Heroin Detox & Withdrawal

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Heroin Detox & Withdrawal

Heroin detoxification is the guided process of removing all remnants of heroin from the body. Because heroin is such a powerful and addictive drug when people detox off of it, there are various unpleasant and even dangerous symptoms.

Detox it is the first practical step towards recovery for an addict. Whether they are trying to recover in a treatment centre or by themselves at home – both with the guidance and care of a doctor or other professional – detoxification is an essential step towards rehabilitation.

Heroin Detox Centres

A heroin detox centre is a place available to addicts where they can recover and eliminate heroin from the body. At each of our centres, there are generally doctors and various other trained professionals to help someone through the process as comfortably and safely as possible.

There are lots of options out there for people looking to detox off heroin. Some centres specialise in heroin specifically, and others are detox facilities for various drugs and addictions. At Rehab Recovery, we have decades of experience in the rehabilitation process and we believe that entering a centre is the safest way to detox from heroin.

What Happens During Drug Detox

During detox, a person will experience various withdrawal symptoms such as agitation, muscle aches, hot or cold flashes, and nausea. Most of these symptoms are uncomfortable but not dangerous when there is a medical professional observing and keeping track of vitals and how the person is doing overall.

How the detox goes depends a lot on the nature of the addiction. Generally, an addict can expect heroin withdrawal to be shorter, yet more intense than the withdrawal experience for other drugs. The detoxification process is usually very individualized and carefully planned by a doctor or team of professionals.

Types of Heroin Detox

There are two main types of heroin detox processes that we offer to our patients. These include:

1. Inpatient

Inpatient detox is when a person goes and stays at a care facility or rehab centre. Here they will be cared for and monitored by a team of people, including doctors, nurses, and therapists, twenty-four hours a day.

Often a person will stay at the facility until after the detox symptoms have stopped so they can learn how to cope and prevent relapse to heroin use. This is generally the most popular form of detoxification and treatment.

Inpatient treatment includes medically-assisted detox, which is a much safer and effective way of conquering addiction rather than attempting to tackle addiction on your own.

2. Outpatient

Outpatient detox and treatment is also an option. The actual detoxification process must still be planned and regulated by a doctor or medical professional, and then after the initial detox, a person will visit a doctor or therapist on a regular and scheduled basis.

Outpatient heroin detox can be very dangerous, as the individual is often unable to manage withdrawal symptoms alone. Our research has also shown that those conducting an outpatient heroin detox are more likely to relapse, in order to curb the negative withdrawal symptoms.

Benefits of Medically Assisted Heroin Detox

A medically assisted detox is when a person receives certain medications to help them through the detox process. These medications can be used to minimize pain and even avoid certain symptoms altogether, which is especially beneficial with the more dangerous symptoms.

Not everyone recovering from addiction needs a medically assisted detox, but it can be extremely beneficial to people with severe addictions/dependencies or other physical and mental health problems. Medically assisted heroin detoxes are almost never done in outpatient treatment.

For many recovering heroin addicts, their first step is entering a medically-supervised detox facility. It is essential that detox is completed successfully because the body needs to be freed from the toxins of the addictive substance before therapeutic work can happen.

Medications to Aid With Heroin Detox

Doctors can prescribe three types of medication that will assist with the heroin detox process. These medications usually work by alleviating the withdrawal symptoms commonly experienced during detox:

1. Methadone

Methadone is an opiate just like heroin, but it is slow-acting and weaker. Doctors may prescribe this medication to a person going through heroin detoxification to help them slowly get off of heroin.

Detoxing with a weaker opiate, like methadone, can help minimize and even prevent withdrawal symptoms.

2. Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is a commonly prescribed medication for heroin detoxification. Common symptoms of withdrawal are cravings, nausea, and muscle aches, all of which buprenorphine works to reduce.

With these medications, detox can be much more bearable, even for those with severe addictions and dependencies.

3. Naltrexone

This medication is generally given to people after detox, not during, but it can still help. Naltrexone is not addictive or sedative, making it a perfectly safe drug for addicts, and it works by blocking the receptors in the brains that react with opioids such as heroin.

Overtime, Naltrexone can eliminate cravings and, therefore, significantly decrease a patient’s chance of relapse.

