When taken, heroin rapidly affects the body but leaves the bloodstream just as quickly. Heroin withdrawal symptoms are different with each person. These symptoms can be excruciating, often leading people to take another dose to alleviate them. This is one of the main contributors to heroin’s addictive nature. In this post, we will touch on various heroin withdrawal symptoms and highlight the heroin detox and heroin addiction treatment offered at Blueprint Recovery Center.
Common Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms
Heroin withdrawal symptoms can be felt even after one use. The hangover experienced after first-time use can be so intense and painful that many retake the drug to relieve the pain. Prolonged and repeated use tends to weaken the brain, increasing someone’s tolerance. The brain begins depending more and more on the drug to produce opiates and maintain a standard level of well-being. This can easily lead to someone spiraling into addiction.
Different factors determine how intense your withdrawal symptoms will be. These factors include the dosage taken and how long the drug was abused. Their severity also varies according to the duration of abuse and the dependence built. Also, those with preexisting mental illnesses may experience more intense withdrawal experiences.
If you have been using heroin in small doses for a brief period, your symptoms might be mild and be experienced for a short period. These mild heroin withdrawal symptoms could include runny nose, sweats, abdominal cramps, nausea, and aches in the bone and muscle. Withdrawal symptoms increase in severity if your usage has been prolonged and in high doses.
Moderate withdrawal symptoms could include the following:
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Tremors
- Agitation
- Restlessness
More severe symptoms include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Muscle spasms
- Drug cravings
- Impaired respiration
- Rapid heart rate
- Hypertension
- Increased drug cravings
On their own, the withdrawal symptoms experienced from heroin use are not usually considered life-threatening. However, some psychological and medical symptoms could cause complications that might put your life and well-being at risk. For instance, intense feelings of depression could result in suicidal thoughts. Fortunately, there are various heroin detox and heroin addiction treatment options available.
Treatment For Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms often begin six to 12 hours after the last dose was taken. The symptoms peak after two to three days and often last between five and ten days. Treatment is usually started before the drug completely leaves your body and is administered for days or weeks, depending on how severe your addiction is.
The use of medication during treatment helps with heroin detox. The treatment is beneficial in easing the cravings and several other physical symptoms. The medications used work with the opioid receptors also used by the drug. However, they are safer and do not produce negative behaviors characterized by heroin use. The types of medications used are agonists that activate opioid receptors, partial agonists, and antagonists that block opioid receptors. More commonly used examples include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, which are agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists, respectively.
Behavioral therapy methods typically accompany these medications. Examples of some of the methods used are such as:
- Trauma therapy program
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy program
- Family therapy program
- Individual therapy program
- Group therapy program
Addiction Treatment at Blueprint Recovery Center
An effective heroin addiction treatment method is one that utilizes both pharmacological and behavioral methods. When used together, they restore the brain to its normal behavior and function. While pharmacologic and behavioral treatment methods can be useful when used on their own, there’s an increased success rate when the two are combined.
Since withdrawal symptoms vary, heroin addiction treatment is always tailor-made to each patient’s specific needs. At Blueprint Recovery Center, our treatment methods, facilities, and staff are all dedicated to helping you achieve long-term recovery. Reap the benefits of our heroin detox services today. Contact Blueprint Recovery Center at 833.654.1004 and get the right treatment to help find a solution to the heroin withdrawal symptoms you are facing.
