What are the short term effects of heroin use? Soon after injection (or inhalation), heroin crosses the blood-brain barrier. In the brain, heroin is converted to morphine and binds rapidly to opioid receptors. Abusers typically report feeling a surge of pleasurable sensation, a "rush." The intensity of the rush is a function of how much drug is taken and how rapidly the drug enters the brain and binds to the natural opioid receptors. Heroin is particularly addictive because it enters the brain so rapidly. With heroin, the rush is usually accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities, which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and severe itching. After the initial effects, abusers usually will be drowsy for several hours. Mental function is clouded by heroin's effect on the central nervous system. Cardiac function slows. Breathing is also severely slowed, sometimes to the point of death. Heroin overdose is a particular risk on the street, where the amount and purity of the drug cannot be accurately known. What are the long term effects of heroin use? One of the most detrimental long-term effects of heroin is addiction itself.
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain. Heroin also produces profound degrees of tolerance and physical dependence, which are also powerful motivating factors for compulsive use and abuse. As with abusers of any addictive drug, heroin abusers gradually spend more and more time and energy obtaining and using the drug. Once they are addicted, the heroin abusers' primary purpose in life becomes seeking and using drugs. The drugs literally change their brains.
Physical dependence develops with higher doses of the drug. With physical dependence, the body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced abruptly. Withdrawal may occur within a few hours after the last time the drug is taken. Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), and leg movements. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 24 and 48 hours after the last dose of heroin and subside after about a week. However, some people have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months. Heroin withdrawal is never fatal to otherwise healthy adults, but it can cause death to the fetus of a pregnant addict.
At some point during continuous heroin use, a person can become addicted to the drug. Sometimes addicted individuals will endure many of the withdrawal symptoms to reduce their tolerance for the drug so that they can again experience the rush.
Physical dependence and the emergence of withdrawal symptoms were once believed to be the key features of heroin addiction. We now know this may not be the case entirely, since craving and relapse can occur weeks and months after withdrawal symptoms are long gone. We also know that patients with chronic pain who need opiates to function (sometimes over extended periods) have few if any problems leaving opiates after their pain is resolved by other means. This may be because the patient in pain is simply seeking relief of pain and not the rush sought by the addict.
What are the medical complications of chronic heroin use? Medical consequences of chronic heroin abuse include scarred and/or collapsed veins, bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves, abscesses (boils) and other soft-tissue infections, and liver or kidney disease. Lung complications (including various types of pneumonia and tuberculosis) may result from the poor health condition of the abuser as well as from heroin's depressing effects on respiration. Many of the additives in street heroin may include substances that do not readily dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs. Immune reactions to these or other contaminants can cause arthritis or other rheumatologic problems.
Of course, sharing of injection equipment or fluids can lead to some of the most severe consequences of heroin abuse-infections with hepatitis B and C, HIV, and a host of other blood-borne viruses, which drug abusers can then pass on to their sexual partners and children.
What are the treatments for heroin addiction? A variety of effective treatments are available for heroin addiction. Treatment tends to be more effective when heroin abuse is identified early. The treatments that follow vary depending on the individual, but methadone, a synthetic opiate that blocks the effects of heroin and eliminates withdrawal symptoms, has a proven record of success for people addicted to heroin. Other pharmaceutical approaches, like LAAM (levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol) and buprenorphine, and many behavioral therapies also are used for treating heroin addiction.
Detoxification
The primary objective of detoxification is to relieve withdrawal symptoms while patients adjust to a drug-free state. Not in itself a treatment for addiction, detoxification is a useful step only when it leads into long-term treatment that is either drug-free (residential or outpatient) or uses medications as part of the treatment. The best documented drug-free treatments are the therapeutic community residential programs lasting at least 3 to 6 months.
Methadone programs
Methadone treatment has been used effectively and safely to treat opioid addiction for more than 30 years. Properly prescribed methadone is not intoxicating or sedating, and its effects do not interfere with ordinary activities such as driving a car. The medication is taken orally and it suppresses narcotic withdrawal for 24 to 36 hours. Patients are able to perceive pain and have emotional reactions. Most important, methadone relieves the craving associated with heroin addiction; craving is a major reason for relapse. Among methadone patients, it has been found that normal street doses of heroin are ineffective at producing euphoria, thus making the use of heroin more easily extinguishable.
Methadone's effects last for about 24 hours - four to six times as long as those of heroin - so people in treatment need to take it only once a day. Also, methadone is medically safe even when used continuously for 10 years or more. Combined with behavioral therapies or counseling and other supportive services, methadone enables patients to stop using heroin (and other opiates) and return to more stable and productive lives.
Methadone dosages must be carefully monitored in patients who are receiving antiviral therapy for HIV infection, to avoid potential medication interactions.
