Heroin withdrawal symptoms have been famously dramatized in many films and television series, making them familiar to many people. While not usually life-threatening, withdrawal from heroin and other opiates can be painful and unpleasant, which makes it challenging for people to shake their drug dependencies. There are a number of techniques which can be used to manage heroin withdrawal, including long-term care for ex-addicts which is designed to prevent them from returning to heroin use.
Symptoms of heroin withdrawal can set in as quickly as a few hours after the last dose of the drug, and they usually peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose. Within a week, withdrawals should have subsided, although the patient may experience some residual weakness and pain. While the patient's physical dependency on the drug may be over at this point, he or she usually still has a psychological dependency, thanks to the fact that the drug fundamentally alters brain chemistry.
Common heroin withdrawal symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, a runny nose, goosebumps, sweating, tears, insomnia, aches and pains in the muscles and joints, extreme restlessness, yawning, abdominal cramps, and dilated pupils. Many patients also experience psychological symptoms including anxiety and depression, with severe cravings for the drug. They can also develop muscle spasms in the legs which cause them to kick.
Because cravings for heroin can become intense during heroin detoxification, many drug dependency specialists recommend that people have company while they are trying to kick a heroin habit. Clinics and hospitals are available for people who would prefer close medical supervision, and these sites have an added benefit of taking the addict out of his or her normal environment, which can make cravings less intense. These sites also offer more treatment options for heroin withdrawal symptoms.
Medications can be used to manage heroin withdrawal symptoms, increasing patient comfort. These include anti-anxiety drugs, drugs to address muscle aches and spasms, anti-nausea drugs, and other medications to address individual symptoms. Medical treatment is usually paired with psychological and behavioral therapy which is designed to support the addict through the withdrawal process.
Every patient is different, which means that not all people experience the same heroin withdrawal symptoms, and techniques which help one addict quit may not work for another. Seeing a specialist can help someone create an effective treatment program which will increase the chance of success. Many specialists stress that addictions can only be managed and treated, not cured, as a reminder that addiction is a life long problem which doesn't end with the cessation of drug use.