Symptoms of Heroin Use

[CASEY]

I need help knowing what I am looking at. My son uses heroin. His behavior faciliates between bouts of crying, feeling abandonded, hopeless, depressed and periods of apparent well-being where he is calm, psychologically present, reasonable. He attributes his despair to clinical depression which he has. I am sure the drugs are contributing. I am not sure if the periods of calm are immediatley following injection and the despair is withdrawal or coming down. When I confront him, I want to know what I am talking about. I support his recovery 100% but don't know how to bring it about. thanks, Casey

[Airedog]

First and foremost I feel you have to accept that you can not bring about another person's recovery. Unless they truly want to get clean they will continue using. Loved ones need to learn that they did not cause the addict's behaviour, they cannot control the addict's behaviour, nor, can they cure the disease. If there is are NarAnon or AlAnon meetings in your area you may find them helpful.

Dave

[Vicodin Gurrl to Dan]

Sorry to interrupt the new thread but I just have a quick question that I'm hoping someone might be able to help me answer?  I have been addicted to hydrocodone 5/500 for about the past 1 1/2 years.  I was taking anywhere from 6-14 pills per day.  I am now taking a longer acting morphine pill two times a day, prescribed by my doctor. Since I went off the hydro/apap 6 days ago I have been SICK!  Not withdrawl-type sick I dont think, since I am TAKING the morphine which is actually stronger than the vico's anyway. I have been having DAILY HIGH fevers (100-101.5), and no desire to eat and just feeling REALLY crappy.  My Dr. said it was the flu, and it FEELS like the flu to me, but I was thinking that maybe the abrupt withdrawl of ALL that DAILY tylenol is causing my body's heat sensors or whatever to be all out of whack?  Has anyone ever heard of this before?  I have just never known of a SIX DAY flu with fevers every single day, have you?  Thanks and have a nice day!

[Ummm...about the flu]

...14 vicodin a day huh...? You see - 14 Vicodin a day - narcotic wise may be well above the amount of Morphine you're taking each day. You didn't mention the strength of Morphine you're on so I can't tell you for sure...If you're doctor knew the amount of narcotics in your system - he would have upped your Morphine intake (actually - he would have probably cut you off of all narcotics if he knew you were abusing.) My advice? Take 3-4 Vicodin and see if your "flu" gets better. If it doesn't, you may very well have a virus that's hanging on. The tylenol will not cause withdrawal symptoms...only liver damage. So disregard that...unless of course you have abdominal pain along with your fevers etc...then I'd get that checked. But back to my original point...Say 14 Vicodin equal the equivalent of say 75 mgs. of Morphine. (just guessing here) Now your doctor puts you on MS 15 mgs 2x daily. Your body is now missing roughly 60 mgs. of Morphine - you'll have withdrawals. Hence the vicious circle of opiates. It's all morphine really in the end anyway...body wise...chemically. I don't know...I'm no chemist but I am an addict so that actually counts for quite a bit more here...Now if I was a chemist/addict, I'd have even more answers! Anyway. Later.

[oops]

Actually...your body would be missing 45 mgs. of morphine not 60...now I know why I'm not a chemist.

[CASEY]

I know I am not responsible for his addiction but I need to know if I am looking at addiction or depression. When one is high, are they calm and reasonable or irritable, paranoid and despairing? Is this drug use or clinical depression? This person is suicidal so I can't just let him hit bottom, especially if it is a mental health issue rather than addiction. Please, if you have been on or seen someone one heroin. What does it look like? Casey

[cindi]

Hi Casey,  I can hear the desperation in your post.  I am no expert on Heroin, My addiction was to massive doses of opiates.  Demerol, Morphine etc.  I do know that an opiate is an opiate and this is from MY experience.  When I was under the influence if any opiate no matter what it was I was upbeat etc. just as you described.  During my "withdrawals" I was depressed, near suicidal etc.  again, as you described.  I believe this to be true with anything ranging from Herion to Vicodin. He really needs the help of a professional but as someone mentioned earlier, you cannot do this for him.  He must do it when he is ready.  Sick and tired if being sick and tired.  When I was addicted to whatever, toward the end of my use I had no choice but to use in order to feel "normal" so i would not be sick.  I was confronted several times,  absolutely useless until I was ready which was several months after I entered (involuntarily) into treatment.   Please think about Al-anon or Nar-anon.  May God be with you and your son.    Safire

[from me to Skorchee]

Here is your answer - yes - a person who has just shot heroin is very serene and feeling well - NO pain...may even nod off to "sleep" in mid-sentence. If you are an addict, you will NEED to shoot every several hours...24 hours after your last shot, you will JONES hard and rip a person's head off for a fix. It's Manic Depression in a syringe really. It's not your son's ONLY problem...but it's definitely happening and one of them. People on heroin don't rob banks and/or liquor stores...it's the people that have RUN OUT of heroin that do that. Life's a ***** and so are opiates. But she sure is enticing. - Chachi

