Pines Recovery Life · Blog

Does heroin detox mean withdrawal?

There is no way to come off heroin without going through withdrawal, and heroin withdrawal can be severe. The safest place to do it is a medically supervised detox program.

Published March 17, 2021 · Reviewed by Sergey Litvinov, MD · ~725 words

There is no way to detox from drugs like heroin without going through withdrawal. Heroin withdrawal, like withdrawal from other opioids, can be severe. The safest way through it is a medically supervised heroin detox program. On your own you can get gravely ill, and the cravings can get loud enough that you start using again before detox is even finished.

Heroin detox in Florida is possible with help from Pines Recovery Life. We provide a high quality of care for clients wishing to recover from any substance use disorder, including heroin.

Am I addicted to heroin?

Heroin is illegal to possess and to use, so if you use it often you are already pushing past lines you would not have crossed before. If you have tried to stop and could not, you have a substance use disorder. Millions of other Americans are in the same place. Heroin addiction responds to treatment, and with the right therapy and follow-up support people do get better. The first step is admitting there is a problem. The next is finding the right heroin detox program as soon as possible.

What happens during heroin withdrawal?

Heroin withdrawal is different for everyone. The side effects tend to be worse for people who have used longer or used more often. Withdrawal from opioids like heroin can bring:

Inability to sleep
Restless legs
Pain in muscles and bone
Cold flashes
Vomiting
Diarrhea

Heroin withdrawal is unpleasant at best, which is why it should happen under medical supervision. In a heroin detox program you get the physical and emotional support you need to come off heroin safely. Once your body has cleared the drugs, your treatment team may use replacement medication such as Suboxone or methadone to hold the cravings down. None of that is available to you at home, and going it alone puts you at real risk.

Can heroin detox side effects be fatal?

It is possible to die from heroin withdrawal. Opioid drugs like these work on the opioid receptors in your brain. They slow your heart rate, quiet your breathing and leave you feeling mellow. Stop suddenly and your brain panics, and the body can react in strange ways. Temperature can spike into a raging fever. Heart rate can climb high enough to cause a heart attack. Cutting the drug off at those receptors confuses the body, and the body turns on itself.

Under constant medical supervision, side effects like these are manageable. That is the argument for a heroin detox program if what you want is a heroin-free future. Our program handles the physical symptoms, and we start on the psychological side of the addiction at the same time, with therapies such as:

ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
CRAFT: Community Reinforcement and Family Training
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Family Therapy
Group Therapy

The withdrawal symptoms of heroin detox can kill you if nobody treats them. Opioids like heroin also carry the highest rate of accidental overdose death in the country. If detoxing sounds dangerous to you, weigh it against staying on a drug that can stop your heart without warning.

Pines Recovery Life can help with heroin withdrawal

Pines Recovery Life, a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center in South Florida, can help you detox from heroin safely. Our medical team runs detox for a lot more than heroin. We also handle: