The Risk of Heroin Overdose After Detox

Heroin’s effects on the brain pose both immediate and long-term risks for anyone who uses or even tries the drug. Those who become addicted to heroin, more often than not, require professional drug treatment to stop using.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, heroin continues to be a primary driver of overdose deaths in the United States, especially because it is commonly mixed with fentanyl to increase its potency.  Many do benefit from detox care, but the potential for heroin overdose can be especially high once a person completes detox treatment.

Addiction is two-fold in nature, encompassing both physical and psychological dependencies. While heroin detox goes a long way towards treating the physical dependency, the risk of heroin overdose increases considerably in the absence of needed psychological addiction treatment.

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Heroin Detox Treatment

As the first stage of recovery, heroin detox treatment enables recovering addicts to break the body’s physical dependency on the drug. While this is an essential first step, it’s only the beginning of the recovery process.

The immediate rush of euphoric feelings brought on by heroin makes it difficult for recovering addicts to settle into recovery and do the necessary work to get well. After detox, a person must take steps to address the psychological aspects of addiction. Oftentimes, this means entering a residential treatment facility, or at the very least attending an outpatient treatment program.

Long-Term Withdrawal Effects

Depression resulting from heroin withdrawal can trigger a relapse.

During the detox stage, recovering addicts experience the acute withdrawal effects of addiction, such as chills, night sweats, vomiting and depression. After detox, many people still experience residual withdrawal effects due to the damage caused to brain and body functions from long-term drug use.

Residual withdrawal effects take the form of psychological symptoms, most notably depression. Many recovering addicts experience a persistent feeling of discontent and unhappiness as brain chemical functions still struggle to regulate a person’s emotional state.

This pervasive feeling of discontent can easily drive a person back to drug use, at which point the risk of heroin overdose becomes extremely high.

Lower Tolerance Levels

The brain’s rising tolerance levels for heroin are the driving force behind addiction. Brain tolerance levels drop significantly during detox treatment. After completing treatment, reduced tolerance significantly increases the risk of heroin overdose for individuals in recovery.

Heroin is a central nervous system depressant that slows critical functions such as breathing and heart rate. If a person relapses after detox, they often return to the same dose they used before treatment. However, because their brain and body can no longer tolerate that amount, the risk of respiratory depression and fatal overdose rises dramatically.

Heroin Overdose

Symptoms of heroin overdose develop quickly, requiring immediate medical attention. Signs of heroin overdose include:

• Shallow breathing
• Inability to breathe
• Pinpoint pupils
• Low blood pressure
• Weak pulse

In a study published in the January 2024 (volume 254) issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers found that the relative risk of overdose significantly decreased when medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) was incorporated into an individualized treatment plan for people with heroin addiction.

Without adequate treatment supports in place, the behaviors associated with the addiction lifestyle inevitably resurface. When this happens, relapse is all but inevitable and the potential for heroin overdose is high.

Find heroin detox and addiction treatment centers by using our directory, or call our helpline at 800-996-6135(Sponsored) to speak with a specialist.