How long your heroin detox takes depends on your unique situation, and will depend on a few factors.
While most people’s physical withdrawal symptoms only last 7-10 days, detox treatment generally lasts 12 weeks in a community setting. [1]
If you’re feeling daunted by heroin detox, you’re not alone. Detox can be uncomfortable, but with the right support, you can ease withdrawal symptoms and give yourself the best chance of successful recovery.
Find out how your detox duration can be influenced by the method used, the severity of your dependence, whether you’re using other substances and any mental health problems.
We discuss the heroin withdrawal timeline, and how to detox from heroin safely.
Your chosen medical provider will choose the best detox duration for you, depending on your current dose of heroin, how long you’ve been using it and whether you need a tapered detox (where you gradually reduce your dose to make withdrawal easier).
Factors that influence detox duration:
There are two different approaches to stopping heroin: detox and maintenance therapy:
The heroin detox timeline looks different for everyone. Heroin is one of the hardest drugs to give up, because it creates a strong physical dependence.
When you stop taking heroin, your brain will work to adjust to normality, and this can take varying lengths of time depending on the person.
Opiates like heroin affect beta-endorphins in the brain (proteins produced by neurons) that help to manage pain and regulate neurotransmitters.
Over time, your body adjusts to these beta-endorphins and becomes less effective at providing this function.
6 to 12 hours after your last use, you will enter early opioid withdrawal. Your brain and nervous system will react to the sudden absence of opioid stimulation, which causes a surge of hyperactivity.
This causes withdrawal symptoms like:
In the second to the fourth days that follow after the last use, withdrawal usually intensifies and becomes more difficult to manage.
This is the peak withdrawal phase, so you may experience symptoms including:
By this time, you’ll be moving past the peak of withdrawal, so symptoms will likely start to taper off. However, your body is still in a state of neurochemical recalibration, so intense cravings, anxiety and depression may persist or even worsen.
You may still continue to have:
Noradrenaline activity should continue settling, your gut function will return to normal and your sleep should improve. For the vast majority of people, physical heroin withdrawal symptoms will now have resolved.
However, some people can develop PAWS (post-acute withdrawal symptoms):
Not everyone experiences PAWS. You’re more likely to develop this if you have a high-volume heroin addiction. Symptoms usually fade with time and support.
Detox and withdrawal are different, so after your detox, your withdrawal symptoms can extend to a few months or more.
You may find you still continue to have some symptoms like cravings forever, but with the right long-term recovery support, you’ll find these feelings much easier to manage.
While detoxing, you should always be under the supervision of a medical provider who can monitor your withdrawal. Seek immediate help if you experience severe vomiting, dehydration, seizures, chest pain or suicidal thoughts.
It’s important to take a holistic approach to heroin recovery in order to strengthen your recovery and prevent relapse. This will prevent the dangers of heroin overdose, which is always a risk in addiction.
There is a wide range of private and public heroin detox treatment providers that can offer varying levels of support during heroin detox:
Detox alone is rarely enough for long-term recovery. Many of these options also offer therapy, coping tools and an aftercare plan to help you stay sober.
Below, we answer some common questions around this important topic:
Heroin withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable, but they’re usually not life-threatening. However, it’s always important to speak to a medical professional before detoxing for a health assessment, as you may experience other complications.
Stay hydrated, rest well, take vitamin supplements and seek help from your support network throughout your detox. A healthy lifestyle and an encouraging community can boost your mood and improve your will power to stay in recovery.
It’s possible to detox ‘in the community’ with outpatient support, but you should always consult a medical professional for a health assessment before attempting heroin detox. This is to ensure you don’t experience intense withdrawal symptoms and to reduce your chances of relapse.
Detox is not failure-proof, and relapse risk is high without support. That’s why Rehab 4 Addiction always recommend that the best option for recovery from heroin addiction is inpatient heroin rehab.
With the right support, recovery is always possible. Reach out to Rehab 4 Addiction to find out more about heroin detox in an inpatient setting. Call 0800 140 4690 (or +44 345 222 3508 from outside the UK).
[2] https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/heroin-get-help/.
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
