Heroin Overdose
“What is an overdose?”
You might hear people discussing the term “overdose” without understanding what it means. An overdose occurs when someone takes a large amount of a substance. Some people think that this can only happen to new users or those who use the drug frequently, but it can happen to anyone. New users are at risk of suffering an overdose because they might take a higher dose than intended.
Long-term users can also suffer an overdose because of the tolerance the person has to the drug. People who take heroin cannot get the same rush after several uses as they did in the beginning. To get that initial rush, the user must take increasingly larger doses. The body adjusts to each new amount, which makes the person take larger and larger doses. When the body can no longer adjust to the increased levels of heroin in the system, it reacts in the form of heroin overdose symptoms. In addition, a user might encounter an unexpectedly pure batch of heroin, so that user injects more of the active ingredient than anticipated.
What Are the Symptoms?
The signs of an overdose on heroin occur quickly after an individual takes the substance. Some people can have a conversation or do other things before the signs appear. Others find that they begin exhibiting heroin overdose symptoms within minutes after taking a dose of the drug. According to MedlinePlus, these symptoms include:
Difficulty breathing
Confusion
Decreased breathing
Constipation
Stomach cramps
Dilated pupils
White patches on the tongue
Drop in blood pressure
Reduced heart rate
Sleepiness
Muscle spasms
Dry mouth
Bluish tinge to the mouth
Bluish tinge on the fingernails
Confusion
Decreased breathing
Constipation
Stomach cramps
Dilated pupils
White patches on the tongue
Drop in blood pressure
Reduced heart rate
Sleepiness
Muscle spasms
Dry mouth
Bluish tinge to the mouth
Bluish tinge on the fingernails
Heroin deaths increase when…
There are some common social characteristics in heroin deaths. Most fatalities involve men, particularly those who have struggled with other drugs or alcohol and other drugs or alcohol are often present.
While many are single, most users die in their homes and/or in the company of another person.
An addict does have a much higher chance of dying if he or she leaves treatment. The risk of death is higher for newly clean heroin addicts. A number of fatalities appear to happen after periods of reduced use, one2000 study showed.
In fact, long-term users who die from overdoses are likely to have heroin levels no higher than those who survive.
That may be in part because those who are newly clean don’t know how much of the drug to give themselves any more, Drexler said. They won’t need the same amount to get high as when they were using more regularly.
There are also some studies that show tolerance to the respiratory depressive effects of opiates increases at a slower rate than tolerance to the euphoric and analgesic effects. As your tolerance to the drug develops, you typically need more of it to produce the high you are used to getting. This may be why long-term users are potentially at greater risk of overdose than novices.
Statistics suggest that newer heroin users aren’t the ones most likely to die.One study showed only 17% of the deaths studied were in new heroin users.
However, Drexler said newer users can overdose because they don’t know how much drug to take, compared to experienced users. “I think it is misleading to say you would not die if you only use it once or twice,” she said.
A person’s chances of dying from heroin use increase dramatically after 20 years of use. Studies show that after 30 years of use, 16% of heroin users have died, compared with 6.5% of cocaine users and 1.5% of meth users.
While many are single, most users die in their homes and/or in the company of another person.
An addict does have a much higher chance of dying if he or she leaves treatment. The risk of death is higher for newly clean heroin addicts. A number of fatalities appear to happen after periods of reduced use, one2000 study showed.
In fact, long-term users who die from overdoses are likely to have heroin levels no higher than those who survive.
That may be in part because those who are newly clean don’t know how much of the drug to give themselves any more, Drexler said. They won’t need the same amount to get high as when they were using more regularly.
There are also some studies that show tolerance to the respiratory depressive effects of opiates increases at a slower rate than tolerance to the euphoric and analgesic effects. As your tolerance to the drug develops, you typically need more of it to produce the high you are used to getting. This may be why long-term users are potentially at greater risk of overdose than novices.
Statistics suggest that newer heroin users aren’t the ones most likely to die.One study showed only 17% of the deaths studied were in new heroin users.
However, Drexler said newer users can overdose because they don’t know how much drug to take, compared to experienced users. “I think it is misleading to say you would not die if you only use it once or twice,” she said.
A person’s chances of dying from heroin use increase dramatically after 20 years of use. Studies show that after 30 years of use, 16% of heroin users have died, compared with 6.5% of cocaine users and 1.5% of meth users.
