Surely you’ve heard of heroin. Maybe you even know someone who’s tried it. But what is it, really? And how bad is it for you?

Heroin is a highly addictive opiate drug produced from morphine. It is typically sold as a white powder or as a black, sticky substance called black tar heroin. It can be snorted, smoked or injected. It is fast-acting and highly abused.

Heroin users run the risk of overdose literally every time they use the drug. Sold on the streets, heroin is often laced with other additives, making it impossible to know how much you are actually taking.

Some immediate side effects of heroin include, but aren’t limited to:

• Initial euphoria and intense pleasure or “high,” lasting for a few minutes
• Relaxation, lasting about one hour
• Dry mouth
• Warm skin, or “hot flushes”
• Feeling of heaviness in the arms and legs
• Alternating periods of alertness and drowsiness
• Clouded thinking
• Slurred speech
• Slow breathing
• Slow heart rate
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Muscle weakness
• Itchy skin
• Narrowed, pinpoint-sized pupils
• Droopy eyelids
• Constipation

Long-term use of heroin may be indicated by the following signs:

• Skin infection at the site of heroin injection
• Track marks from inflamed veins, usually on the arms or legs (sites of large veins)
• Chronic constipation
• Collapsed veins, resulting in a finger or limb gangrene or tissue death
• Respiratory problems from depressed breathing
• Liver or kidney disease
• Hepatitis B or C, or HIV/AIDS—the result of sharing contaminated needles
• Children of addicted mothers may have low birth weight and delayed development
• Addiction

If you or someone you know is abusing heroin, it’s important to get help as soon as possible. Contact Solace Counseling immediately. We can help with the drug detox, and we can create a customized treatment plan to get you or your loved one started down the road to recovery.