Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms and Detox
Florida – May, 2019 – All drugs produce withdrawal symptoms when an addict tries to quit because the body becomes dependent on the drug. Heroin withdrawal symptoms are the hardest any addict will face. It doesn’t take long for opioid addiction to set in and when it does, the withdrawal can be agonizing.
Abstaining from the drug can cause the brain to put the body through intense pain and discomfort. This is why you should stop heroin only at a medical detox facility at a reputed rehab.
Heroin addicts love the drug for the pleasurable euphoria of well-being and safety that the drug creates. But the empty euphoria doesn’t last and the user is left craving for more. In addition to severe short- and long-term effects, heroin overdose can result in a coma or even death.
Heroin Withdrawal
Heroin use causes chemical and physical changes in the brain. Whenever you perform an activity necessary to survival, such as eating or reproduction, the brain produces dopamine, creating a sense of pleasure. This is like a ‘reward’, training the brain to repeat the activity.
Heroin also triggers a dopamine response, with an even faster, heavier, and longer-lasting surge. With time, the over stimulation tires the brain’s dopamine receptors, reducing dopamine production.
For the heroin addict, now, the ONLY way for them to experience pleasure, even feel normal, is to consume a greater dose of the drug.
Heroin withdrawal can be characterized by several symptoms, such as –
- Flu-like symptoms
- Wild mood swings
- Severe muscle cramping
- Abdominal pain
- Profuse vomiting
- Uncontrollable diarrhea
- Tremors and shaking
- Nervousness and agitation
- Anxiety and depression
- Extreme craving for drugs
Heroin withdrawal symptoms typically begin 6-12 hours after last use, peak after 48-72 hours and the initial physical symptoms may last up to 10 days.
The withdrawal symptoms can make the person seek the drug again, making it difficult to quit heroin. This is why you should never try to go cold turkey on your own. You should undergo a drug detox, safely under the care of specialists at a professional rehab. This should be followed by a long-term drug rehab program, to achieve successful recovery and prevent relapse.
Addiction specialists make it easier for the person to go through withdrawal and detox. The methods may involve pharmacological treatments. As the addict is weaned off the drug, s/he will also go through therapy in inpatient rehab.
Inpatient rehab uses multiple treatment approaches to help the addict fight the disease of addiction on every level – physical, mental, psychological and nutritional. This helps to increase the person’s chances of regaining sobriety and maintaining it in the longer term.
If you are looking for trusted residential treatment centers or inpatient rehab facilities in Florida, call Lake View Health at 866-704-7692 Today!