[cindi]

To casey,  Hi,  I have to butt in with Gina and Safire.  You say your son has a history of depression.  If he is on other meds then of course you won't know if they are working or not.  When I was using I was calm, normal etc. and when I was coming down I was irritable, mood swings etc.  just as you described.  When I did my stint with crack I was paranoid and panicked when coming down,  You hit the nail right on when you said drugs are a contributing factor to his depression.  I, like safire was confronted but it was useless.  I was sent to treatment only as an option to jail.  Are you open for suggestions?  everyone may agree or disagree I don't care, everyone has a right ti their opinion so here goes...Do your homework and then sit him down and talk to him.  Don't back him into a corner.  Tell him what you know and then let him know how supportive you are of him and you are are afraid for him .  Let him know there are choices he can make and help is one of them.  If he is open to you and wants help that is great but if he is resistant, in his own time he will come around.  You can't make him clean.  Only he can do this when he is ready. This is only my experience and opinin.  Everyone who posts on this forum had had their own experiences and opinions which is what makes it great.  Such a wide variety of everything.  I have learned alot from these people here and we are here to help and offer suggestions and guidance when asked.  Addicts helping addicts is what works for me.  We may not always agree with one another but hey...isn't that what life is?  take care and good luck    cindi

[CASEY]

Cindi, thanks to you and everyone else who has responded. You have made me feel better because my husband and I have been doing exactly what you have suggested. Some people tell me I have to draw hard lines with him and cut him off from all family support to "raise the bottom". I just can't do that and fear he would kill himself. I keep trying to present him with hope, just in case he goes for it. Maybe tonight I can sleep after having your encouragement. Has anyone had any luck with acupuncture and naturopathy for addiction and/or depression? I am researching that as an offering of help. He refuses rehab or counseling. thanks, again.

[Gene to Joanne]

Your son is most likely feeling & acting fine as long as he has his Heroin.  I am happy, energetic, responsible, & productive as long as I keep taking a dose of opiates every 3-4 hours.  If I should run out, then I go crazy, tired, very depressed, anxious, & feeling very sick!

I believe that your approach of supporting you son emotionally is a good one.  You don't want to alienate him right now.  There may come a point when you may have get tough with him.  As everyone here has pointed out, you cannot force your son to get sober.  He has to want it himself.  You can only be there for him & be prepared by having detox & treatment center information available.

It must be very hard to watch your own flesh & blood destroying himself slowly with opiates but I think he will come around & realize that he has to make some serious changes in his life.  If his parents are there to support him mentally, physically & spiritually, then he will have an important edge working in his favor.

Good luck to you & your family!

[CASEY]

Thanks for the reassurance. Yes, watching him bury his true self in chemicals is heartbreaking. I never knew there could be such pain. I am armed with  resources and detox. Gee, Sunday is my birthday. Can't imagine a better gift than a breakthrough. Gene, sounds like you have your own plate full. I will include you in my hopeful thoughts. Take care of yourself and thanks for reaching out. Casey

[The Dude]

Hi, My brother was on Heroin.  I noticed when he was using, there would be things missing around the house(i.e. Valubles, Guns, Golf Clubs, Television and on and on and on) he would be gone at wierd times of the day and night.  He would come home and sleep for 20 hours straight, wake up, then leave again. He would have red rings under his eyes, very yellowish looking face.  He would cut off all contact with any family, friends and the real world. He was a very irritable, mean and downright rude.  He would've sold our own mother if he had the chance.  He lied compulsivly and didn't give a damn about anything or anybody except himself.  He wouldn't tell you anything or talk to anybody unless he was cursing them out.  He would tell you to go get f$%edif you asked him if he was hungry!!  Please listen to me.  If you can get him to a lockdown treatment facility that has a solitary confinement, you would be in a much better situation.  But the facility has to have methadone or something to level out his endorphins.  Please DO ANYTHING YOU CAN, THIS IS A DISEASE!!! You wouldn't let somebody that has the flu, just lay in bed and ignore them would you? NO you would wait on them hand and foot and get them anything they needed to get better right?  I found my brother with no heartbeat and not breathing, on our bathroom floor one night.  He was blue, sweating, and had a belt around his arm with a needle on the sink.  I had to resesitate him.  I walked him around in -10 degree weather.  I smacked him on his face, gave him CPR and he finally came back to life.  I was petrified, here was my little brother lying on the bathroom floor DEAD!! Think about that, he finally recovered from this dreadful, horrible addiction and is living a normal life today.  He is married and awaiting his first child, all within two years!! It can be done, it can be!!!THese other good people are right, the person has to want to help themselves but you hve to go off the deep end to save your son.  God Bless you and I wish you luck.  You sound like all hell is going to brake loose soon, so godspeed
Chad Buckler

[Brighty to ChadB.]

