Heroin use can feel good. Many users believe that the good feelings outweigh the dangers. We know, however, that heroin isn’t the solution, and there are other ways to feel good.

Users report heroin as a drug that decreases anxiety or physical and emotional pain. It provides feelings of warmth and relaxation. It can often make users feel detached from their environment. It is a strong sedative and pain reliever.

We know that heroin is dangerous on its own. However, like many drugs, heroin can also be incredibly dangerous when taken at the same time as other drugs or alcohol. These dangerous interactions between heroin and other substances may include:

• Heroin and alcohol. Heroin and alcohol are both depressants. Using alcohol along with heroin can increase the effects of both. When each result is more intense than normal, they’re significantly more dangerous. For example, both heroin and alcohol can lower breathing rate. When taken together, it’s possible for the effect to be so increased that breathing is stopped altogether.
• Heroin and other opioids. Heroin is an opioid drug like Fentanyl, OxyCodone, and others. Taking multiple types of opioids together is a quick and easy way to die of an overdose. When even heroin alone is an overdose risk, mixing opioids is especially deadly.
• Heroin and marijuana. Like alcohol, marijuana can increase the usual effects of heroin if used simultaneously. This can lead to extreme drowsiness, lowered breathing rate, and other symptoms. These symptoms toe the line between risky and deadly.
• Heroin and nicotine. Studies show that cravings for nicotine can increase cravings for other illicit drugs as well. This means that smoking cigarettes with nicotine may make it harder to detox from heroin. These cravings may also cause you to use more heroin than you would have otherwise.

One of the greatest dangers of heroin use is the risk of an overdose. While there is often help available for those who overdose on heroin, others don’t get this help in time. Many people die each year by overdosing on heroin or other opioids. These other opioids include Fentanyl and OxyCodone.

There are a few different reasons someone could overdose on heroin. These include:

• The user accidentally takes the wrong amount of heroin.  Heroine is illegal and unmonitored, so there is no oversight into the quality of heroin. Many makers and dealers “cut” the heroin with other, mostly-harmless powders like starch or powdered milk. If someone has been using this impure form of heroin for some time, they could believe that they know how much heroin their body can handle. However, the amount of the additional substance could change. If it differs by too much, the user could easily overdose. This is because they think that they’re taking the same amount they are accustomed to.
• The user has been recovering and has relapsed. In many cases, those who relapse during recovery immediately try to take the same amount of heroin that their body could handle before beginning treatment. Even if they haven’t completed detox, their tolerance for the drug could have changed. Because of this, relapses are one of the greatest risks for overdosing.
• The user is confused. One of the results of drug use, once or over an extended period of time, can be clouded thinking or poor judgment. If a user is under the influence of drugs and begins to use more, it’s very easy for them too use too much and overdose.
• They’ve been mixing drugs. As we’ve mentioned before, many drugs can cause an adverse reaction when taken with heroin. If someone is using heroin and other substances simultaneously, an overdose is more likely. This is because the body may be able to handle less heroin when it’s also processing another drug.

If someone has overdosed, they will likely be breathing dangerously slowly. They may have a very slow heart rate or lose consciousness. It’s possible that their lips or fingertips will have turned blue because of this lack of blood flow and oxygen. They may also begin to stumble or slur as though very drowsy. Gone untreated for too long, these symptoms could develop further. Eventually, the user could have permanent brain damage, fall into a coma, or die.

There is, however, hope for those who overdose.

There is a drug called Naloxone that can aid in reversing a heroin overdose. Naloxone comes as both a nasal spray and an injectable shot. You can get Naloxone at some pharmacies without a prescription. It’s a good thing to have on hand if you or someone you know regularly uses heroin.

If you think someone has overdosed, administer Naloxone immediately. Then, call 911. Naloxone can temporarily help someone who has overdosed on heroin, but it is not a final solution. You should call emergency personnel to attend to the user as soon as possible. The results of naloxone won’t last forever.

