Heroin
Heroin very often occurs as white crystals (in its pure form) which is in fact a hydrochloride heroin salt (called very often diacetylmorphine hydrochloride). However, street heroin is usually a brown or off-white powder. Heroine is not fully synthetic – it's a semi-synthetic opioid made from morphine. Interestingly, heroin is metabolized to morphine in the human body. Heroin is illegal to manufacture, supply or possess in U.S. Psychological and physiological dependence are strong developing. During heroin addiction treatment methadone (which molecule is similar to heroin) is used as weaker, substitute drug. Combination of strong sedation and vomiting are characteristic for heroin overdose and may led to lethal choke.
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Trade
Trade & street names | heroin, diacetylmorphine, diamorphine smack, junk, dope, chiva, negra, horse |
Products | no commercial products (illegal substance) |
Medical info
Class | central nervous system depressant |
Medical use | no medical use in U.S.; in UK heroin, under the name diamorphine, is prescribed drug (diamorphine is medical name for heroin) |
Routes | for medical use heroin is taken as tablets or injected (intravenous injection), street heroin is snorted (sniffed) or smoked ('chasing the dragon') |
Effects of use | analgesia, euphoria, drowsiness, respiratory, depression, constricted, pupils, nausea, warmth, detachment, poisoning from contaminants, non-sterile syringes and needles leads to HIV risk |
Effects of overdose | sedation and falling asleep, slow and shallow breathing (respiratory problems due to overdose are majority of reasons of death after heroin overdose), clammy skin, convulsions, coma, possible death |
Withdrawal effects | watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, loss of appetite, irritability, tremors, panic, cramps, nausea, chills and sweating, aches, tremor, sweating, chills and muscular spasms |
Onset | 3-5 minutes (snorted or injected intramuscularly), 40-60 seconds (injected intravenously), few seconds (smoked) |
Duration of action | 3-4 hours |
Chemistry
Chemical name | (5α,6α)-7,8-didehydro-4,5-epoxy-17-methylmorphinan-3,6-diol diacetate |
Chemical formula | C21H23NO5 |
Molecular mass | 369.41 g/mol |