Risks of Detoxing Alone

There are several risks to detoxing at home. First of all, the risk of relapse is substantially higher when someone tries to detox by themselves. This is because the symptoms of withdrawal can be much more intense and harder to deal with then they expected.

Unfortunately, when someone tries to detox alone and then relapses, they are also more likely to accidentally overdose. This is because their tolerance will be lower than it was before, so when they take it again at the same level they used to, they may overdose.

Finally, when someone detoxes at home, they usually go cold turkey, which can sometimes be fine under the watchful eye of a medical professional, but when someone tries to do it by themselves, the withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous.

The person could become seriously dehydrated, experience other dangerous physical side-effects, or even develop severe mental problems leading to destructive behaviour, including self-harm and suicide.

What Causes Heroin Withdrawal?

Heroin has the biggest effect on the parts of the brain, which control motivation and pleasure. Over time, the brain starts to adapt to the substance and therefore relies on it to feel ‘normal.’ The more it is exposed to opiates like heroin, the less the brain feels like it has to produce natural opiates.

Because of this, when a person stops supplying the brain with heroin, there are not enough natural brain chemicals to help the person feel normal, so they feel all the symptoms of withdrawal.

Over time, the brain will start to make more opiates naturally to restore the person back to normal.

Heroin Withdrawal Timeline

Below, we have broken down the expected length of time for heroin withdrawal:

6 to 12 hours after the last dose

The initial withdrawal symptoms appear within a couple of hours of the last dose of heroin being taken. This is due to the very short half-life of the opiate drug. The first symptoms are normally considered mild in intensity and can include:

• Drug-seeking behaviour
• Cravings
• Anxiety

As the detox elapses, other symptoms can occur which may be considered more intense but not unpleasant. These include:

• Yawning
• Watery eyes
• Runny nose
• Restlessness
• Sweating

Day 1

Within six hours of the person taking their last dose, withdrawal symptoms and pain can start to develop. Usually, the earliest symptoms are pains like muscle aches that become more and more intense during the first two days. Someone also may experience things like panic attacks, diarrhoea, and insomnia.

Days 2-3

Generally, days 1-2 after the last dose of heroin is the time when the worst symptoms will be exhibited. The symptoms that occur here are commonly referred to as grade 2 symptoms and can include:

• Irritability
• Dilated pupils
• Leg cramps
• Muscle twitches
• Loss of appetite

Up to 36 hours after the last heroin dose is what is considered as grade 3 symptoms. These include:

• Low-grade fever
• Increased blood pressure
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Rapid breathing
• Muscle Weakness

Days 3-5

At this point, a person is fully into withdrawal and often peaks. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, stomach cramps, hyperhidrosis, shivering, and nausea. They will also probably deal with more severe versions of the symptoms from days one and two.

Days 6-7

This is generally when the main period of withdrawal starts to end. Most of the physical symptoms will lessen and then disappear completely, though the person may still feel tired and worn out for a while.

Post-acute Withdrawal Symptoms (PAWS)

For months after the initial withdrawal, certain symptoms may appear randomly due to all the neurological changes that heroin makes. This is called Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome or PAWS.

The most common symptoms of PAWS are:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Fatigue

Further Treatment After Detox

After detox, treatment does not usually stop if the person wants to have any kind of long-lasting success. The person could choose to stay in an inpatient treatment program for a while and then gradually move to outpatient or move straight to outpatient treatment.

It highly depends on the patient and the doctor or therapist’s recommendation. No matter what, some kind of ongoing treatment is key to helping a person stay sober and learn how to cope with life without drugs.

How Much Does Heroin Rehab Cost?

There is no one simple answer to this as there are a lot of factors that affect cost. Here are some of the biggest factors.

1. Location: Rehab centres in certain states and cities are more expensive than others
2. Type of rehab: Inpatient rehab typically costs more because it is intensive, 24/7 care
3. Length of treatment: The longer you receive treatment, the more it could cost in total
4. Type of treatment: Certain medicines and forms of therapy can cost more money than others
5. Amenities: Some treatment centres include things like pools, gyms, gourmet food, massage therapy, and acupuncture. The more amenities at a treatment centre, the more it generally costs