God bless you.... I have been there too. My daughter nearly died seven times of her heroin addiction. She now has 10 months clean and is in school and attends regular recovery meetings. Your advice is from the heart and from the head. Thank you for posting about the pain and also the hope !!! Love, Brighty

[Brighty to Casey]

My 21 year old daughter has a 3 year heroin addiction and is in her 10th month of recovery. ALL the comments you got were true and on target. Depression is ALWAYS a by product of withdrawl, or needing a fix. The depression is a mental health issue and at this point it is not important if it was a pre-existing condition or a side effect of opiate use. Does your son want to quit ?? If he does, then with your support, he needs to commit to detox and then a recovery plan. Check in your area to learn if there are any detox programs using buprenorphine. This may be the most comfortable detox that helps him keep his wits and emotions in control during a very difficult time. Lots of people abandon quitting during withdrawl because the physical and emotional suffering are too hard to bear. Use of some medications are helpful during this time. Cravings go on long after detox. This is where counseling and possible use of antidepressants and non-addictive sleep meds are assistive. Some sort of recovery plan is essential. He needs support of those who know what he is going through and can be there for him..OTHER ADDICTS in recovery...that's what NA is about.... he also needs to learn relapse prevention skills. Heroin is an opiate just as medical narcotics are... but most med addicts do not have the lifestyle of heroin addicts.... there is a whole sub-culture to heroin use that he needs to unlearn and he needs to learn to avoid at all cost. After many trys at helping our daughter get clean I realized that she should have gone for LONG TERM treatment first. After many relapses and suicide attempts it was TIME and counseling that made the difference. She spent nearly 6 months in a mental health/chemical dependency program and she still attends day treatment. Please be aware that heroin is deadly and the sooner your son quits the better chance he has of staying alive and returning to a normal life . I agree that you may have to get tough with him but please do not throw him in the street. Nobody knows what his bottom will be... for my daughter it would have been death which was quickly evident to us. You do not want to be his emotional hostage but his depression could overcome him to utter hopelessness. You do not want to have this happen hoping he will turn the corner. Even if you do not throw him out he needs to understand that he could still die of an overdose. If he does not want to quit it may be fear of withdrawl and this is why you need to check on buprenorphine or something other than "cold turkey". If he still does not want to quit then it's likely that he will eventually get to a point where he finds himself doing the unthinkable to support his habit... possibly jail will be on the list of inevitables.You can only pray that's his wake up call. Keep on intervening... it's a constant reminder of what he has to do and that he's not alone. I was doing this for 3 years ... I was not successful... finally a wise judge made some good decisions and forced my daughter into treatment... she finally surrendered and has her life back. She did not want to go back to jail so she complied but along the way the light went on in her head and her heart.  God bless you and your husband. I will pray for you and your son. There is hope and there is a God. Love, Brighty

[Brighty to Casey]

I do realize that you are very very supportive parents and seem to be doing everything right from the get go. I did the opposite.. I was shocked and went nuts... I think I was more hell to live with than my daughter was for a while there. However I learned a few things along the way. You will need to try different tactics if he does not respond. I remember a girl who was using with my daughter and she lived with her very supportive, polished father. She came home high regularly and he did not lose it... he would sit and talk to her. She had been agreeing to get help but somewhow it never happened. Months went by and he would hear, "Daddy, I'm sorry, I messed up again." One night he flung a dresser on it's side and put his fist through a door,then nailed the windows shut and dragged her into the bedroom and and locked her in. She agreed after 24 hours to go to detox. I think he finally met the demon "heroin" and realized it was a formidable opponent. My point is that your son is refusing many options ( which is typical) so at some point you have to decide perhaps if you are going to let him YES you to  death for too long. She was clean for a couple of months after that but I moved and do not know her long term situation. I pray she is still well. Stay on this board, everyone here wants to help you. God bless you. Brighty

[The Dude]

Brighty it sounds as if you went through hell too.  I'm glad to hear your daughter is healthy again.  Take care and thanks for the response.  God Bless you too.  I know you must do whatever you can to help a loved one.  I would've sold my soul to satan to get my brother off of this ****.
Chad B

[Brighty to ChadB.]

I get your drift... and honestly, that's what Satan wants... he would like to get your brother's soul and would have gladly taken yours and NOT spared your brother in return... it was your faith in God ( whoever He may be to you ) that claimed healing for your brother that night. I know what you mean though. This is a tough illness and so much possibility of a young life being snuffed for nothing but a $10 bag of junk. That's evil at work... all this exists for profit. Love, Brighty

[Brighty to ChadB.]