Naloxone can be so important and life-saving. Even the U.S. surgeon general issued this statement about the drug as an official advisory:

“I, Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, VADM Jerome Adams, am emphasizing the importance of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. For patients currently taking high doses of opioids as prescribed for pain, individuals misusing prescription opioids, individuals using illicit opioids such as heroin or fentanyl, health care practitioners, family and friends of people who have an opioid use disorder, and community members who come into contact with people at risk for opioid overdose, knowing how to use naloxone and keeping it within reach can save a life.”

While knowing what heroin detox and withdrawal symptoms look like is definitely important, most people undergoing detox or withdrawal have one specific question: how long does it take to detox from heroin?

Well, there’s no clear and specific answer to this question. It may not be the response you’re looking for, but heroin detox rarely follows the exact same timeline from person to person.

Instead, the length of heroin detox can vary greatly from person to person, depending on many different factors. Some of the factors that affect how long withdrawal symptoms last include:

• The age of the drug addict
• How long heroin has been used
• How much heroin was used on a regular basis
• The general health of the person taking heroin

In other words, there is no exact number of days that heroin detox and withdrawal will last. Because of this, answering how long heroin detox takes is not necessarily straightforward. Neither the duration nor the intensity of heroin detox can be predicted exactly. However, detox professionals can provide a timeline of the average detox and withdrawal process for those using heroin. It’s simply important to keep in mind that this timeline is only approximate, and will be different for different users.

The most basic timeline can be broken down into two separate steps:

• Heroin withdrawal symptoms are experienced roughly 6-12 hours after last use of the drug.
• Withdrawal symptoms (to varying degrees) can last anywhere from four to ten days.

More specifically, those suffering from heroin addiction will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms just a few hours after last taking the drug. At first, these symptoms are mild. Withdrawal symptoms for heroin detox peak in the second or third day - meaning it will take at least a couple of days for an individual in recovery to experience the full force of the negative effects of the drug leaving the body. This will likely be the most challenging part of recovery.

The more specifically a user’s addiction history is known, the more detailed the withdrawal timeline can be. Someone who has been dependent on heroin for just a short time may recover in a few days; in contrast, someone who has suffered from long-term addiction to heroin will take closer to two weeks to fully overcome the withdrawal symptoms. In general, heroin detox and withdrawal follows this loose timeline:

• Day 1 & 2: The individual will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms within the first 12 hours after use. The aches, pains and flu symptoms will likely increase over the course of two days.
• Day 3: Heroin withdrawal symptoms tend to peak on or around the third day of detox, though do not disappear immediately after.
• Day 4-6: In the days following this peak, withdrawal symptoms will not have disappeared altogether. The individual will probably continue to experience a great deal of discomfort. At this stage it is crucial to maintain healthy eating habits and to maintain a strong support network to avoid relapse.
• Day 6 and onward: At some point after the sixth day, symptoms will recede for most people. Some individuals may continue to have difficulty with building up an appetite or getting good sleep, but the majority of flu-like symptoms will disappear altogether.

Heroin is known as a short-acting opioid. This means that the effects of the drug come on quickly, but the negative impact of the drug also tends to disappear more quickly. This is because heroin leaves the bloodstream quickly in comparison to other drugs. This means that withdrawal from heroin is, on average, much shorter than withdrawal from other drugs - even other opioids. This should be encouraging if you’re looking down the road to recovery from heroin addiction.

Here, we’d like to make note of the difference between heroin detox and the time frame in which one can expect to experience withdrawal symptoms. Most cases of addiction follow the patterns already described above. This is called acute withdrawal, though most people would simply call it withdrawal.

In contrast, some individuals experience protracted withdrawal. This simply means that an individual suffering from a substance use disorder continues to experience the signs and symptoms of withdrawal for longer than would be expected given the normal timeline. Protracted withdrawal tends to include all of the usual symptoms, but can include extra symptoms as well. These symptoms can sometimes seem completely unrelated to heroin withdrawal.

For example, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notes that some individuals in recovery for heroin addiction show issues in executive control functions (such as controlling impulses and problem solving). Only a minority of those in treatment for heroin dependence experiences protracted withdrawal. Still others will see some of the same withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin detox months after the initial detox stage. This does not happen often, but it is important to have the expectation that it is possible.

These types of withdrawal make clear the fact that recovery isn’t the same for any two addicts.