LAAM and other medications
LAAM, like methadone, is a synthetic opiate that can be used to treat heroin addiction. LAAM can block the effects of heroin for up to 72 hours with minimal side effects when taken orally. In 1993 the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of LAAM for treating patients addicted to heroin. Its long duration of action permits dosing just three times per week, thereby eliminating the need for daily dosing and take-home doses for weekends. LAAM will be increasingly available in clinics that already dispense methadone. Naloxone and naltrexone are medications that also block the effects of morphine, heroin, and other opiates. As antagonists, they are especially useful as antidotes. Naltrexone has long-lasting effects, ranging from 1 to 3 days, depending on the dose. Naltrexone blocks the pleasurable effects of heroin and is useful in treating some highly motivated individuals. Naltrexone has also been found to be successful in preventing relapse by former opiate addicts released from prison on probation.
Another medication to treat heroin addiction, buprenorphine, may already be available by the time this Research Report appears. Buprenorphine is a particularly attractive treatment because, compared to other medications, such as methadone, it causes weaker opiate effects and is less likely to cause overdose problems. Buprenorphine also produces a lower level of physical dependence, so patients who discontinue the medication generally have fewer withdrawal symptoms than do those who stop taking methadone. Because of these advantages, buprenorphine may be appropriate for use in a wider variety of treatment settings than the currently available medications. Several other medications with potential for treating heroin overdose or addiction are currently under investigation by NIDA.
Behavioral therapies
Although behavioral and pharmacologic treatments can be extremely useful when employed alone, science has taught us that integrating both types of treatments will ultimately be the most effective approach. There are many effective behavioral treatments available for heroin addiction. These can include residential and outpatient approaches. An important task is to match the best treatment approach to meet the particular needs of the patient. Moreover, several new behavioral therapies, such as contingency management therapy and cognitive-behavioral interventions, show particular promise as treatments for heroin addiction. Contingency management therapy uses a voucher-based system, where patients earn ÒpointsÓ based on negative drug tests, which they can exchange for items that encourage healthy living. Cognitive-behavioral interventions are designed to help modify the patient's thinking, expectancies, and behaviors and to increase skills in coping with various life stressors. Both behavioral and pharmacological treatments help to restore a degree of normalcy to brain function and behavior, with increased employment rates and lower risk of HIV and other diseases and criminal behavior.
Slang Terms for Heroin? A-bomb marijuana and heroin smoked in cigarette
a la canona abrupt ("cold turkey") withdrawal from heroin
baby minor heroin habit
belly habit heroin addiction resulting in stomach symptoms
black tar heroin potent heroin from Mexico
blue velvet combination of elixir terpin hydrate with codeine and tripelennamine (as weak heroin substitute)
blue velvet combination of paregoric and PBZ (pyribenzamine or tripelennamine) used as a weak heroin substitute
brother heroin
chasing the dragon inhaling vapors of heroin or cocaine heated on tin foil
chicken shit habit small heroin habit, usually not addicted
chick heroin
China white very pure form of heroin, alternately a fentanyl analog used as a heroin substitute
cotton shooter desperate addict who injects the residue from cotton used to filter heroin
daytime high on drugs, especially heroin
dip and dab experiment, especially with heroin
do up inject a drug, especially heroin
evening onset of heroin withdrawal (start of night time)
firing the ack ack gun technique for smoking heroin by dipping tip of a tobacco cigarette in heroin (Asian slang)
floating high on a drug, especially heroin
fluff filtering heroin or cocaine through cloth (often a stocking) to increase its apparent bulk
goods any drug, especially heroin
good sick nausea following heroin injection
Harry Jones heroin
heavy stuff heroin or cocaine
Judas heroin (a friend that betrays you)
King Kong major heroin habit
man heroin; drug dealer; the police