I get your drift... and honestly, that's what Satan wants... he would like to get your brother's soul and would have gladly taken yours and NOT spared your brother in return... it was your faith in God ( whoever He may be to you ) that claimed healing for your brother that night. I know what you mean though. This is a tough illness and so much possibility of a young life being snuffed for nothing but a $10 bag of junk. That's evil at work... all this exists for profit. Love, Brighty

[Samaria]

If anyone is still out there, I have a question, my boyfriend has a heroin addiction that I just found out about three months ago. He's been dealing with the addiction for about 3 or 4 years now. We've only been together for almost a year, and when I found out about it I gave him a ultimatum that he either goes to rehab and clean up his act, or I'm gone. Shortly after my ultimatum he was arrested for possession of crack (which is what he sold to buy the heroin), he was then put on an intensive probation program in which he had to take a drug test twice a week. Somehow I allowed him to convince me that taking drug test every week was what was going to help him get clean, and I didn't push the rehab ultimatum anymore. After about a good month in a half of being clean one day he just stop going to take the drug tests, but he kept on telling me he wasn't using drugs; he was still clean. My question is this in my heart I know he's using again, but I'm not 100% sure. When he leaves in the morning and comes back home one or two in the morning his mouth is dry, he doesn't have an appetite, he talks excessively, and has trouble sleeping at night. So are these symptoms of heroin use and if not what are the symptoms.

[CATUF]

Doesn't sound like H to me - sounds like coke, meth or some other stimulant.  But, I don't know all that much about H, so I found a good site that lists symptoms (www.noalasdrogas.net/drug_info.htm) and cut and pasted from there.

If he was supposed to be taking drug test in connection with the crack charges and he just quit, my guess is that he's not going to be home much longer anyway.  It's VERY unlikely that he "just quit" Court-ordered tests, but is still staying clean.  If an addict in Recovery engages in highly suspect, irresponsible behavior, 99 times out of 100 they're using again.  And if they're using, you CAN NOT trust them - "dogs bark, fish swim and addicts lie."  Anyway, a bit of that info from that site is below. :

CATUF
DAY-773
=======================

HERION  The short-term effects of heroin abuse appear soon after a single dose and disappear in a few hours.  After an injection of heroin, the user reports feeling a surge of euphoria ("rush") accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy extremities.  Following this initial euphoria, the user goes "on the nod," an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. Other effects included slowed and slurred speech, slow gait, constricted pupils, droopy eyelids, impaired night vision, vomiting, constipation.

COKE/CRACK   Short-term effects of cocaine include constricted peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety.  Duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects, which include energy, reduced fatigue, and mental clarity, depends on how it is used.  The faster the absorption, the more intense the high.  However, the faster the absorption, the shorter the high lasts.  The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. Cocaine's effects are short lived, and once the drug leaves the brain, the user experiences a "coke crash" that includes depression, irritability, and fatigue.

METH  Immediately after smoking or intravenous injection, the methamphetamine user experiences an intense sensation, called a "rush" or "flash," that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable.  Oral or intranasal use produces euphoria - a high, but not a rush.  Other effects include irritability/aggression, anxiety, nervousness, convulsions, insomnia.

[FLaddict]

The prior post is from 2001.. If you could please post your story as a new question it would be very helpful so everyone can read it and give you advice.. this one being old will get lost quickly..

I used heroin for several years and have been off for a long time but from what you are saying it doesn't sound like he is using heroin at this time... heroin doesn't really make you talk alot or have trouble sleeping.. If you truely believe he is using it may be something else he has moved on to.. Has he ever played with other drugs that you know of??

[beachtowel]

Hi Dave I agree with most of your points except for parents never cause addiction.......
There are some bad parents Dave, and some that really screw up kids even though they might
not even realize what they are doing to the mental health of their own children......
A lot of this is realized as "core issues" and I have heard some really sick stories in rehab.....

I also had some very difficult times with my own father who was really nuts at times......
Don't confuse core issues with excuses there very much different...........

[CATUF]

Dave wrote that in January of 2001.  

He's gone.  

The Airedog is gone.

RIP AIREDOG

[beachtowel]

I still haven't got used to this forum jumping all over I think it is stupid and who evers idea it was I think they have way to much time on their hands.......

[Samaria]

Is it possible he could be using methadone?

[Samaria]

Yes he told that he use to snort cocaine before he got introduced to heroin, but he's only admitted to still using heroin. I know I've been lieing to myself telling myself its a good chance that he's not using. I know he's using again because his behavior is abnormal I just don't know what he's using. Sometimes he will all of a sudden have this burst of energy, and he'll start cleaning (and he's the type of person who doesn't clean), or he'll start doing all kind of unnescessary work around the house, and then all of a sudden he becomes very slow motion, he seems drowsy, and his speech is very slurred.

