How do people withdraw from heroin?

Answer 1

Erm starts with pains all over the body, you start vomiting blood and hallucinate( a friend told me he started hallucinating rats eating his flesh and guts ) and yea the psychological cravings kick in ..but thats the hardcore extreme (its not always like that)

Answer 2

First of all, opiates act on the "mu-opioid" receptors in the brain; plugging into the receptor and activating it (i.e., it is a mu-opioid agonist), this provides pain relief and also euphoria--or the "high". Therefore, the only drug that will completely resolve or prevent heroin withdrawal is another opioid or opiate: either heroin itself (which is merely diacetyl-morphine, w/ heroin's chemistry differing only slightly from morphine; it just penetrates the brain more quickly than morphine, this providing a "rush"); morphine; oxycodone; hydrocodone; etc.

Although, if tolerance is high enough, less potent opiates like hydrocodone or codeine or propoxyphene (darvocet) will cause less relief & withdrawal prevention. Thus, withdrawal may still be experienced unless higher doses are used w/ these drugs. This is because during continuous heroin use, the brain reduces production of endogenous (or "internal") endorphins, because the brain is always trying to create an "equilibrium" in neurotransmitter levels. So when heroin--or any other opiate--is abruptly discontinued, or significantly lower doses are used (or less potent opiates are used) the withdrawal syndrome occurs because natural endorphin levels are not high enough to adequately "plug-into" mu-opioid receptors, knocking the brain's chemistry level in the opioidergic system out of "equilibrium".

Typical medical treatment is to switch the user to longer acting opiates like methadone or buprenorphine (suboxone) and gradually reducing the dose. The longer action of these drugs makes withdrawal during reduction of dose less significant and gives time for natural endorphins to adapt to the decreased intake of opiates, returning to their natural levels.

Other non-opiate drugs are sometimes used (either alone or in conjunction with methadone or buprenorphine), but these are merely to help with specific symptoms of opiate/heroin withdrawal. And as such, these drugs will not fully "prevent" withdrawal; but merely just provide specific symptomatic relief. Such drugs usually include: benzodiazepines for anxiety, insomnia, dysphoria, & to a lesser extent to assist in relieving cravings (usually diazepam/valium or clonazepam/klonopin) and clonidine for hypertension.

NOTE:

After cessation of heroin use, it usually takes anywhere from 5-20 days for endogenous endorphins to return to natural levels (i.e., when the user starts to feel "normal" again); this depends upon the length/duration, dosage, and frequency of use. In a minority of cases PAWS (post-acute-withdrawal syndrome) may occur. This typically occurs in longtime users of heroin or other opiates at higher dosages. PAWS can last anywhere from 6 months to 10 years after cessation of opiate use, usually including the following symptoms: anxiety, insomnia, continuous cravings, depression, and other psychological/mental disorders.

Answer 3

Methadone