Withdrawl Symptoms of Heroin

As with most any addictive substance, withdrawal symptoms can occur very quickly if the usage of the substance is interrupted abruptly. Sometimes, the symptoms start showing up within a few hours. There are many heroin abuse withdrawal symptoms and we have listed them in the following context. If there is a friend or loved one that you suspect may have a heroin or other substance addiction, hopefully these signs will alert you that the person is in serious need of help.

The major or immediate signs of withdrawal symptoms of heroin are cold flashes, constant fidgetiness and leg movements, diarrhea, insomnia, muscle and bone pain, restlessness, and vomiting. Usually, the major symptoms will peak between 24 and 48 hours after the last ingestion or injection of the drug. The withdrawal symptoms of heroin will normally subside within a week’s time, however there have been incidences where the symptoms have continued for months.

Usually, heroin withdrawals are not fatal to healthy adults, but it can kill the fetus of a pregnant addict. Addiction is the more common result of continued drug abuse. There have been reports stating that a person will subject themselves to the withdrawal symptoms, therefore lowering their tolerance to the drug and enabling themselves to experience that rush that they initially felt the first time they tried the drug.

It was once believed that physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms of heroin were the key features of heroin addiction. However, it is now known that long after the withdrawal symptoms have subsided, that cravings and even relapses have the tendency to occur, even months later.

Conversely, it has also been discovered that people suffering with chronic back pain and are taking prescribed opiates in order to function, have very few problems dealing with the cessation of taking the drug once the pain has been permanently relieved.