Heroin detox will not be the same for everyone and there are many factors that come into play when determining how to best approach detox.

These include:

• How long a person used heroin
• How it was abused
• The dosage that was taken during each usage
• The user’s medical health and mental health history
• Any co-existing mental or medical disorders

Since it’s impossible to predict exactly how you will react when heroin usage is abruptly stopped, the safest course of action is to undergo detox in a clinically monitored environment here at Allendale Treatment.

We’re fully staffed with a medical team of addiction specialists that have the knowledge and experience to create a personalized heroin detox program for you. Based on your usage history and other factors, your detox plan will be designed to provide the best care possible without risking your safety or severe discomfort.

Having the support and assistance of medical staff at a heroin withdrawal treatment center in Fort Wayne, IN can prevent relapse, reduce the severity of withdrawal, and make the transition to treatment much easier.

Heroin withdrawal is safest when completed in a medically assisted detox facility. Our staff is trained to recognize and treat the symptoms of heroin withdrawal to make sure you are as comfortable as possible throughout the withdrawal process.

We use medications to treat any uncomfortable physical symptoms and in certain cases, we may also use tapering medications to gradually bring you down into a sober state of being.

Heroin withdrawal will not be the same for everyone and it can be dangerous and unpredictable. You should always detox in a medically assisted facility where you’ll be closely monitored and supervised.

Heroin Withdrawal Timeline

6-12 hours after the last dose:
You will begin to experience some mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, abdominal cramps, sweating, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and muscle, and bone aches. More severe withdrawal symptoms may include rapid heart rate, insomnia, depression, muscle spasms, impaired breathing, and extreme drug cravings.

1-3 days after the last dose:

During this time, your symptoms will peak. The severity of withdrawal symptoms is different for everyone and will depend on how long you’ve used heroin, how you used it, and how much was taken each time.

5-7 days after the last dose
Your symptoms should be subsiding at this point but some may persist for weeks or months after completing detox if left untreated.

Heroin withdrawal symptoms can be very severe and the detox process can be dangerous without medical supervision. Although withdrawal will be different for everyone, you may experience the following physical symptoms:

• Insomnia
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle spasms
• Pain in the bones, muscles, and abdomen
• Sweating
• Shakiness
• Strong heroin cravings

The duration of heroin withdrawal varies and withdrawal symptoms typically peak within 1-3 days, but this time frame will vary depending on your situation. Severe physical symptoms can be eased with medication administered by our clinical staff to ensure heroin detox is as safe and comfortable as possible.

According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:

• 0.2% of people (roughly 475,000 people) aged 12 and older report using heroin in the past month
• 0.4% (roughly 948,000 people) reported using it in the past year
• 1.8% (roughly 4,981,000 people) reported using at least once in their lifetime

Although heroin use in the general population is rather low, the numbers of people starting to use heroin have been steadily rising since 2007. This may be due in part to a shift from misuse of prescription pain relievers to heroin as a readily available, cheaper alternative, and the misperception that pure heroin is safer than less pure forms because it does not need to be injected.

The rate at which heroin is metabolized in the body will affect how long it is detectable via drug test. Although several factors impact how long heroin will stay in your system, such as weight, body mass, the testing method, and your metabolism, the primary factor in how long heroin is detectable via drug test is how much of the drug was taken.

Urine – Detectable 2-5 hours after use or 2-3 days for heavy users
Blood – Detectable for several hours after use
Saliva – Detectable up to 1-24 hours after use
Hair – Detectable up to 3 months after use

Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine, which is derived from the seed pod of poppy plants. It is typically made in the form of white or brown powder but can also be a sticky, black substance known as black tar heroin.

To use heroin, people inject, smoke, sniff, or snort it. Injecting it straight into the veins is the quickest way to get high, but it’s also the most dangerous because the risk of overdose and infection is very high. Once inside the body, the drug travels to the brain very fast and a person can quickly become addicted even after just two or three uses.

Immediately after using heroin, a person will feel a rush of euphoria but they may also experience other effects such as nausea, vomiting, itching, slowed heart rate, slowed breathing, and moments in and out of consciousness.

Long-term abuse of heroin is extremely dangerous and can result in many terrible medical conditions, such as:

• Collapsed veins
• Liver and kidney disease
• Infection of the heart lining and valves
• Insomnia
• Sexual dysfunction (for men)
• Infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis
• Mental disorders

Heroin overdoses are also very common and can lead to permanent brain damage, coma, or death.

Do I Need a Detox?

If you are addicted to heroin and have developed a dependency, you will most likely need a medical detox program to safely rid your body of the drug and manage any uncomfortable symptoms you experience during withdrawal. Get in touch with Allendale Treatment before it’s too late.

Nearly all people who use heroin use at least one other drug. Some of these combinations are less risky than others. The overwhelming majority of heroin overdoses are caused by combining heroin with alcohol or other drugs, especially sedatives.

These are some of the most dangerous and potentially fatal combinations.

Alcohol
Consuming alcohol along with heroin significantly increases the risk of overdose because it leads to shallow breathing, lowered blood pressure and heart rate, deep sedation, or even a coma.

Benzodiazepines
Commonly used for treating a number of conditions including anxiety and insomnia, benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Restoril, etc.) are often used in conjunction with opioids such as heroin. Because both opioids and benzodiazepines can slow the rate of breathing, it is highly risky to mix the two. This combination can also make the overdose reversal drug naloxone less effective when it is used to try and save someone from an overdose.

Cocaine
Commonly known as a “speedball” or “dynamite,” the use of heroin and cocaine together can pose serious risks. Heroin and cocaine have opposing effects on the central nervous system; heroin depresses it and cocaine stimulates it. Both heroin and cocaine can cause breathing difficulties and adversely affect a person’s heart rate, which can lead to overdose.

This also holds true for mixing other opioids such as morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc. with alcohol, benzodiazepines, and cocaine – the effects are identical. It is best not to combine these drugs, but if that is not possible, it is safer to use less of each drug.

Cost for medically treating heroin addiction and withdrawal varies depending on a number of things. In general, outpatient care is less expensive than inpatient care, but inpatient care might be more effective for some people. To many, the added cost of successful treatment might outweigh the savings involved with cheaper programs that just do not work.

Additionally, we work with most major insurance carriers and it’s likely that much, if not all, of your treatment, could be covered by your insurance. The first step is to reach out to us, and we’ll walk you through it.