Heroin: Tolerance and Addiction
The regular heroin use produces tolerance to the drug, which means that the user has to use more heroin to achieve the same intensity of effect. This use of higher doses has, over time, physical dependence and addiction. With physical dependence, the body adapts to the presence of the drug and can suffer withdrawal symptoms if use is reduced or discontinued.
Withdrawal, which in regular abusers may occur as quickly as a few hours after the last dose of the drug, among other symptoms, triggers a strong craving for heroin use, as well as agitation, muscle aches and the bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (“cold turkey” or “cold break”), and in the form of kicking movements (“kicking the habit”, which literally means “kicking the habit”).The main symptoms of this syndrome are highest between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Although withdrawal from heroin is considered less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturates, may occasionally be fatal when an addict with a strong dependency on drugs and poor health leaves abruptly.