[FLaddict]

possibly using Suboxone or Subutex.... they are replacement drugs that can mess with sleep.. make you kind of speedy.. they are used to get you off of opiates... some people abuse them though...
methodone generally doesn't have any speedy effects... any other clues you can give me to help..

[Samaria]

Thats pretty much all I really notice. He makes it a point to leave before I wake up and come back when I'm sleeping so I won't notice anything. Whatever he's doing he doesn't do it around me because he refuses to take me with him when he leaves.

[Samaria]

Oh there is one more thing. Sometimes when I'm in his car I find cigarette filters (taken out of the cigarette itself) on the floor and one time I found a spoon with something stuck to it (had a tanish color) and a piece of the filter was stuck to it as well, and their were burnt marks on the bottom of the spoon.

[FLaddict]

And you found this stuff recently.... that is him shooting something for sure...

[Samaria]

Yeah this was recently like a few weeks ago, and we are missing several spoons. I also found a razor blade in the car too where the spoon was

[Samaria]

Don't laugh because I don't know the first thing about drugs and how their used, but are packs of Lemonade Koolaid associated with anything because I'm always finding that in his car as well and he never brings it in the house or make koolaid with it for that fact. I think he may be using more than one drug, but I think methadone maybe one of them because I heard you drop the methadone pill in orange juice and drink the orange juice and just recently he bought a jug of orange juice (which he never buys).

[FLaddict]

Yeah honey he is using... I am not sure what based on what you are describing... but if he has that stuff in his car then he is up to something... I am sorry you are going through this....

[Samaria]

Thanks for your help

[FLaddict]

No problem if there is anything I do let me know..

[bdoon]

Taking all that acetaminophen is terrible...God knows why you haven't gotten sick sooner. You may have liver problems from all that tylenol . A friend of mine..his daughter was taking about 20 500mg tylenol a day because narcotics made her sick...She just got a liver transplant cause the tylenol destroyed her liver. Get checked out brother.

[Fed Up Girlfriend]

Hi...My boyfriend is an opiate addict...He initially became addicted to Oxy Contin and then graduated to heroin use...For almost two years now he has been going to a methadone clinic and had a few slip ups on the way (A couple months of Xanax abuse, for example)  He has been gradually decreasing his methadone so he can enter a treatment facility (the place he'd like to go, St. Jude's, requires that you are detoxed before being admitted to their program)...As he has been decreasing the methadone he had two instances (to my knowledge, mind you) where he freaked out and binged...Once it was cocaine, the other time it was snorting heroin.  Now he claims he really wants to enter treatment because he knows he's slipping, yet he still acts like he's using...He is fine during the morning and afternoon but by early evening he becomes extremely tired, dazed, and  all around just "doesn't feel well".  Although both his family and I openly suspect that he is still usingl, he claims that these are symptoms of withdrawing from Methadone.  He says that the reason he feels fine early in the day is because that's when the medicine is strongest, but as it wears off, he begins to feel extremely tired and awful.  I've looked into symptoms of Methadone withdrawl on the internet and yes, he could be telling the truth...But some of the side effects of Methadone withdrawl are so similar to Heroin usage/withdrawl that it is hard to tell what is really going on.  I suspect that the rapid withdrawl will make you feel extremely tired, nauseous, etc, but will it make you DAZED?  I don't think so...Any thoughts?  
- Fed Up Girlfriend

[FLaddict]

Ok.. so you think he is really using.. not going through withdrawl right??

Rapid withdrawl as you called it, would make someone pretty out of it.. tired but unable to sleep, depressed, nauseous, diarreah, extreme moods ect..

Being on methodone itself can make a person look the same as they do on heroin.. it is a very strong drug and still has many of the side effects as heroin does.

I assume the methodone clinic does drug tests on him.. If so he would be coming up dirty if he is using and they would kick him out.

[Fed Up Girlfriend]

It was initially a gradual withdrawl but now the whole process is speeding up.

[Fed Up Girlfriend]

Thanks for responding...It was supposed to be a gradual withdrawl and then at one point he did ask the clinic to speed it up so they decreased the dosage at a faster rate, but still at a rate that wouldn't make him sick...He was down to around 30 and then all of a sudden he was dropped to 16 because he was put on an administrative detox (he says its because he initally owed money to the clinic and paid off 150 yet still owed 40 bucks)...Could the administrative detox be because he keeps testing positive for heroin and they have to kick him out now but not just in a cold turkey fashion?

[FLaddict]

I am not sure if that is the case with clinic.. it sure sounds like it could be the reason.. Dropping from 30mgs to 16 would definatley make some sick for sure.. they generally only drop people 5mgs a month or 1-2 mgs a week..

Just an FYI  you will probably not get many responses since you posted on a thread that started in 2001.. some members do not have their settings to where they can see old posts.. only new ones created.

