How Heroin Detox Affects Your Body

Your recovery journey after heroin abuse begins with the removal of the substance from your body through detoxification. Heroin addiction puts you at great health risks and can also affect the people around you. Although you may experience unpleasant feelings during detox, professionals at a heroin detox center in Florida can safely use different treatment programs to help you complete the process. To learn more about the effects of heroin detox, contact Serenity House Detox Florida today at 866.294.5306.

How Does Heroin Detox Affect Your Body?

While heroin detox is essential in your recovery journey, you need a medical professional to supervise you. Heroin detox affects your body by triggering uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

When you use heroin for some time, your body becomes tolerant, and it demands more heroin to experience its usual effects. As such, when you detox, your body cleanses itself of the harmful substance, withdrawal symptoms take hold of you.

While withdrawal is rarely life-threatening, it can be unpleasant. Withdrawal symptoms occur in both physical and psychological forms. The severity depends on the amount of heroin in your body and the period you have been using. You can experience withdrawal symptoms such as:

  • Anxiety
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal cramping
  • Nausea
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Impaired respiration

The way you choose detox also determines the severity of these symptoms. Suddenly stopping heroin use can result in life-threatening complications. As such, we recommend that you get professional help from a residential detox center.

How Long Does Heroin Withdrawal Take?

Symptoms begin to show as early as six hours after the last dose. Your muscles start to ache within the first day of heroin detox. The pain then intensifies over the second day. You can also experience other symptoms such as anxiety, shaking, and diarrhea over the first 48 hours.

From the third to fifth day, heroin withdrawal symptoms will be in intensity. The symptoms within these days include sweating, vomiting, and nausea. After a week, you will only experience fewer withdrawal symptoms. Although you may begin to feel normal, you will be fatigued.

Withdrawal may continue inconsistently for months due to neurological changes from heroin use. Some of the long-term symptoms include anxiety, irritability, and fatigue.

Medication Used in Heroin Detox

Detox specialists can use medications to make the detox experience more tolerable. The medicines work by either mimicking the effects of heroin or easing withdrawal symptoms. You should always take the medication as your treatment specialist prescribes since heroin users can develop another drug addiction. Medicines used during heroin detox include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.

What Are the Types of Heroin Detox?

There are several options to choose from when it comes to heroin detox, including:

  • Residential detox: This detox approach allows you to receive treatment while living in a detox facility. Our medical staff offers constant monitoring to ease your withdrawal symptoms.
  • Outpatient detox: This approach allows patients to receive treatment while living at home. Patients often check-in with their medical professionals regularly for monitoring. A medical professional may or may not use medication during outpatient detox.
  • Rapid detox: This detox approach features the quick completion of the detox phase to begin treatment and recovery stages. Rapid detox often uses opioid antagonist medication.
  • Anesthesia-assisted rapid detox: Medical professionals use general anesthesia to sedate you for about six hours. During this time, the specialist uses different medications to clear heroine from your body.

Get Heroin Addiction Treatment at Serenity House Detox Florida

Heroin addiction is a severe problem that requires personalized treatment. While detox is the initial and crucial step in your recovery journey, it can be painful. At Serenity House Detox Florida, we understand the challenges related to heroin detox and your body. Our specialists can monitor your heroin withdrawal through various programs and therapies, including:

Let us walk with you or your loved one through every step of your addiction recovery process. Call Serenity House Detox Florida today at 866.294.5306, or contact us online to learn more about heroin detox and your body.


Serenity House edtox center Florida detox center florida drug programs florida alcohol programs detox center flAt Serenity House Detox, we believe that detox is the first step on the path to lasting sobriety. With locations in Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, our life-changing addiction detox programs in Florida empower individuals struggling with addiction to seek a new beginning. Learn more about Serenity House Detox and our treatment philosophy.