Heroin withdrawal symptoms can be managed with medical treatment and psychological therapy. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, anxiety, and depression. Long-term care is recommended to prevent relapse. Addiction is a lifelong problem that requires individualized treatment.
Heroin withdrawal symptoms have famously been dramatized in many movies and television series, making them familiar to many people. While usually not life-threatening, withdrawal from heroin and other opioids can be painful and unpleasant, making it difficult for people to shake their drug addiction. There are a number of techniques that 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.
Heroin withdrawal symptoms can occur as early as a few hours after the last dose of the drug and usually peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose. Within a week, the interruptions should have diminished, although the patient may experience some residual weakness and pain. While the patient’s physical dependence on the drug may have ended by this point, they usually still have a psychological dependence, thanks to the fact that the drug fundamentally alters brain chemistry.
Common heroin withdrawal symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, runny nose, goosebumps, sweating, tears, insomnia, muscle and joint pain, extreme restlessness, yawning, abdominal cramps, and dilated pupils. Many patients also experience psychological symptoms including anxiety and depression, with cravings for the drug. They may also develop muscle spasms in their legs that cause them to kick.
Because the craving for heroin can become intense during heroin detox, many addiction specialists recommend that people have company as they try to kick a heroin habit. Clinics and hospitals are available for people who would prefer close medical supervision, and these sites have the added benefit of taking the addict out of their normal environment, which can make cravings less intense. These sites also offer more treatment options for heroin withdrawal symptoms.
The drugs can be used to manage heroin withdrawal symptoms, increasing patient comfort. These include anti-anxiety medications, medications to address muscle aches and spasms, anti-nausea medications, and other medications to address individual symptoms. Medical treatment is usually paired with psychological and behavioral therapy 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 the techniques that help one addict quit may not work for another. Seeing a specialist can help someone create an effective treatment program that will increase the chances of success. Many specialists emphasize that addictions can be managed and treated, not cured, as a reminder that addiction is a lifelong problem that does not end with cessation of drug use.
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