[Fed Up Girlfriend]

Thank you for your response...I'll post it on another thread as well...Take care :)

[jeannie68]

I have a question on the signs to look for if someone close to me is using herion....could someone please help me

[wait2long]

look for track marks on arms or where there may be some good veins...pinpoint pupils, very talkative one minute, nodding off the next, lots of energy...then nodding off

[Broncos Fan]

Hi I have a really good friend who is going on an interview this week because he can't hold a job. Can someone tell me if Herion will show up in his urine? Also he wants and needs to quit but can't deal with the withdrawls or afford rehab. If he takes less and less everyday will his withdrawls not be so bad. He needs anyones help really bad and a job...Thank you a good friend

[melmichigan]

my boyfriend is a user as well. i am constantly in denial, but acceptance. what are some things to look for? paper towel? what's that about? and incensce burning? to cover the smell of burning the powder on a spoon? is there a smell? i haven't found spoons.... he swore never again, because i was an addict once, but never prepped it or saw much of it other than when it was injected. i'm the dumbest well educated (dual masters) person alive possibly.and if he has a script for vicodin, and takes it, will heroin just show as a narcotic if i insist on a **** test? can they specifically test for heroin?

[gallatea82]

HI, Everybody
I live in Dublin but I come from Poland .I came to Ireland and I got schocked, I've never seen so many drug ussers , every second person is on cocaine and every 5th on heroine or methadone detox. I met my boyfriend over 2 years ago. Everything was great till i started to nottice that his attitude dramaticly changed. He was iritated all the time, tired and sleepy lost his weight drasticly. He had a tiny pupills and big appetite on sweets(especially chocolate). Couldn't sleep at night, he was sweatting and scratching all the time. I knew that theres something wrong, but I come from different country and never had a chance to met and drug usser in my life and i wouldn't know the symptoms. Anyway he was compulsive liar. The things started be mising on me. At the begining i felt that the loves me, but when i was susspecting his addiction he stopped give a f$% about anything. I newer cryed in my life when one night i went down stairs after him to a bathroom and after couple minutes pushed the doors, and saw him sitting ont he toilet and in one hand he was holding the tin foil and in another pipe size like ciggarette and the lighter. I couldn't move , he was shocked,he got angry and told me to get out.........I left him that time for 2 week, after that he was calling and asking me to come back ,saying he will go to the clinic and start to heal himself. And he went on Methadone program. After sometime I started to find again a small bags with a rests of a powder, bits of tin foil etc. He was dissepearing again....today I'm 2 years with him I gave him too many chances....I think he's on heroine again. All the symptoms starting to come back.... I can't catch him red handed anymore.... If he is I know he will hide it good....Please anybody who is a bit more experienced than i am tell me how to check. I even started to go through his things...I cant find anything. But deep in my soul I just know that theres something wrong just like two years ago......do they ever change? Please Help...

[gallatea82]

P.s Does Heroin smoking leaves strange smell different than a cigarette smell. Cause my boyfriend has discusting smell.... I asked him about and he said it's a cigarette but I don't think so....Help

[gallatea82]

It's me again, I was right he was lying to me all the time, he's back on I found an evidence, now I know that all the time my intuition wasn't fulling me. I found a tin foil in his wallet,with brown lines on it. Now I'm ready to finish all 2 waisted years...

[marystacy]

im all most sure my husben is useing harrion. can you smoke it out of plastic? do you need twisty ties? my spoons our missing i find brokin pens he some times smokes pot and drinks with me but if i watch him and dont drink or smoke he get tiny puples and swate. i have found glass jars with brown stuff on top of jar it was sticky i all so find pennys that have the same stuff.also i miss my magnets.please can some one help me and cant fine it any where? marystacy

[mike_olee]

Hi Im 19 years old and ive been using heroin for almost 3 years now.  I do not shoot up.  5 weeks ago i had enough of this life and decided to quit.  I was going strong for 3 weeks it was the worst 3 weeks of my life.  I have gotten past the sweating and the vomiting 2 weeks into it.  One day at work on the day of the 3rd week i just couldnt take my back pain my head feeling as if it was going to explode and i guess the depression and I relapsed.  3 days after that i got a foot injury and couldnt walk and used for 9 days. And now im back at square one i have learned that i made a stupid mistake by using because the way i was feeling then before i used again was alot easier to deal with than fullblown withdrawl all over again.  Now im 5 days clean and starting over again.

I was reading this thread and felt i needed to get this off my chest.  When i was using i was up to anywhere from 6-10 bags a day sniffing it.  I was stealing and robbing from anyone it didn't matter who and changed me into the very thing i used to hate years ago.

Getting treatment probably is the best thing to do but for personal reasons i dont want to explain I am unable to get any treatment at all ever.  

Does anyone know how long it takes to get all the receptors in the brain to recover?  And if so do they recover on their own because I feel like this drug as sucked the life out of me and i just want to get back to normal and be happy with life.

