What Are The Symptoms Of Heroin Use

If you are a parent or friend of someone who may be using heroin you may be asking, " What are the symptoms of heroin use " ? Heroin is a very destructive drug that completely takes over a person who is addicted to it. Heroin is physically addictive as well as mentally addictive, and one of the most difficult drugs to get off of. Many of those who successfully get off of heroin have returned to using it again even years later. But to know if someone is using it, "what are the symptoms of heroin use", needs to be answered.

The first thing to know about heroin use is that this is a drug that must be used every day in order for the addict to function otherwise they will become very "sick". This is a result of withdrawals from not using heroin. Withdrawals from heroin occur within 24 hours from the last use. The need to use heroin everyday means the addicted individual must take time out to get this drug every day as well as come up with the money to "cop", or buy the drug, which can become very expensive as the tolerance increases and higher doses are required to feel the drug.

Because the addict needs to cop heroin everyday they will need to make excuses to explain where they are going. If the addict lives in the city then copping can be fairly quick but for those in the suburbs that have to travel to the city areas, need to disappear for 2 or 3 hours everyday. So one sign of heroin use is an individual that is constantly having to disappear to go cop. Now this sign alone is not enough to say for sure so you will need to look for more signs.

There will be a need for money all of the time. A bag of heroin cost anywhere from 5 dollars up to 20 dollars. In the early stages of heroin use one or two bags may be good enough, but as time goes by ten, twenty or even more bags will be needed. So even at ten bags of heroin a day ( called a bundle of heroin or dope), the cost will be 50 dollars or more plus the gas or cost of travel to get the heroin. The addicted individual will use whatever money they have as well as turn to family members for money. They will usually manipulate family and friends into giving them money by telling them lies, such as they got a flat tire and need money for a tire, n They addicted person will also steal things to pay for their habit. So lots of excuses  to borrow money, missing money or items and the person constantly being broke is another sign of heroin use.

Because the addicted persons life becomes consumed with heroin they will begin to hang around others who also use heroin. They share a common ground and can help each other feed their habits. One may have a car the other more money, so one will buy the other heroin for taking them to get the heroin. The addicted individual will begin to have a couple new friends around and spend less time with friends that they have had all along. a change of friends may be a sign of heroin use.

Some heroin addicts sniff the dope and some will inject the dope. Those that sniff may leave rolled up bills or paper in the shape of a straw or shortened straws may be laying around. Those injecting heroin will need needles and a cap or spoon to mix the dope which then a piece of cotton is placed in it which the mixture is then filtered through as it is sucked up into the needle. A lot of times the small cotton pieces can come from the filter of a cigarette. So signs of heroin injection will be spoons or caps with small cottons in them, needles, and cigarettes which have a small piece of the filter torn from it. the most telling sign would be track marks from continual injections on the skin. The most common spot for track marks are on the arms, could be legs, ankles, or feet. Most heroin addicts that inject into their arms will always have long sleeves on or something to hide track marks.

When a person uses heroin they will experience body changes. The changes that occur are small pupils even when dark out, called pinned eyes. They will have slow or slurred speech and nodding may occur. Nodding is when they close their eyes and look as if they are very tired and falling asleep. In the beginning stages of heroin addiction itching can be a sign as well, this later goes away.

So to sum up everything for the question, "What are the symptoms of heroin use" There is a list below. If there is a number of the signs listed below or talked about above noticeable an individual then there is a good chance they may be using or addicted to heroin.

Signs of Heroin Use

• Missing money or items
• Borrowing money all of the time
• Broke all of the time
• Daily excuses for disapearances
• Change of friends
• Needles
• Cigarettes with small pieces missing from the filter
• Caps or spoons with small cotton pieces in them
• Wearing long sleeves all of the time
• Track marks
• Pinned eyes
• Nodding
• Itching

I hope who ever you suspect of using heroin is not for their sake. It is a devastating drug and one that most never successfully ever get off of. Overdose occurs often and usually when the person has been clean then picks up again thinking they can tolerate larger doses like they had once before. I also hope that anyone who reads this never even needs to ask or know, " what are the signs of heroin use."