The effects of heroin wear off rapidly since it is a short-acting opioid. This leaves the addict feeling dope sick within hours of using the drug. After the person uses their last dose of the opioid, they will experience heroin withdrawal symptoms within a matter of six to twelve hours. They can experience these symptoms anywhere from five to seven days.
Symptoms Experienced During Detox from Heroin
While detoxing from heroin, one can experience the following heroin withdrawal symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Chills
- Low mood
- Sleepissues
- Runny nose
- Excessive sweating
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Watery eyes
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Muscle tension
- Cramping
These withdrawal symptoms are known as the acute phase. The heroin withdrawal timeline can be followed by a prolonged withdrawal phase that can last for weeks or even months. The symptoms that can be experienced in the prolonged phase include:
- Emotional numbness
- Fatigue
- Cravings for heroin
- Irritability
Using heroin begins to seem appealing to the addict when strong cravings and consistent low moods making living a sober life extremely hard. Relapsing is a huge risk during sobriety. This relapse can turn fatal since your tolerance has decreased. If a recovering addict goes back to using the same amount of heroin as they did before detox, it can kill them the first time. For this reason, it is very important to establish patient care with a therapist or enter a facility during or even after you detox from heroin.
A structured detox program in a professional setting can be a great option for anyone trying to beat heroin addiction, especially if they haven’t been successful in the past. After detox, either an outpatient or inpatient treatment program can help an individual stay on track and equip them with heroin withdrawal tips. This helps the recovering addict to avoid relapse and remain sober for the long-term.
Heroin Detox Help
When undergoing withdrawal from heroin, you may be able to find some sort of comfort, but it will be extremely difficult to do it on your own. Your best option is to detox medically.
Medical detox can keep you comfortable, hydrated and safe. While detoxing, you will be under medical supervision if an adverse medical event occurs. These events will be able to be addressed immediately. An inpatient facility offers the absolute safest option for heroin detox help. While you can detox medically in an outpatient center and still be monitored by a doctor, your chances of relapsing are higher. If you want to avoid the use of medical detox and your withdrawal symptoms don’t seem to be that severe, you may be interested in a social detox. This is a nonmedical approach in an inpatient environment.
You can choose inpatient or outpatient treatment based on yourindividual situation and habits. Contact our team today for help choosing the right detox program.