[serenaimago]

i have known several ex-addicts but i didn't suspect my dearest sweetheart to be an addict... he has had very mysterious behavior for the past year... since right before we broke up.  he has said things to me like that he wants to protect me from his "darkness" and that i am his true love... spoons have gone missing from my house ever since we broke up, and i sometimes got the feeling he had been there when i was gone, and over the past year he has come to my house in the middle of the night, very clumsy and drunk-acting and very gloomy, very "out of it", but not smelling of beer.  he has gone through his first installment of inheritence but didn't even buy any new clothes or musical instruments.  the bass player from his band had to have his eye replaced... also, when we were together, for one year, we would have sex almost every day, tantric style, for half the night.  now we have hooked up a few times and he once fell asleep in the middle of it and other girls he has been dating have confessed to me he's not such a great lover anymore.  i have confronted him before, "are you doing heroin?" but he has said no... but once i said "having sex with you was like doing heroin--" and he looked me right in the eyes and said "yes, having sex with you WAS just like doing heroin--" like he was trying to tell me a secret.  but right before we broke up i told him i had a really bad feeling if he ever tried heroin, so to promise me never to try heroin, and if anyone ever introduced him to heroin, i would kick the sh** out of them, because i have seen it destroy many beautiful people.  i am ten years older than my exboyfriend and i consider him my true love... he has said the same.  i saw him yesterday and his eyes were "out of it" and he was clumsy... i assumed he was stoned but now that i know more about this and the signs i am getting positive he's been on heroin since we broke up.

what should i do?
does it sound like he's on H?
should i confront him again?

when we were together, he was the best boyfriend i had ever had, honorable, smart, talented, creative, an amazing lover, he would do anything for me...

since we broke up i have felt like he doesn't care about me anymore but he always calls me up and insists he loves me forever...

please give reflection if you have any...
if he IS on heroin i'm afraid so is the whole town we live in because a lot of kids act like it... i moved from the city where my circle of friends was hit really hard by drugs and so i feel like i am a positive role model but i guess no one cares to look up to anything anymore, their life is too empty... there aren't good jobs to be had and nothing to do unless you're a MAGICIAN who can create their own reality without drugs and hardly anybody's that anymore!

[Willy981]

Does a heroin addicts eyes have dilated pupils?

[tiredfriend]

When a person is on H, they will have pinpoint pupils, slowed deep breathing, probably be euphoric and babbling on about whatever(overly interested in things they normally wouldn't care about), slurred speach, may even fall asleep in middle of sentence.  

[gflmom]

Well it's late and I have work tomorrow but I got online and found this site.  WOW, thanks for the info. Our 19 yr old daughter left our home at 17 when she ran away with a new boyfriend.  We had her in therapy on and off for cutting and acting out.  Well, she got into drugs and for the past year plus has been doing heroin.  We just found out this past summer by a lawyer!  She spent 2 months in jail for stealing.  We did not bail her out the 2 times nor show up at court.  We did visit her each week.  She got out of jail in 3 wks ago.  We allowed her back in our home with conditions of no drugs and get a job.  She lasted a week and came home high.  She made her leave.
She then found a nearby friend to live with, joined an outpatient center, got a p/t time and comes by often.  Our fear is when this boyfriend gets out of jail she will again drop everything for him.  Another fear is her saying she wants to prove to us, we can trust her, so she can come back to live with us in a few weeks.  If she goes back on the heroin, we will again have to make her leave.  The waiting  of what she will decide is the worst part for me.
We know, we're not the cause or cure.  Just wish she knew how serious we are in our stand.  Any suggestions on how we can have her know without a doubt, we mean what we say so don't relapse!   Thanks

[Json3]

I have a 20 yr old son who is addicted to Herion. We knew he was doing drugs but did not know what drug. In August he came to us and told us he was going through withdrawals and was addicted to Herion. We were devastated. It was the weekend and could not find a place to get him help. We went through 3 days of horrible withdrawals with him. We "thought" he was over the worst. I noticed he took a quick walk on the 3 or 4th day. What we did not know then was that he went out and got some herion! For about 2 1/2 months we had him in counseling 3 times a week each time for 3 hours. What we did not know was he was doing herion while going to counceling.