There is no question that heroin detox is a difficult and uncomfortable process. The symptoms of heroin withdrawal can feel like too much . So how can heroin detox and withdrawal be managed in a way that keeps recovery within reach? Is recovery from heroin addiction even worth it? Here, we provide some practical steps towards making the recovery process easier:

• Get Support: Whether from friends and family or a professional treatment program, it is important to surround yourself with people that can support you through this process.
• Set Your Expectations: Be sure to ask questions about what heroin detox looks like. Being prepared for what you will experience can be extremely helpful in getting you through the symptoms. The medical professionals at your detox facility should be willing and able to answer any questions you may have.
• Celebrate: Getting through days of detox can be grueling. With those around you, celebrate as you reach each new milestone of detoxification - and get that much closer to recovery.

There is no magic solution when it comes to overcoming the symptoms of heroin withdrawal. However, following strategies outlined above can start you out on the right path. Engaging with these tips and finding professional help will ease the transition through one of the most difficult stages of the recovery process.

Doctors also choose to help ease withdrawal sometimes with medications. This process is known as medicated detox, and is available at many different detox treatment facilities. Medications are often used during the detox process for any of three purposes:

• To ease the symptoms of heroin withdrawal
• To block the effects of the drug or otherwise make a relapse less likely
• To treat co-occurring disorders (such as anxiety) that could make a relapse more likely.

The symptoms of heroin withdrawal are both uncomfortable and dangerous. Many can cause true health risks, and others just make it increasingly likely that the user will relapse rather than experience the symptoms.

Many common medications are used for this purpose during heroin withdrawal. They can serve as a sedative, so that all physical symptoms seem decreased, or work directly against specific symptoms, such as stomach sickness or aching muscles.

It’s important that, if medications will be used during withdrawal, they are selected by a true  medical professional. Otherwise, these drugs may cause an adverse reaction or mix poorly with the heroin still in the user’s system.

Other drugs used during recovery are those that can decrease cravings for heroin. These usually work by altering brain chemistry so that some other substance is replacing the heroine, and can slowly be taken away.

Sometimes, these drugs are even weaker opioids. These weaker opioids replace heroin in the brain and body and are then slowly tapered down. They are safer than heroin itself, despite having the same base ingredient and causing the same reactions in the brain.

Many times, addiction isn’t the only condition that requires treatment. If a user first began to use heroin to treat mental illness or other disorders, those same conditions may make the withdrawal process more difficult.

For example, many people experience extreme anxiety with going through heroin withdrawal. This may be increased if they already have anxiety. Tailoring this individual’s treatment specifically to keep anxiety in mind can help recovery go more smoothly. This is why it’s important to tell your doctor or other medical professional if you know of any co-occurring disorders.

There are four medications specifically that are often used during treatment for heroin addiction. There is always a chance that a doctor will choose to use other drugs as well, but these four are the most commonly used in this process. They include:

• Methadone. Methadone is also an opioid drug, but it is legal and significantly safer than heroin. Often, methadone is given in place of heroin, taking the heroin’s place in the mind and body to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Then, the amount of methadone administered is slowly decreased over time. Methadone is not as strong as heroine, so it decreases the cravings and lessens withdrawal symptoms.
• Buprenorphine. Buprenorphine works by blocking some of the parts of the brain that heroin would usually trigger. That way, the brain believes it has received heroin even when it hasn’t. This causes fewer withdrawal symptoms, or even stop them from occurring altogether. Buprenorphine is not a full opioid like methadone, so it’s less likely that a patient will become addicted. For this reason, many medical professionals prefer it.
• Clonidine. Clonidine isn’t an opioid at all, but is still used in treatment. Usually, Clonidine is known as a medication that reduces high blood pressure. Additionally, though, Clonidine can act as a sedative. This can decrease the overall effect of the withdrawal symptoms, making it easier to resist using.
• Naltrexone. Naltrexone isn’t often used during detox, but is often used after. Naltrexone works in the brain to block the effects of heroin. This means that, when taking Naltrexone, you couldn’t get high even if you did relapse and use heroin. The medication can be ingested or injected, and is often given regularly to recovering patients who are at high risk for a relapse. The idea is that if they can’t get high, they have no reason to use in the first place.