Sections
Detoxification | Maintenance
Excerpt
Opiates include heroin, the most common street narcotic, and
its variants. In addition, this large class includes commonly used
therapeutic agents such as morphine, codeine, methadone, and other
prescription narcotic analgesics. Abstinence symptoms can begin
as early as 6 hours after the last dose of heroin or other short-acting
opiate. Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, yawning,
sweating, and rhinorrhea, followed by dilated pupils, tremor, goose
flesh, chills, anorexia, and muscle cramps. About a day after the
last dose, pulse, blood pressure, respiration, and temperature may all
increase, and diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting can occur. The syndrome, untreated,
peaks at 2–3 days and resolves within about 10 days, although mild
variable complaints may persist for weeks.