If you have been addicted to Heroin for quite some time and want to stop consuming it, or have already finished it, you can expect to have some withdrawal symptoms. On an average, the withdrawal symptoms start from 6-12 hours after your last dose and will be at maximum for the first three days, after which it will begin to subsiding slowly. In a week’s time, you should see a few symptoms. In some users, the symptoms last for weeks or months as well. This is also called as Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS).

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The comedown of withdrawal is called the rebound effect, and it is the body’s mechanism of maintaining homeostasis. Dealing with withdrawal symptoms is not easy, so it is essential to learn about the withdrawal timeline for heroin addiction to manage things properly. Some of the withdrawal symptoms are listed below (though there can be many others not listed here) –

Strong Desire For Heroin

It is only natural for you to crave for heroin during the initial stages. This is true for any addiction, and it takes a lot of willpower to not give in to the cravings. The mind is set to get its daily dose and will try its best to continue the same, but once you can control the brain, the cravings will soon die.

Depression And Anxiety

Depression, anxiety, and irritability are common withdrawal symptoms known as having ‘dysphoric mood’, and occur because the brain is tuned to receive the drug at regular intervals and not getting it now. It is essential for you to get emotional support from someone who can guide you and understand you when you are going through the withdrawal phase. The mood changes could also be due to long-suppressed feelings related to past incidents that come off once you stop consuming heroin. If you are recovering in a treatment centre, you will undoubtedly have people who will support you. If the suppressed feelings of distress and pain do not pass entirely, you will need to consult a doctor immediately.

Body Pain

One of the effects of Heroin is to suppress body aches. Once you stop consuming it, the rebound effect comes into action, and you feel the pain, mostly in your back and legs. You might even become more sensitive to pain than you were before.


Excessive Body Fluids

Your body will start producing more fluids than it usually does – sweat, tears, running nose. You may also feel your hands standing in the end. This means the body is making efforts to bring itself back to the natural state of balance.

Stomach Pain

There are a lot of internal changes happening in your body due to the absence of Heroin in your life. This can result in stomach pain caused by spasms in the digestive tract, followed by diarrhoea.

Nausea And Vomiting

Both nausea and vomiting are exhausting and make you feel restless before and after you vomit. These feelings make you feel weak and sometimes you may not even want to eat anything for fear of vomiting. You may be overly sensitive to certain smells and foods too which can aggravate the situation.

Insomnia And Uneasiness

The person going through heroin withdrawal symptoms may experience restlessness and dizziness, due to lack of sleep, and may feel irritated all the time. Yawning is also very common because of the body wanting rest but unable to get any.