Heroin: Methadone Symptoms & Side Effects

Question: What happens when don't do heroin for a while then do it?

(Posted by: matt on 2010-03-04 22:39:57)

I was just wondering if someone was addicted to heroin for a while then was sober for like 6 months and then one day they decided to try it again what happen? would they just have a mild craving? go through withdrawal if they didn't reuse? or have a full blown relapse ? or just be really grumpy the next day?

Posted by: Sam on 2010-03-05, 01:49:22

Addictions to opioids, in this case heroin, have two components - simply put, physical and mental. Both play a different role in the withdrawal effects of the drug. Physically, the drug preforms the same role in your body as the natural hormone endorphin, and with chronic usage, trains your body not to produce as much of that. A full lack of presence of opioids in your system is detrimental to its functioning, even fatal in extreme cases, so with time your body will return to normal endorphin production given the absence of the artificial opioid, heroin. Mentally, each dose of heroin stimulates the mind's 'reward' system, linking the action of taking the drug to your mind's basic understanding of what is 'beneficial.' It does this by triggering the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is normally released by actions such as getting well fed or having sex. This mental reward link more or less does not fade with time. What this means is, very gradually, a former addict will return to the physical state they were in prior to their chronic consumption of heroin, and lose the physical withdrawal symptoms such as aches, pains, nausea, etc.. Mentally, however, they may always feel an instinct to use the drug when it is presented to them... and all the more so after the full gratification of using it again. Whether this results in a full relapse depends on the individual's personality. They certainly would have it on their mind for a while afterwards.

Posted by: asdf on 2010-03-04, 22:44:18

You don't just "go off heroin " for a few months. if you have seen the movie Walk The Line, they depicted Johnny Cash trying to stop taking heroin when he went to live with his family. He seemed to go crazy, he was terribly sick, and he could have died. it's addicting and your body gets used to it to the point of needing it.

Posted by: Jeff L on 2010-03-04, 22:49:31

If that someone has been clean for six months, why would they want to find out that answer.

Posted by: Erik on 2010-03-06, 22:16:48

Heroin addiction isn't like any other drug addiction. I myself am a heroin addict and let me tell you it fucking sucks horribly. I've tried kickin it several times, was off it for a few months and then somehow it found me again. Me personally would start off as the heroin handbook says once every four days, but before long it was an everyday occurrence. Then I would quit either get suboxen or do it cold turkey which is horrible. Not everyone will follow this pattern but from what I've seen 90% do. Even if you think you can manage it once in awhile, you can't especially being a former abuser. Now if you were to stop and then use once after 6 months depending on how much you did would determine if you would get sick. Yes, cravings would be there heavily.