How Does a Heroin Overdose Kill?

Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs in the world, and thousands will die every year from a heroin overdose. Used for centuries for anything from a cough to pain relief, the potential for addiction and death was not fully realized until 1900. Heroin was made illegal in 1920, leaving millions of addicts desperate for opiate drugs.

Categorically, heroin is a central nervous system depressant, synthesized from the psychoactive chemicals in the opium poppy. Both opium and heroin can result in life-threatening central nervous system depression.

The Effects of Heroin: Addiction and Withdrawals

Snorted, smoked or injected, heroin reaches the brain through the bloodstream quickly. Once there, it binds to the opioid receptors, resulting in the relief of anxiety and pain. In effect, it gives the user a calm, euphoric sensation of escape from reality that can last for several hours.

Addiction occurs upon repeated use of the drug. The user’s brain has been, in essence, “hijacked” by heroin. It becomes dependent on the drug to feel good. In addition, it needs more and more of the drug to achieve the same results (tolerance).

When the user “comes down”, or stops using the drug, withdrawal symptoms occur. They are typically the opposite of what it feels like be high. Withdrawals are also a big incentive for people to keep using. Commonly, this is known as being “dope sick”.

Withdrawal symptoms include:

  • Depression and Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Body aches and increased pain sensitivity
  • Runny nose, tears
  • Diarrhea, stomach pain, and spasms
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fever
  • Seizures
  • Insomnia

Symptoms can begin without hours of the last dose and can last several days. While not fatal, symptoms are extremely unpleasant and can result in severe depression and suicidal feelings.

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Fentanyl

Fentanyl is an opioid pain medication with a rapid onset and short duration of action. It is a potent agonist of μ-opioid receptors. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, but some fentanyl analogs, which are designed to mimic the pharmacological effects of the original drug, may be as much as 10,000 times more potent than morphine.

 

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2 comments on “Solar Eclipse and Opioids

  1. Molly D. says:

    Yes, I do believe that dealers should be charged with felony murder. We must take this very seriously and do what we need to in order to get this opiod crisis under control. In our area, we are definitely seeing an increase in heroin related drug arrests. I don’t think that we have seen many related ODs yet but I am sure they are not far off.

  2. Marc Fogde says:

    Listening to these Pod Casts, makes me very thankful for the county that I work in. Our state mandates autopsy on a HUGE list of types of death (our county commissioners are mandated to pay for it so it does not hit our budget by the state law) . Washington State Patrol does toxicology tests for free. (our county tox’s EVERY death that our office takes jurisdiction over.) I was a bit shocked to hear that the “cost” of a tox screen was an issue.

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