What Does Heroin Feel Like?
Key Takeaways
- Heroin is a highly addictive illegal drug from morphine.
- A heroin high brings relaxation and reduced anxiety.
- Heroin is highly addictive and can lead to substance use disorder.
Heroin is an illegal drug derived from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the opium poppy plant. It’s a powerful sedative that can cause feelings of euphoria and relaxation.
People who’ve used heroin often describe feelings of:
- Warmth
- Detachment
- Sleepiness or a dream-like state
- Reduced anxiety
- Decreased physical and/or emotional pain
The effects of heroin appear quickly and can last for several hours, with the duration often depending on the dosage and administration.
What are Heroin’s Effects on the Mind?
Heroin affects the opioid receptors and the brain’s risk/reward system, leading to euphoria. Too much heroin can lead to addiction or psychological dependence.
Repeated heroin use creates long-term neuron and hormonal system imbalances. Studies have shown a loss of the brain’s white matter is associated with heroin use.
Other mental side effects of heroin include:
- Poor decision-making
- Behavior control problems
- Impaired stress response
- Confusion
- Mood swings
- Decreased dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters
Sponsored
Online Therapy Can Help
Over 3 million people use BetterHelp. Their services are:
- Professional and effective
- Affordable and convenient
- Personalized and discreet
- Easy to start
Answer a few questions to get started
What are Heroin’s Effects on the Body?
Heroin is a depressant that slows down bodily functions, which include blood pressure and heart rate. Many people find heroin very unpleasant the first time they take it.
The effects of heroin on the nervous system can cause:
- Vomiting
- Suppressed breathing
- Coughing reflex
- Constipation
Over time, a heroin user can build a tolerance. This creates a sensation of relaxation in the body and can cause the limbs to feel heavy.
Sponsored
Get Professional Help
BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor.
Answer a few questions to get started
How Addictive is Heroin?
Heroin is highly addictive. Many heroin users develop a substance use disorder (SUD). This happens when continued drug use causes a tolerance.
People end up needing higher and more frequent drug doses to achieve the desired effects of heroin. Having a higher tolerance can lead to a vicious cycle of addiction, where people need more heroin to avoid withdrawal.
What are the Signs of Heroin Use?
People who use heroin may exhibit various physical signs such as dry mouth, flushed skin, slow breathing, and constricted pupils. They may also experience itching, nausea, vomiting, and constipation.
If someone develops an addiction to heroin, they may exhibit the following symptoms alongside the ones mentioned beforehand:
- Persistent hacking cough
- Tiny pinpoint pupils
- Eyelids and arms/legs appear to be heavy
- Cuts, bruises, or scabs from skin-picking
- Infections or abscesses from injecting
- A strong smell of cigarette or marijuana smoke (heroin addicts often smoke both)
- Lack of hygiene and disregard for physical appearance
- Sores on nostrils or lips
- Nosebleeds
- Burn marks on fingers or mouth
- Dark circles or puffiness under the eyes
- Flu-like symptoms, including fever, aches, vomiting, and chills
- Runny nose or constant sniffing
- Needle marks on arms or legs
What are Heroin’s Withdrawal Symptoms?
People addicted to heroin who suddenly stop using the drug may experience severe withdrawal.
Heroin withdrawal can be dangerous and potentially fatal; its symptoms include:
- Intense flu
- Restlessness
- Aches and chills
- Depression
- Exhaustion
- Nausea
- Huge pupils
- Muscle and bone pain
- Sleep problems
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Cold flashes with goosebumps
- Uncontrollable leg movements
- Severe cravings
What are the Risks of Heroin Use?
Heroin use is associated with several severe health conditions, including:
- Fatal overdose
- Spontaneous abortion
- Hepatitis
- HIV contracted through sharing needles
- Organ damage (liver, kidney, and lungs)
- Collapsed veins
- Bacterial infections in the heart and blood vessels
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Blood clots affecting the brain, heart, and lungs
- Impaired cognitive functions
- Emotional instability
- Mental health disorders
Heroin is also often cut with more potent opioids like fentanyl, which results in overdose deaths. In the U.S., approximately 128 people die daily from opioid overdoses.
Sponsored
Phone, Video, or Live-Chat Support
BetterHelp provides therapy in a way that works for YOU. Fill out the questionnaire, get matched, begin therapy.
Answer a few questions to get started
What Treatments Are Available for Heroin Addiction?
Opiates, mainly heroin, account for 18% of the admissions for drug and alcohol treatment in the U.S. Many addiction treatments, including medicines and behavioral therapies, effectively help people stop heroin use.
These treatment programs include:
- Medical detox: Medically supervised detox used to avoid harmful withdrawal effects.
- Inpatient treatment: Involves checking yourself into a rehab facility for 24-hour medical supervision.
- Outpatient treatment: A treatment program where people are allowed to leave the rehab facility.
- Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs): A treatment program where you stay at a rehab facility for a day and return home at night.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): A short-term therapy technique that explores the link between thought patterns and addiction.
What's Next?
Sponsored
Get matched with an affordable mental health counselor
Find a TherapistAnswer a few questions to get started
- “Fentanyl.” DEA.gov, United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
- “Heroin Statistics – Facts About Heroin Addiction, Use, & Death – Drug-Free World.” Drugfreeworld.org, Foundation for a Drug-Free World.
- “How Opioid Drugs Activate Receptors.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018.
- NIDA. “Heroin DrugFacts.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019.
- NIDA. “Opioid Overdose Crisis.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020.
- NIDA. “What are the long-term effects of heroin use?” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021.
- NIDA. “What is heroin and how is it used?” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020.
- “Signs of Heroin Use.” Easy Read, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019.
- NIDA. "What are the immediate (short-term) effects of heroin use?" National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021.
- “9 Facts About Heroin.” Drug Policy Alliance.
