and also other factors that can contribute to their recovery. This includes examining their current state of health, their existing support system, and exploring treatment that fits the patient’s needs after detox like what kind of therapy approach to use and if it’s better that they stay inside the facility or be in an outpatient basis.
Stabilisation
The second part is stabilising the patient after detox and this can be done through medical assistance. Substitute drugs are used to help wean off heroin and also to prevent any complications or relapse as patients can still feel the lingering withdrawal symptoms after detox.
Fostering a patient’s entry into treatment
Lastly, helping the patient transition to treatment is crucial so that they can recover successfully. In this phase, patients will undergo therapy and other treatment plans that address their psychological needs and help develop healthy coping skills.
The Long Term Benefits of Detoxing from Heroin
The detox process can be difficult to some at first, but once you’ve overcome this crucial phase, recovery becomes a whole lot easier. During this time, patients can focus on healing their inner wounds, uncover the root causes of their addiction, and learn how to get back in track with their life.
Not only that but they will also see an improvement in their physical and mental health, relationships, and even in their work and other responsibilities. Detox is just the first step in clearing out heroin but this tiny step is incredibly crucial in starting the recovery journey from heroin addiction.
Here are some of the benefits you can look forward to:
Enhanced mental health
Enhanced physical health
Stronger relationships
Improved performance in work or education
Though the steps of detox and withdrawal might seem daunting, they are essential for paving the way to a life unburdened by addiction. Deciding to quit heroin and pushing through the initial detox phase lays down the groundwork for succeeding in whatever you set out to do afterwards.
Having faced and overcome the challenges tied to heroin, you will be far better prepared for future challenges.
Why trust AddictionRehab with your detox?
Choosing to undergo your heroin detoxification with us means you will be integrated into a supportive environment at one of our QCC approved rehabilitation centres. Upon your arrival, you’ll find a comforting and serene space awaiting you, designed to facilitate rest and recovery.
Here are the benefits you will receive by undergoing your detox with us:
- Professionally supervised 24/7 care
Our commitment to your well-being is reflected in our 24/7 supervision and tailored treatment plans. Through our detailed detox and treatment programmes, we guarantee your comfort and safety at every step.
- Your comfort is our priority
Withdrawal from heroin often leads to feelings of tiredness and a lack of energy. Our team employs specific strategies within your detox plan to help manage these symptoms, making the adjustment period more manageable.
- A holistic approach to restoring the whole of you
Our medical centres adopt a holistic approach, treating the whole individual – mind, body, and spirit. This comprehensive care strategy ensures not just a temporary solution but promotes lasting health and wellness for our clients.
- High quality nutrition
Nutrition is key during detox from heroin. At our private centres, our dedicated chefs use top-quality ingredients to prepare meals that are balanced and nutritious, helping you regain your strength.
- Workshops designed to keep you focussed
To aid in maintaining focus and motivation, we offer a variety of workshops and sessions designed specifically for individuals undergoing heroin detox.
- Compassion from staff who have been exactly where you are
The empathy and support from our staff, who have their own recovery stories, provide a layer of understanding and encouragement that is invaluable during your detox process.
- Aftercare to support your recovery for life
Our aftercare and Alumni programmes are second to none and extend the support network beyond your stay, offering a community of support and advice that lasts a lifetime.
Your Next Steps
Heroin addiction may be difficult to overcome but it doesn’t mean that there’s no hope in recovery. It’s never too late to get detox and start your healing journey no matter where you are at in your heroin usage.
Whether you suspect a loved one or think you need guidance on how to access heroin detox and other treatment options, you can reach out to us for the next steps.
FREE Drug Addiction Assessment
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Our highly trained advisers are available to speak to you right away, simply call 0808 252 3379 today.
We can discuss your concerns in complete confidence, explore the options for treatment, and help you to understand what will work best for you.
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