What are the side effects of Heroin?

Drug misuse is a more complex issue in India than we can imagine. There is evidence that opiates and heroin remain among the most commonly used drugs, and as of 2020, more than two million people in India use opiates. The gush of emotions and happy feelings that engulf one’s mind and body after consuming heroin is so addictive that people are in a rush to get back to their dreamy state. This is a major problem for heroin addicts.

This blog elaborates on heroin treatment, presents the details of the best heroin rehab centre, and, more importantly, aims to educate the reader on the side effects of heroin.

Heroin is an opioid drug that comes from the resins of the opium poppy seeds commonly grown in Mexico, Colombia, and some parts of Southeast and Southwest Asia. Initially, in the 1850s, when opium addiction was a challenge in the USA and certain other parts of the western world, morphine was offered as a solution to overcome addiction to the opium drug.

Soon, morphine addiction became a complex problem, and heroin was introduced as a solution to overcome morphine addiction. As opposed to what was anticipated, heroin addiction became a problem then. That is how heroin came into prominence. Heroin looks more like a powder in white or brown colour, or sometimes it resembles ‘tar’ that is used for making roads.

Heroin consumption intrudes into the reactions that happen in the human brain and influences the behaviour of a person. It binds with the neurotransmitters and receptors in our brains and pushes them to release dopamine, which is often called the ‘happy hormone’. It is an essential driver of the reward system of our brain, and it surges when something good happens. So with heroin consumption, dopamine spikes temporarily and gives an unexplainable pleasure to the consumer.
With repeated use of heroin and other opiates, the human brain stops producing dopamine naturally. This becomes a problem for heroin addicts. Over time, their brain produces dopamine, and their body functions are normal only when they consume heroin or other drugs. If a heroin addict wants happiness, it can only come from repeated consumption of the drug, and this becomes a vicious cycle.

Regular consumption of heroin impacts the health of the mind and body of the person. The impacts range from immediate, short-term effects to long-term, fatal ones on account of continued usage. Some of the major side effects of heroin are listed below.

• Unexplainable pleasure, happiness, and excitement in the mind and body
• Drowsiness and feeling an immediate rush to sleep
• Dryness in the mouth as it makes less saliva than otherwise
• Constipation, hard and dry stools
• A feeling of not-so-empty bowels even after excreting
• Digestion issues and vomiting
• Watery eyes and runny nose
• Digestion issues and vomiting
• Small pupils and flushed skin
• Watery eyes and runny nose
• A reduction in body temperature
• Loss of interest in routine, sex, and family life.

• Loss of sleep, insomnia, and other sleep disorders
• Clogs in blood vessels from the use of heroin sold on the streets as they contain substances that are thicker for the circulatory system to absorb and circulate
• Impacts the liver, kidneys, and lungs
• Unhealthy usage of syringes or injections leads to HIV and hepatitis
• Causes dead cells in vital organs of the body
• Sexual dysfunction in men and irregular menstrual cycles in women
• Failure of heart valves and damage to the lining of the heart and other organs
• Heroin consumption results in loss of appetite and lead to loss of weight
• Repeated injection of drugs like heroin into the skin in an attempt to find a vein collapses the veins leading to venous sclerosis resulting in skin abscesses and cellulitis
• Irreversible fertility issues: impotence in men and menstrual cycle distortions, early menopause for women

• Feeling negative all the time. As heroin consumption drives the person to a state of temporary happiness, what remains after the drug impact has vanished is stress, depression, and a low feeling
• Constant consumption of heroin leads to intense cravings and depressive disorders
• Suicidal thoughts and studies show that people who consume heroin are 14 times more likely to suicide than otherwise

If you or your loved ones are addicted to heroin and are looking for heroin treatment options, the best is to approach a heroin rehab centre or a drug treatment centre for professional assistance, treatment, and counselling.

Generally, the effects of heroin and the magnitude of the danger from heroin consumption depend on the following factors: The heroin rehab centre would ask you the following questions and determine the kind of treatment that you might require:.

• Strength or magnitude of the heroin dose consumed
• Health condition of the heroin consumer- his or her size, weight, and other factors
• Their state of mind- are they normal, stressed, or depressed? Do they have control of themself?
• The medications they are prescribed at the time of consumption of the heroin drug. Are they addicted to drugs other than heroin? In case the person is consuming other drugs like sleeping pills, alcohol, etc., the heroin treatment is complex
• The frequency of heroin consumption
• Has he or she undergone treatment for drugs before?

Depending on the answers to the above, the centre may suggest a medical course, behavioural therapy, or both.

Your physician may work out a medical plan that would work for you. The ultimate aim would be to lower your heroin cravings with a substitute. Methadone or buprenorphine are commonly recommended substitutes. The physician may suggest that you stay on a stable dose of the drugs for a while until you get over your intense heroin cravings. Naltrexone blocks the neurotransmitters and receptors in your brain for heroin and other drugs, which means the heroin that you consume might not give you the pleasure and excitement you had before.

People withdrawing from heroin addiction may experience a wide range of difficulties, including chills, mood swings, depression, cravings to get back to heroin consumption, jitters, body pain, sleeping disorders, and so on. They need behavioural therapies and detox procedures to withdraw themselves from heroin usage. Nutritional counselling and talking therapies would work. Educating them on the ill effects of continuing heroin usage is also important to help them withdraw from heroin and return to normalcy. If you are looking to support a family member or a friend, you may offer incentives like money or a gift if they stay drug-free for a particular period of time.

If you are looking for a heroin rehab centre for yourself or for your loved one to help him or her withdraw from heroin addiction, do check out Abhasa, a leading rehabilitation center in India. We have helped thousands of people undergo heroin treatment and recover from heroin addiction. Our medical practitioners hold degrees from top universities in the world and have the experience of helping millions from across the world.