Heroin has a half life of not more than eight minutes. Even for a heavy user, the drug is undetectable in the body after a few days. Factors that affect the length of time for which heroin stays in the body include the mode of consumption, frequency, and the subject’s health.
Heroin is not used medically; it is taken purely for the kick that drug users crave. It is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States. You cannot obtain it even with a doctor’s prescription. Buying, selling, using, and possessing heroin is a crime in America.
Heroin is smoked, snorted, sniffed, inhaled or injected. The mode of consuming this drug affects the time it takes to enter the bloodstream. With almost all the methods mentioned, the drug reaches the brain fairly quickly. After consumption, heroin breaks down into morphine that has a half life of around 3.6 hours.
The rapid metabolization of heroin in the body leaves only a small window of time for detecting its presence. This timeframe varies with the weight, age, metabolism and other factors associated with the user. Screening for heroin can be done via blood work, urine tests, and hair sample testing. Heroin does not stay in the blood for longer than a day. After this period, a urine test is a better option for detecting the presence of heroin in the body. Heroin will show up in urine for up to two days. If the user is habituated to the drug or has taken a large dose, then heroin may show up for even longer.
The presence of heroin in hair can be detected even after three months. However, the length of hair and the amount of drug consumed determine if the test results can be used as legally admissible evidence.
Heroin is a highly addictive drug and twenty percent of those who take this drug casually end up getting addicted to it. Once addicts develop a tolerance to heroin, they have to then take it in higher doses to experience the kick. Heroin addiction results in innumerable physical and mental health issues. Withdrawal can be a difficult period and can exacerbate existing physical conditions. Addicts who inject heroin into their bodies are at risk of communicable diseases such as HIV and hepatitis infections. They also end up with heart, liver, and kidney diseases.
If you are dealing with heroin addiction or know someone who is then it is imperative that a doctor be consulted. Timely therapy and medical intervention can reverse the damage caused by heroin use. Drugs such as clonidine and methadone are prescribed to help with withdrawal symptoms related to heroin. Stay away from your drug abusing friends. Engage in healthy activities, play games, eat well, and spend time with the family.
If you still have questions about how heroin affects your body and the right way to regain sobriety, then The Villa Treatment Center can guide you. Call today. (855) 591-6116