Mister Brownstone hashish, brown heroin
monkey on one's back addiction to a drug, especially heroin or opium
night time heroin withdrawal
Nixon low potency heroin
partying using a drug, especially heroin; getting drunk
people, the high level heroin distributors
pineapple heroin and Ritalin or amphetamine
poison people heroin addicts
poor man's speedball heroin and methamphetamine combo
red chicken Chinese heroin
schmack heroin
schmeck heroin
schmecker heroin user
score price of a bundle of drugs, especially heroin
used as a heroin substitute
shit heroin
sleepwalker heroin addict
speedball injection of heroin and cocaine mixture
speedball artist one who injects heroin and cocaine mixture
super flu heroin withdrawal symptoms
take off artists heroin addicts who rob other addicts to get drugs
taking care of business heroin addicts life and actions on the street
tapping the bags when dealers remove small amounts of heroin from a bag before selling it, thus short weighting the buyer
tecata heroin
ten cent pistol heroin dose laced with poison
T's and Blues Talwin (pentazocine) and PBZ (pyribenzamine) used as a heroin substitute
T's and B's Talwin (pentazocine) and PBZ (pyribenzamine) used as a heroin substitute
tease and bees Talwin (pentazocine) and PBZ (pyribenzamine) used as a heroin substitute
tease and blues Talwin (pentazocine) and PBZ (pyribenzamine) used as a heroin substitute
tease and pies Talwin (pentazocine) and PBZ (pyribenzamine) used as a heroin substitute
teddies and bettys Talwin (pentazocine) and PBZ (pyribenzamine) used as a heroin substitute
tops and bottoms Talwin (pentazocine) and PBZ (pyribenzamine) used as a heroin substitute
tricycles and bicycles Talwin (pentazocine) and PBZ (pyribenzamine) used as a heroin substitute
wired intoxicated on amphetamines; addicted to heroin
AIP heroin from Afghanistan, Iran, & Pakistan
Antifreeze heroin
Aries heroin
Atom bomb marijuana and heroin
Aunt Hazel heroin
Back to back smoking crack after injecting heroin or heroin used after smoking crack
Bad bundle inferior quality heroin
Bad seed peyote; heroin; marijuana
Balloon heroin supplier
Ballot heroin
Belushi cocaine and heroin
Big bag heroin
Big H heroin
Big Harry heroin
Bindle small packet of drug powder; heroin
Birdie powder heroin; cocaine
Black pearl heroin
Black stuff heroin
Black tar heroin
Blanco heroin
Bomb crack; heroin; large marijuana cigarette;
high potency heroin
Bombido injectable amphetamine; heroin; depressant
Bombita amphetamine; heroin; depressant
Bombs away heroin
Bonita heroin
Boy heroin
Bozo heroin
Brick gum heroin
Brown heroin; marijuana
Brown crystal heroin
Brown rhine heroin
Brown sugar heroin
Bundle heroin
Butu heroin
Caballo heroin
Caca heroin
Capital H heroin
Caps heroin; psilocybin/psilocin
Carga heroin
Carne heroin
Channel swimmer one who injects heroin
Charley heroin
Chasing the dragon crack and heroin
Chasing the tiger to smoke heroin
Chicle heroin
Chieva heroin
China cat high potency heroin
Chinese red heroin
Chip heroin
Chucks hunger following withdrawal from heroin
Cigarette paper packet of heroin
Climax crack; isobutyl nitrite; heroin
Cook mix heroin with water; heating heroin to prepare it for injection
Cook down process in which users liquify heroin in order to inhale it
Cotics heroin
Cotton brothers cocaine, heroin and morphine
Courage pills heroin; depressant
Crap/crop low quality heroin
Crown crap heroin
Cura heroin
Cut-deck heroin mixed with powdered milk
Dead on arrival heroin
Deck 1 to 15 grams of heroin, also known as a bag;
Deuce $2 worth of drugs; heroin
Dime's worth amount of heroin to cause death
Dirt heroin
Dog food heroin
Dogie heroin
Doogie/doojee/dugie heroin
Dooley heroin
Dope heroin; marijuana; any other drug
Dreck heroin
Duji heroin
Dust heroin; cocaine; PCP; marijuana mixed with various chemicals
Dusting adding PCP, heroin, or another drug to marijuana
Dynamite heroin and cocaine
Dyno heroin
Dyno-pure heroin
Eightball crack and heroin
Eighth heroin
El diablito marijuana, cocaine, heroin and PCP
El diablo marijuana, cocaine and heroin
Estuffa heroin
Ferry dust heroin
Flamethrowers cigarette laced with cocaine and heroin
Flea powder low purity heroin
Foo foo stuff heroin; cocaine
Foolish powder heroin; cocaine
Frisco special cocaine, heroin and LSD
Frisco speedball cocaine, heroin and LSD
Galloping horse heroin
Gamot heroin
Gato heroin
George smack heroin
Girl cocaine; crack; heroin
Give wings inject someone or teach someone to inject heroin
Glacines heroin
Golden girl heroin
Golpe heroin
Goma opium; black tar heroin