We also noticed that a few things were missing from our home, like tools, but he said that they were at a friends home who was borrowing them. About 3 weeks ago our son came to us again and told us he was doing herion and needed help. We were this time able to get him to go a detox place.  While he was in detox I went through his things. I found he had taken things our ours and pawned them or sold them.The detox place normally keeps people for 7 days or more. Our son promised he would stay until he was clean. Our son checked himself out early after being there only 3 full days. He said he was clean and off drugs, we were not sure we wanted to believe him, but were doubtful. Our son is showing signs of doing herion. Not sure, I have not found any drug stuff like I had before. But he has been lying since he has been out of detox, he has been asking for money from people, which he should not need, since he lives at home and has food here etc... I am concerened he is stealing now from other places to get his herion. But dont know for sure. His two best friends believe he is doing herion again, as well as his girlfriend. I have asked him if he was doing herion again and he said no. I think this time he does not want to tell us because he knows how much he has hurt us the last to times we went through this. As well as he is not probably wanting to try to go through detox again, since he knows how bad it can be. The detox place we took him to the second time he asked for help did have meds to help witht he withdrawal symptoms. We plan on all of us getting together this weekend and confronting him with what we feel and know. God willing he will admit to us all he is doing herion again and needs help and this time will stay longer in detox until he is truly clean. Our concern is that he is only on our health insurance until the end of the year, then we are not sure what type of help there is out there for those who do not have insurance.

Another concern of ours is how is he paying for this drug. He has no job right now, so that is why we feel he is stealing. We are concerned that now he could get caught for stealing and thrown into jail and then have a record. That would make getting a job hard when he does get clean.

My husband and I are just broken and sadden over this. We love him dearly and its so frustrating so see him not able to stay away from it and make it through detox. Each time he has spiraled down more with each time we go through this.

Thanks,

Ann

[concerned236]

Online, I typed in my son is a heroin addict and found this site.  I have been throough this for so long.  My son is a groun man in his 40s and last year lost his job in Florida and came back to California because he had no job, no home, etc.  He has been here 1 year and doesn;t have enough money to move out.  He does have a low paying job, but his attitude there is causing them to want to fire him.  He has been to 2 treatment centers for the 4 week program each time.  He has been drinking and I was hoping that he wasn't on drugs.  I have been helping him by letting him stay here for practically nothing.  He is always broke and today I found small packets of herion hidden in his closet.  This is my home, and I refuse to keep helping him and I don't know what to do.  I love my son with all my heart but I am enabling him to do what he does.  He has made so many wrong choices and this is the result.  No wife, no kids, a low paying job, no home and he is depressed most of the time.  Please am I enableing him by letting him stay here.  I don't know how to confront him about what I found.  Help,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[stilltrying1965]

I am 34 days clean from a 13 year heroin addiction your son will feel and look normal when he has used heroin .But when he has got no heroin he will be deppresed &cry his emotions will be all over the place as you have already seen there are three ways you can use heroin enjecting snorting or what a heroin addict calls chasing the dragon and it is a brown or white powder chasing the dragon is whe the powder is put on silver kitchen foil and smoked but what you have already been told about heroin is also true you cant do this for your son he needs to want to get clean himself can you get him to come on the site and talk to me or some others who have experinced heroin you can pm me any time i would be more than happy to help all your son needs is the desire to quit this demon of a drug i have never stole from my family never took tv hifi but did go to great lenths to get the money for my next bit of heroin please pm me and ill try mt best to help you and your son when this drug gets a grip it does not let go easily good luck casey

[stilltrying1965]

sorry the above message is for you not casey

[misshim]

so ive been with this guy for about a year now

first it was oxy addiction and then he made a new friend who i know uses heroin and now spends all his time with him and i suspect he is using too but he denies it

he has recently begun complaining about random throw up sessions but claims he thinks its an ulcer due to stress....spends all his time with his new friend and stays in his house a lot (which is weird cuz he used to be a big party animal) and he has let his body go from 8pack to flabish and has bags under his eyes and his mom said she found a pipe around the house

but again i dont know if im just being crazy, thats how he is making me feel, but i really do wonder and wish i could know for sure and help :/
i asked to drug test him and he freaked out and said he wouldnt pass anyways becuz he did vikes a few days ago and a "real friend" wouldnt make him do one
im so sad to watch someone get lost to a drug :( i miss him

[Appelonia]

How can u tell what someone is on? He used to be a heoin addict but swears on his father (who just passed) that he is not doing it after 1 year. but these are his symptoms: he has so many i dont know where to start maybe hes on a whole bunch of stuff cuz i know he is also a pill popper everything and anything so maybe its just a mix of things that causing all these symptoms but here goes: sometimes very drowsy slurred speach glossy eyes and runs to bathroom to throw up (no appetite) (he claims he used weed) other times very talkative wont shut up and no appetite then while hes sleeping he cant stay still hes kicking a jolting and twitching movements. the other day his eyes where watery and running and nose was runny and hes claiming that he has been having very bad headaches and his stomach hurts 2 main things he has been complaing about lately and now his tooth is hurting him and one side of his face is a little puffy (before when he was using heroin his gums where always infected!) I dont know what to think because i know he has admitted to taking all kinds of pills so i dont know if its just a mix of pills that hes taking or the H  Can anyone please give me their opinion!!  Thanks