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The Effects of Methadone & Heroin

Heroin and methadone are separate--yet related--drugs. Heroin is a semi-synthetic opioid drug taken for recreation (illegally). In some countries, it's used as a prescribed medication. Heroin is a depressant, slowing down the body's functions and providing a sense of lowered anxiety. Methadone is also a semi-synthetic opioid drug, commonly used to rehabilitate heroin abusers by blocking the effects of heroin.

  1. Short Term Effects

    • The first effect of heroin--and the primary reason for recreational drug use--is the sudden rush and feeling of euphoria created by the heroin binding to the opioid receptors. This rush gives a feeling of warmth and heaviness. With time, the body begins to slow down. Breathing becomes slow. This may also come with feelings of intense drowsiness.

      Methadone does not give the same rush that comes from heroin, although it does provide a less intense sense of peaceful euphoria. The short term effects of methadone include restlessness, vomiting, nausea, constipation, slow breathing, sweating, and restlessness.

    Long Term Effects

    • The long-term effects of heroin are addiction and tolerance. Over time, heroin addicts require increasingly more of the substance to achieve the same short-term effects. Long-term effects of methadone include addiction, tooth decay, lung and respiratory problems, and changes in the menstrual cycle.

    Medical Effects

    • In some countries, heroin is available in controlled environments (hospitals) as a pain killer. Medical heroin is usually called diamorphine. Methadone is used in some cases as a pain medication, but it is more commonly used as a substitute drug to wean addicts from heroin dependence.

    Overdose

    • Heroin abusers face a high risk of overdose for many reasons. New heroin users may not accurately measure the amount their body can tolerate. Experienced users who have refrained from using the drug for a period of time may overdose because of a diminished tolerance. Finally, users taking street heroin may misjudge the purity of the drug mistakenly take more than the normal dosage. Methadone overdose can take place if a higher than normal dosage is administered or if the drug is mixed with certain other pain killers.

    Withdrawal

    • Heroin withdrawal is characterized by cramps, itchiness, diarrhea, anxiety, vomiting, fever, sweating, spasms, aching feelings in the limbs, and heaviness. Heroin withdrawal is often a terrible experience, but it's not bad enough to kill someone. The onsets of withdrawal can take place between 8 and 24 hours of the last dose of heroin, and it may last for as long as a week.

      Methadone is much slower acting in the body and may remain in the body for much longer. Withdrawal from methadone is often not as bad as withdrawal effects of heroin, though it may last for weeks or even months. Effects of methadone withdrawal include hallucinations, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, fever, tremors, chills, anxiety, paranoia, and panic.

    Other

    • Recreational heroin users face a variety of problems from heroin because the sale and creation of heroin for these purposes is illegal and unregulated. Street heroin may contain impurities that block blood vessels or poison the user for other reasons. Taking heroin intravenously is a risk because the equipment required to inject heroin, if not brand new, may be infected with diseases which are passed on to the drug user.

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