Information on Heroin detox in Canada

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Heroin is a highly addictive synthetic opiate, and is made from morphine, a naturally occurring substance from the poppy plant.  Heroin usually appears as a brown or white powder, or as a back sticky substance, known as black tar heroin.  Heroin can be used by injecting it, smoking it, or snorting it.  All of these methods of use can immediately lead to a person being addicted to the drug.   When heroin enters the body it is turned into morphine and immediately starts effecting specific parts of the brain.  More specifically it can affect the parts of the brain that control breathing, blood pressure, and arousal.  An overdose involves the suppression of respiration. That is why there are detox centers that can take care of a heroin addict.

 

Adverse Side effects of Heroin

Heroin can be associated with many different serious health problems, which is what makes the withdrawal and detox from heroin so difficult.  People who inject the drug are very likely to contract infectious disease, such as HIV, Aids, or Hepatitis C.  Chronic users can develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, and pneumonia.  Street heroin often contains toxic contaminants or additives that can clog blood vessels leading to permanent damage to vital organs.

Chronic use of heroin will lead to a physical dependence and tolerance to the drug, which will lead to severe withdrawal symptoms.  These detox symptoms can take effect within a few hours of the users last use.  The following symptoms can take place:

  • restlessness
  • muscle and bone pain
  • insomnia
  • diarrhea
  • vomiting
  • cold flashes
  • involuntary muscle spasms

The majority of these detox symptoms will peak at about 48 to 72 hours after the last dose.  A heroin detox can typically last about one week, depending on the individual’s tolerance and amount being used.  Heroin detox is not as life threatening as alcohol or barbiturate detox, but a person in poor health who drastically stops using heroin can be at risk of death.

Detox Methods

Heroin detox is typically medically supervised and assisted, depending on the severity of the individual’s use.  Medications such as Clonidine and now Buprenorphine can be used to help assist with a heroin detox.  This of course is normally the first step to get a person detoxed off of heroin.  The next step is going to a drug rehabilitation center.

 

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