Heroin

How heroin works

Heroin is a central nervous system depressant. This means it slows down a person’s brain function and affects their breathing (which can slow down or even stop). The person’s body temperature and blood pressure drop, and their heartbeat can become irregular. The person may lose consciousness or lapse into a coma. Ambulance officers, family and friends can give the medication naloxone to reverse the effects of heroin.

Effects of heroin

The effects of heroin depend on:

• the strength of the dose
• the size, weight, general health and state of mind of the person taking the heroin
• the effects of other drugs and medication that they might have taken at the same time (or even in the last two days).

If the person has taken other depressants such as sleeping pills, tranquillisers, methadone or alcohol, the effects of heroin are increased. This can result in coma or even death.

Some of the immediate effects of taking heroin include:

• a rush of pleasurable feelings and relief from physical pain
• feeling sick or vomiting
• shallow breathing, drowsiness and sleepiness
• a drop in body temperature
• narrowing of the pupils
• loss of sex drive.

Symptoms of heroin overdose

One of the most dangerous adverse effects of heroin use is the risk of overdose. The symptoms of overdose include:

• dangerously low body temperature
• slowed breathing
• blue lips and fingernails
• cold, clammy skin
• convulsions and coma.

Heroin dependence and tolerance

As with some other drugs, a person can build up a tolerance to heroin. After only a short time, the person using heroin will need to take larger doses to achieve the same effect. Soon their body will start to depend on heroin in order to function ‘normally’.

For some people who are dependent on heroin, nothing else in life matters except the drug. They may ignore their career, relationships and even basic needs like eating. Financial, legal and other personal problems may be related to heroin use. The person craves the drug and this psychological dependence makes them panic if they cannot have it, even temporarily.