Call (800) 570-0298 (
Who Answers?) to find a heroin treatment center and learn more about your treatment options.
Quitting Heroin Cold Turkey
Should a Person Try to Stop Using Heroin "Cold Turkey"?
Most people don't just use a drug like heroin once, and if so, they're probably also abusing other substances. It doesn't matter how heroin is administered,
HEROIN IS ADDICTIVE AND VERY POWERFUL
Individuals that inject heroin have even more serious problems and risks associated with their use which can make detox and withdrawal more severe. It's never medically a good idea to quit taking heroin 'cold turkey' without the advice and supervision of a medical professional no matter how the drug is administered.
What Are the Dangers of Quitting Heroin Use "Cold Turkey"?
This depends on how long a person has abused heroin and how heavy and frequent their use has been. Frequent heroin use affects a person's health and they need to be monitored during detoxification for their safety. Many heroin users prefer to inject the drug because they experience their high fast and intense. Chronic use of heroin can cause collapsed veins, the heart lining and valves can develop infections, disease of the liver or kidneys can develop, and their lungs may also be affected.
With possible serious health problems caused from heroin abuse and intense withdrawal symptoms experienced when quitting, a person should never stop using heroin 'cold turkey'. They should always seek professional medical help and supervision if they're trying to stop.
Many heroin users also abuse other substances, and this needs to be taken into consideration when trying to get clean and stop using. The abuse of alcohol, other street drugs or prescription drugs is serious by itself and causes health problems, when combined with heroin abuse 'quitting cold turkey' without medical supervision can be very dangerous and possibly be fatal.
