Heroin, also known as diamorphine among other names, is an opiate typically used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. It is an opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance from the seed pod of the Asian opium poppy plant. On the street heroin may come as a white or brown powder. It can also come as a black sticky substance often referred to as black tar heroin. Heroin enters the brain rapidly and changes back into morphine. It binds to opioid receptors on cells located in many areas of the brain, especially those involved in feelings of pain and pleasure. Research suggests that the abuse or misuse of prescription opioid pain medication magnifies the risk of an individual using heroin, and the current opiate epidemic in America seems to thoroughly support these claims.

Is Heroin a Medicine

Because it is a form of morphine it is occasionally used medically to relieve pain, however it is not accepted for medical use in the United States.

FACT –  German drug company Bayer marketed diacetylmorphine as an over-the-counter cough suppressant drug with the trademark name Heroin.

Diamorphine is produced from acetylation of morphine derived from natural opium sources. Numerous mechanical and chemical means are used to purify the final product. The final products have a different appearance depending on purity, which also means different names.

For example, the original trade name of “heroin” is typically for non-medical settings. This and other street names are consistent with recreational use. Heroin is prescribed as a strong pain medication in some countries around the world, including the United Kingdom under the name of diamorphine.

Method of Heroin Administration

The time it takes for heroin’s effects to kick-in depends upon the method of administration. Studies show that the euphoric feeling of drug use is proportional to the rate at which the presence of the drug in the blood increases. With higher doses of heroin used and the faster the route of administration, the higher the potential for psychological addiction. Heroin can be consumed in various ways. Some of the more common methods include:

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms

Heroin withdrawal will not be the same universally. Some will experience the stage of withdrawal with different intensity over different periods of time. Some factors will also determine how one experiences withdrawal, such as:

• Length of time using
• Method of heroin administration
• The dosage and frequency of using

These aspects of heroin use will impact how dependent the brain and body have become. The intensity and duration of the withdrawal period will be determined by the dependence.

Due to the impact of powerful opioid drugs like heroin on the functions of the central nervous system, along with binding to receptors in the brain and manipulating chemical activity, withdrawal symptoms will range parallel to how much the brain relies on heroin and how much of the chemical structure of the brain has been altered by using heroin.