Heroin - Effects on the Body

Effects on the Body

Whether injected, sniffed, or snorted, heroin speeds to the brain and spinal cord. Users feel an almost immediate rush, or "smack" of euphoriaPronounced yu-FOR-ee-yuh; a state of extreme happiness and enhanced well-being; the opposite of dysphoria., especially when the drug is injected. This is because heroin turns to morphine in the brain and floods the brain's receptors that search for endorphinsA group of naturally occurring substances in the body that relieve pain and promote a sense of well-being. and enkephalinsPronounced en-KEFF-uh-linz; naturally occurring brain chemicals that produce drowsiness and dull pain.. The user's pleasure centers literally all fire at once, and the feeling is one of complete release from pain, anxiety, and unhappiness, replaced by a warm sensation of pleasure. After the immediate rush, the user settles into a "high" in which the pleasurable sensations continue, along with drowsiness and a general unwillingness to move or disrupt the dreamlike state. Users' heads may bob up and down. They may develop itchy skin from a mild allergic reaction to the heroin. They may become nauseated and vomit.

Within four to six hours, the heroin-turned-to-morphine slowly clears the brain. During the high, the body reacts to the opiate surge by causing slowed breathing, cessation (stopping) of coughing, and pinpoint pupils. Since all opiates work on the part of the brain that controls breathing, an overdose of any of them can cause a user to stop breathing. If the user is alone at the time of an overdose, he or she will die of suffocation. Cessation of breathing is one of the leading causes of death in heroin overdose cases.

Addiction, Cravings, and Withdrawal

Can a person become dependent on heroin after a single dose? In truth, heroin is less addictive than nicotine or cocaine. (Entries on nicotine and cocaine are available in this encyclopedia.) Some people can use it occasionally without developing a habit. But the fact remains that the intense rush of pleasure associated with a heroin high is quite seductive. The same is true of the longer-lasting sense of well-being and freedom from anxiety that follows the rush. If a user makes a point of seeking the drug a second time, that could indicate the onset of habitual behavior.

Smack

According to Sean Connolly in the book Just the Facts: Heroin, when heroin is injected directly into a vein with a hypodermic needle, it produces a high in seven to ten seconds. The nickname "smack" comes from this sudden rush of sensation.

Repeated use of heroin requires higher doses to achieve the high. This is known as "tolerance." Eventually, when dependence sets in, the user rarely achieves the same high that drew him or her to the drug the first time. Instead, the user seeks the drug to avoid withdrawalThe process of gradually cutting back on the amount of a drug being taken until it is discontinued entirely; also the accompanying physiological effects of terminating use of an addictive drug. symptoms. Life becomes a constant struggle to find the money to pay for another fix, to find the dealer and buy the fix, and to find a way to achieve the high.

Some experts estimate that as many as 80 percent of heroin addicts never free themselves from opiates. Once the habitual use is established, it is extremely difficult to stop.

Heroin withdrawal begins with a three- to five-day period of intense anxiety, insomniaDifficulty falling asleep or an inability to sleep., and a host of flu-like symptoms from uncontrolled coughing and yawning to stuffy nose, cramps, chills, sweating, diarrhea, and "goose bumps." Having goose bumps led to the origin of the phrase "quitting cold turkey." Additionally, muscles that have been relaxed by the drug tighten and twitch, causing severe pain and uncontrolled, reflexive motion ("kicking the habit"). A recovering addict named Joey Peets told Scholastic Choices: "It's the worst feeling. Most people say they'd rather be shot than be sick on drugs. … Being addicted and having to get off drugs is the worst experience. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."

Yet, these desperate physical symptoms of withdrawal are not the worst aspect of opiate addiction. The addict experiences psychological cravingsOverwhelming urges to do something, such as take an illegal drug. that are so intense that they become nearly impossible to fight. To quote Alfred Lubrano of the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service: "The smell of burned matches, the sight of a $10 bill (the price for a 'dime bag' of drugs), even those 'Just Say No' anti-drug posters with a crossed-out needle, all act as potent cues that could bring even long-clean addicts to their knees, screaming for dope." Scientists have actually shown recovering addicts films of drug abuse while monitoring the drug users' brain activity. The results: Watching someone else use drugs, even on a film, spurs activity in the parts of the brain that govern motivation and craving.