Heroin Withdrawal: Methadone & Heroin Facts

Question: Heroin withdrawals/relapse?

(Posted by: Jessica on 2009-01-10 11:04:02)

Hello, my boyfriend was addicted to heroin for 6 months, he injected. He has now been clean for 2 months and as far as I know hasn't relapsed. I only seem him once a month, but we talk everyday. A few questions I have is what are some ways I can tell if he has relapsed, not necessarily with heroin, but any opiate? Another question I have is he was really sick today, he was all stuffed up, had a runny nose, watery eyes, sinus tension, he threw up, soar throat, I know some of those are signs of withdrawals, which would mean he has relapsed, or could he really just have a sinus infection? Answers from recovering heroin addicts would be really helpful! Thank you!

Posted by: Hartache on 2009-01-10, 17:59:12

It's kinda hard to tell if your boyfriend has relapsed especially if you only see him once a month. Now, if you see him often, you can kinda tell, just by. 1.night sweats 2.very irritable 3.tired all the time 4.doesn't really want to eat 5.throwing up, but it doesn't have to be a lot, but just feeling ill I'm not a recovering heroin addict, I'm a recovering opiate addict. Does he go to N/ A meetings, because that is one place that can help him. If you love your boyfriend, which it sounds like you do, remember this addiction is a disease, like cancer. N/ A could help him a lot and Al-Anon could help you to understand this whole thing along with helping you in other way. I attend my N/ A meeting and my husband attends his Al-non meetings and our marriage is still going strong after almost 19 years. Those have been all of the symptoms I have coming down from opiates. From the way it sounds when you wrote this: Another question I have is he was really sick today, he was all stuffed up, had a runny nose, watery eyes, sinus tension, he threw up, soar throat This all pretty much sounds like he's just sick with a cold or flu, not with drawling. Good luck and seek help for yourself if anything, it cost nothing to be a member: al-anonfamilygroups.org/ meetings/ meeting.html

Posted by: Tweek on 2009-01-16, 10:01:24

Its hard to tell really if you only see him once a month. There are other ways to tell though if he sounds kinda sleepy when you talk to him on the phone or if his voice is a bit deeper ...youll know it just sounds "off " that could mean hes high. A shot of dope will change a guys voice pretty fast youll be able to tell. If he forgets stuff fast i mean real fast.That can be another way to tell. As far as was he really sick or not thats also hard to tell the symptoms u described could be withdrawal but they could also be a regular cold. Early withdrawals do typically include watery eyes and a runny nose stomach cramps diareah and vomiting. So yes he may have relapsed. When you see him you can look for "track " marks (sites for injection) he can be shooting anywhere theres a vein so u may have to really look. These can look like long trails of scars or small bruises sometimes with a pinpoint of redness in it. Alot of guys I know who shoot dope do it in different places everytime so they DONT leave tracks. Good luck with this and i really hope he is clean becasue its a hard drug to beat. Its beat me a few times.