Heroin Detox & Withdrawal

Detox from Heroin Today

Breaking Free From the Grip of Heroin Withdrawal, One Step at a Time.

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Page Clinically Reviewed on 8 July 202429 April 2025 by Kerry Canning, MBChB | Medical Editor

Heroin Detox and Heroin Withdrawal

If you are dependent on heroin, detoxing from heroin can lead to heroin withdrawal symptoms as your body removes the drug from your system. These physical and psychological effects can be distressing and uncomfortable and may persist for several months.¹

Heroin detox is the process of removing heroin and other opiates from the body. It is the first step in treating heroin addiction, and it can be a challenging process. If you or a loved one are struggling with heroin addiction, here’s what you need to know about heroin detox.

What is Heroin Withdrawal?

Heroin is a powerful drug that can rapidly change the dopamine neurotransmitter system in your brain which is responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward. Prolonged heroin use disrupts your chemical balances, leading to addiction. When you stop heroin, your brain struggles to balance dopamine levels, causing cravings for heroin and other signs of withdrawal. This leads to a strong urge to keep using the drug even when you don’t want to.¹

What To Expect During Heroin Detox

If you are addicted to heroin then your body will need to adjust to life without it when you decide to go through heroin detox. Experiences with heroin withdrawal may vary for different people and will likely be impacted by:

• How long you’ve used heroin for
• How much heroin you took
• How you took the heroin (e.g., smoking heroin, injecting heroin or snorting it)
• Whether you mixed the heroin with other drugs
• Your physical and mental health

When going through a heroin detox, the severity of your opioid withdrawal symptoms will vary and although unpleasant, they are usually not life-threatening.

Common Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms

Heroin withdrawal symptoms may feel similar to other illnesses you’ve had before. But because of drug use and drug addiction, these symptoms may feel stronger and change rapidly. This can make withdrawal feel like an overwhelming experience.

Short-term Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms

Some of the common and short-term symptoms are similar to the effects of the flu, these include:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Runny nose
• Sweating and chills

Other physical symptoms of heroin detox include diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, dilated pupils, feeling sick, watery eyes, high blood pressure, pain across the body, tremors and shakes, and vomiting.¹

Long-term Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms

Psychological symptoms that you may experience because of opioid withdrawal include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Intense craving for drug use
• Insomnia
• Mood swings
• Restlessness

Heroin Withdrawal Timeline

People experience opioid withdrawal symptoms differently. However, many people dealing with heroin addiction go through similar stages. These patterns help us predict what we can expect during withdrawal.²

6-12 hours after the last use of heroin: the symptoms typically start, and you may feel like you have a very bad flu.

Days 1-3: the symptoms may feel the most intense, which is why it is also referred to as the ‘peak’ phase, and you may experience severe withdrawal.

Days 3-5: you may notice that your physical symptoms start to calm down. You may still deal with general discomfort from symptoms such as abdominal cramps and feeling a little sick. You may still find it challenging to deal with psychological symptoms.

Days 5-7: you may feel as though the most severe withdrawal symptoms have passed, but you may still deal with some discomfort.

After 1 week: you may notice that most, if not all, of the most challenging symptoms have reduced or disappeared. However, you may still experience physical symptoms. Physical symptoms at this stage may include nausea and psychological symptoms could include anxiety, mild depression, and mood swings.

Some people experience Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS), which is when persistent heroin withdrawal symptoms return intermittently for months or years after you’ve stopped using heroin. Symptoms tend to be psychological and related to a person’s mood. PAWS can be a risk factor for heroin relapse, so early identification and treatment are important.³

The Dangers of Detoxing from Heroin Alone

Opiate withdrawal is complex, which makes attempting heroin detox alone potentially dangerous. It is crucial for you to seek medical help through a heroin addiction treatment programme to stay safe.

Carrying out a heroin detox alone could lead to these complications:

• Extreme dehydration due to diarrhoea or vomiting which can lead to electrolyte imbalances
• Breathing in stomach contents into the lungs (aspiration) which can lead to lung infection
• Relapse and return to heroin use due to intense cravings (a normal part of heroin addiction)
• Overdose – after not using heroin for a while your tolerance will be lower, which increases the chance of overdosing on a much smaller amount than you used to take
• Experience very poor mental health because of withdrawal. This could include self-harm or suicidal thoughts
• Worsen any existing health conditions you may have, as withdrawal symptoms can be physically very demanding.⁴

When To Seek Emergency Medical Help for Heroin Detox

Most of the withdrawal symptoms you may experience won’t be life-threatening. However, we do encourage you to seek emergency medical assistance if you experience any of the following:

• Severe symptoms including a high fever, seizures, uncontrollable vomiting, chest pain or breathing difficulties
• A relapse after detoxing as you will be at a greater risk of overdosing

You will be able to get emergency medical attention by dialling 999 or going to your closest A&E department.

Where is the Best Place to Detox from Heroin?

The most effective way to detox from heroin is in a medically-managed detox centre with a team of professionals at your side. A supportive environment where your medical and emotional needs can be catered for can help you not only detox from heroin, but also embark on a life in recovery from drugs.

Medically-Managed Heroin Detox at Castle Craig

At Castle Craig, our detox and rehab centre offers:

• 24/7 medical care with a medical team to monitor your vital signs and general health to make sure you’re safe.
• Medically managed detox led by a Consultant Psychiatrist to monitor your physical and psychological symptoms and prescribe medication if needed.
• A safe space to detox with people who care about you. This includes support from medical and mental health professionals and others going through the detox process.
• A personalised heroin addiction treatment plan to guide you to recovery.

Why Choose Castle Craig for Heroin Detox?

Our approach at Castle Craig is personalised. We’ll create a unique addiction treatment plan for you based on your specific physical and mental health needs.

Read more about Why Castle Craig is suited for your recovery journey.

What Happens After Detox?

It is important to remember that, as challenging as withdrawal symptoms can be, they are part of the longer process of addiction recovery, a process that begins with detox and continues throughout your life. Detoxification is a crucial first step, following which you can take part in therapy and join support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous, a free support group for drug dependence and drug abuse problems. With the right support in place, you can find recovery from heroin addiction.