Good and plenty heroin
Good H heroin
Goofball cocaine and heroin; depressant
Gravy to inject a drug; heroin
H heroin
H & C heroin and cocaine
H Caps heroin
Hache heroin
Hairy heroin
Half load 15 bags (decks) of heroin
Half piece 1/2 ounce of heroin or cocaine
Hard candy heroin
Hard stuff opium; heroin
Harry heroin
Hazel heroin
Heaven dust heroin; cocaine
Helen heroin
Hell dust heroin
Henry heroin
Hero heroin
Hero of the underworld heroin
Heroina heroin
Herone heroin
Hessle heroin
Him heroin
Hombre heroin
Hong-yen heroin in pill form
Horning heroin; to inhale cocaine
Horse heroin
Hot dope heroin
Hot heroin poisoned to give to a police informant
HRN heroin
Hype heroin addict; an addict
Isda heroin
Jee gee heroin
Jive heroin; marijuana; drugs
Jive doo jee heroin
Jojee heroin
Jolly pop casual user of heroin
Jones heroin
Joy flakes heroin
Joy powder heroin; cocaine
Junk cocaine; heroin
Kabayo heroin
Karachi heroin
LBJ LSD; PCP; heroin
Lemonade heroin; poor quality drugs
Little bomb amphetamine; heroin; depressant
Load 25 bags of heroin
Matsakow heroin
Mayo cocaine; heroin
Mexican brown heroin; marijuana
Mexican horse heroin
Mexican mud heroin
Mojo cocaine; heroin
Moonrock crack and heroin
Morotgara heroin
Mortal combat high potency heroin
Mud opium; heroin
Murder one heroin and cocaine
Muzzle heroin
Nanoo heroin
New Jack Swing heroin and morphine
Nice and easy heroin
Nickel bag $5 worth of drugs; heroin
Nickel deck heroin
Nod effects of heroin
Noise heroin
Nose heroin
Nose drops liquified heroin
Number 3 cocaine, heroin
Number 4 heroin
Number 8 heroin
Ogoy heroin
Oil heroin, PCP
Old Steve heroin
P-dope 20-30% pure heroin
P-funk heroin; crack and PCP
Pack -heroin; marijuana
Pangonadalot -heroin
Paper boy - heroin peddler
Parachute - crack and PCP smoked; heroin
Peg- heroin
Perfect High -heroin
Poison -heroin; fentanyl
Polvo -heroin; PCP
Poppy - heroin
Powder heroin; amphetamine
Primos cigarettes laced with cocaine and heroin
Pulborn - heroin
Pure -heroin
Quill - methamphetamine; heroin; cocaine
Racehorse charlie - cocaine; heroin
Ragweed - inferior quality marijuana; heroin
Rambo - heroin
Rane cocaine; heroin
Ready rock cocaine; crack; heroin
Red chicken heroin
Red eagle - heroin
Reindeer dust - heroin
Rhine - heroin
Sack- heroin
Salt -heroin
Sandwich- two layers of cocaine with a layer of heroin
Scag- heroin
Scat -heroin
Scate - heroin
Scott - heroin
Shmeck/schmeek heroin
Skid -heroin
Sleeper heroin; depressant
Slime - heroin
Smack - heroin
Smoke heroin and crack; crack; marijuana
Smoking gun - heroin and cocaine
Snow cocaine; heroin; amphetamine
Snowball -cocaine and heroin
Speedball - heroin and cocaine; amphetamine
Spider blue - heroin
Spoon - 1/16 ounce of heroin;paraphernalia used to prepare heroin for injection
Stuff - heroin
Sugar cocaine; LSD; heroin
Sweet Jesus - heroin
Sweet stuff- heroin; cocaine
T.N.T. heroin; fentanyl
Tar - opium; heroin
Taste heroin; small sample of drugs
Tecate -heroin
Tecatos - Hispanic heroin addicts
The beast - heroin
The witch - heroin
Thing heroin; cocaine; main drug interest at the moment
Tootsie roll -heroin
Whack -PCP and heroin
White boy heroin
White girl- cocaine; heroin
White junk -heroin
White lady -cocaine; heroin
White nurse - heroin
White stuff - heroin
Whiz bang - cocaine and heroin
Wings heroin; cocaine
Witch heroin; cocaine
Witch hazel - heroin
Z -1 ounce of heroin
red rum potent form of heroin (murder spelled backward)
black tootsie roll -black tar heroin
white horse- Heroin
cheva -heroin
chiva- heroin
Sarah and Tecoa are 25-year-old twin sisters who had a normal childhood until their mom and stepfather divorced, and their world changed forever. Sarah and Tecoa say to fill the void, they turned to drugs and sex. Now, Sarah lives minute to minute on the streets, consumed with her quest for heroin and crack cocaine, and selling her body to pay for her drugs. Tecoa is currently clean, but not by choice. She’s been in jail, unable to do anything but think about drugs. She’s also six months pregnant. Joani, a former Dr. Phil guest and recovering addict herself, found Sarah on the streets and documented her days and nights for a month. Dr. Phil shows video footage to the twins’ mother, Cindy. How did she let her daughters’ lives get so out of control? Dr. Phil gets the twins off the street and into The Dr. Phil House to detox, and to get their lives back. With surprise visits from their past, a terrifying look into their future, and Dr. Phil helping them through it all, will Sarah and Tecoa commit to rehab and stay clean? Talk about the show here.
