Heroin is a very dangerous narcotic, more so when abused as it typically is due to the all-consuming high it’s been perpetually reported to give. The addictive aspect of heroin is so intense and so widespread that abuse and addiction seem to be the inevitable outcome with a large percentage of people who try it, even in cases of having strictly tried it with the intention of short-term use. The consequences of this particular drug are unnerving to say the least. The immediate effect of heroin is known as a rush, which is a surge of euphoria, and a warm feeling of the skin and dry mouth. This could sometimes includes vomiting as well as severe itching. This is followed by a kind of drowsy state that lasts for up to several hours, where the breathing and heartbeat slow down. A lot of times within this drowsy condition the user tends to nod off. Many addicts end up needing to use heroin in order to catch some sleep.

When an addict is coming off heroin, within a mere few hours after the effects from the drug have diminished, their body starts to gain strong cravings for more. Withdrawal will occur at this time if they can’t get more. The withdrawal process has the reputation of being one of the worst, a painful and vile process in itself. The pain and extreme discomfort alone would be enough to drive the addict to getting another fix, yet this is simultaneous with a strong urge for further use. So you can see how cravings plus pain are a surefire and eventual “solution” to escape the plight of withdrawal. More specifically, some of the withdrawal symptoms are restlessness, aches, bone pain, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and fever.

A Wide Variety of Problems with Heroin Use

The destructive effects of heroin abuse are of a pretty wide variety. Taking into consideration that heroin’s most potent high is gotten from a needle, and that shooting up seems to be the norm as far as administration goes, it is apparent that sharing needles is very common in heroin culture. It’s simply disregarded as dangerous because the addicts are so focused on getting the next dose injected directly into their bloodstream as fast as possible. Sharing needles is a risky activity that can lead to contracting AIDS and other contagious infections (HIV, Hepatitis B and C, etc). Coma and sometimes death are short term effects due to overdosing on heroin. However some long term effects are tuberculosis, arthritis, inflammation of the gums, constipation, cold sweats, weakened immune system, respiratory type illnesses, muscular weakness, reduced sexual capacity, loss of intellectual performance, loss of appetite, introversion, depression, insomnia and pustules on the face. The effects associated with heroin are so destructive, so agonizing, they lead anyone using it into the dreadful situation of having to get their fix in order to feel “normal”. The tolerance with this drug picks up speed and soon the user finds themselves spending sometimes up to hundreds of dollars a day on the drug alone. The picture painted in this article is a frightening one, yet nonetheless very accurate.