Heroin

Article originally published on MedlinePlus. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); Heroin; [updated 2021 Mar 17; cited 2022 Aug 10]; Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/heroin.html

Summary

Heroin is a white or brown powder or a black, sticky goo. It’s an opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance in the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. It can be mixed with water and injected with a needle. Heroin can also be smoked or snorted up the nose. All of these ways of taking heroin send it to the brain very quickly. This makes it very addictive.

Major health problems from heroin include miscarriages, heart infections, and death from overdose. People who inject the drug also risk getting infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Regular use of heroin can lead to tolerance. This means users need more and more drug to have the same effect. At higher doses over time, the body becomes dependent on heroin. If dependent users stop heroin, they have withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, diarrhea and vomiting, and cold flashes with goose bumps.

NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Start Here

• Heroin (Drug Enforcement Administration)
• Heroin DrugFacts  (National Institute on Drug Abuse)Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Drug Testing  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• Drug Use Screening Tests  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction  (National Institute on Drug Abuse)Also in Spanish
• What Can Be Done for a Heroin Overdose?  (National Institute on Drug Abuse)Also in Spanish
• What Is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – PDFAlso in Spanish

Images

• Heroin Photos (Drug Enforcement Administration)

Statistics and Research

• Abuse of Prescription Pain Medications Risks Heroin Use   (National Institute on Drug Abuse) – PDF
• Heroin  (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Heroin Dependence  (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Methadone  (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Platelet-To-Lymphocyte and Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratios Predict Intestinal Injury in Male Heroin Addicts. 
• Article: Changes in the development of opioid tolerance on re-exposure among people… 
• Article: State-Level Prevalence and Associates of Opioid Dependence in the USA. 
• Heroin — see more articles 

Reference Desk

• Commonly Used Opioid Terms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• Drug Enforcement Administration 
• National Institute on Drug Abuse Also in Spanish
• Opioid Treatment Program Directory (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• Partnership to End Addiction 

Women

• How Does Heroin Use Affect Pregnant Women  (National Institute on Drug Abuse)Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Heroin (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Tips for Teens: The Truth about Heroin (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – PDF

Patient Handouts

• Heroin overdose (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Opiate and opioid withdrawal (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Tips for Teens: The Truth about Heroin (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – PDF