Substance Use Disorder Resources
Available resources for additional information on the causes and consequences of drug and alcohol use and addiction and[...]
Continue Reading >
Drug and alcohol rehabilitation center at 546 Hamilton Street Costa Mesa California 92627
Heroin is in a class of drugs known as opioids. Many people think that when a person uses heroin they just get high. But that is not the entire story. Heroin, much like any other opioid, produces several unpleasant after effects as well, two of which are nausea and vomiting. Nausea is the discomfort that is felt before vomiting, and vomiting refers to the expulsion of stomach contents via the mouth.
Heroin induced nausea and vomiting are actually normal functions of the Medulla Oblongata. The medulla oblongata is located at the lower brain stem. It runs continuous with the spinal cord, which means that there is no clear delineation between the spinal cord and medulla oblongata, but rather a gradual transition into the spinal cord. The medulla oblongata is also the oldest part of the nervous system, thus responsible for many involuntary functions, such as heart rate, breathing, sneezing, swallowing, coughing, and vomiting. For these reasons, the medulla oblongata is considered the most important part of your brain.
The Medulla Oblongata is in a unique position to detect poisonings, because it’s not protected by a blood-brain-barrier. In other words, the Medulla Oblongata is in the one location that can sense opioids before they affect the rest of the brain.
It’s actually the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) within the Medulla Oblongata that detects opioids such as heroin. If a sufficient quantity of opioids are streaming through your bloodstream the CTZ recognizes it as poison. The CTZ then directs your stomach to throw up. A common misconception is to think that the stomach tells the brain it’s going to throw up, when in fact, it’s the brain commanding the stomach to throw up.
We know that within hospitals, nausea occurs in 25 – 30 percent of patients treated with opiates. Since heroin involves greater average dosing and subsequent amplified effects, it results in higher than average emetic responses. Another interesting opiate fact is that nausea and vomiting occurs more often in blacks than whites and more often in women than men.
The first time a person uses heroin or any other type of opiate they become susceptible to vomiting. It’s not a rule that a new heroin user will get nauseous and throw up, but it’s quite common. Furthermore, many longer-term heroin addicts glean pleasure from vomiting after using, mainly because they perceive it to mean “strong heroin.”
Nausea is a highly distressing queasy feeling that may or may not result in vomiting. We know that “tolerance” develops to both heroin induced nausea and vomiting, and over time, both of these uncomfortable effects fade away.
Throwing-Up is the expulsion of your stomach contents through your mouth. There are two phases to throwing up, (1) the retching phase, which is recognized by stomach contractions without expulsion, followed by (2) the expulsion phase. The vomitus is generally highly acidic and malodorous.
The first line of defense against opiate induced nausea and vomiting might be to stop taking opioids (painkillers or heroin). Another common treatment for nausea and vomiting is administration of an anti-emetic.
Available resources for additional information on the causes and consequences of drug and alcohol use and addiction and[...]
Continue Reading >
How many heroin overdoses in 2016? In 2016 there were 63,632 drug overdose fatalities. Of those fatalities, 42,249[...]
Continue Reading >
Why was heroin invented? At the time heroin was invented, the only effective medication for pain, diarrhea and[...]
Continue Reading >
WHO IS MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO ALCOHOL? Those with higher personality trait inhibitedness are most susceptible to alcoholism. The[...]
Continue Reading >
Can heroin change your personality? There are three primary elements to heroin related personality change; (1) were either[...]
Continue Reading >
DEFINITION Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS) refers to a spectrum of signs and symptoms that develop after a person,[...]
Continue Reading >
What is itchiness? Itchiness is a subjective, irritating sensation arising from superficial layers of skin that provokes an[...]
Continue Reading >
Heroin targets your brain’s reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in[...]
Continue Reading >
Nobody completely understands why a person who drinks less than most, becomes an alcoholic, while another person who[...]
Continue Reading >
What is Heroin? Heroin is a highly addictive derivative of opium, that produces intense feelings of euphoria, when[...]
Continue Reading >
Androgens and Testosterone Androgens are sex hormones. They are made primarily in the male testes, female ovaries,[...]
Continue Reading >
I’m having trouble peeing Urine retention is an inability to pee, and we get it, this is not an[...]
Continue Reading >
Tolerance to heroin Heroin tolerance is is a complex process of neuroadaptation. It is defined by reduced response[...]
Continue Reading >
OPIOIDS and BENZOS No doubt about it, cold-turkey opioid-detox is a nightmare, but the most difficult detoxes are[...]
Continue Reading >
Among heroin addicts there is an unofficial term used to describe heroin-related memory loss. That term is “CRS”[...]
Continue Reading >
Chronic opiate use inhibits the pituitary gland from releasing luteinizing hormone (LH) into the circulatory system. LH is[...]
Continue Reading >
PERSONALITY Your personality is the way you think, feel and act. It’s ever-changing, and it influences how you[...]
Continue Reading >
How You Can Die From Heroin Withdrawal There are not many rules about what “not” to do when[...]
Continue Reading >
Alcohol Dangers: We know the subjective effects of alcohol appear to be greatest in men and women[...]
Continue Reading >
MEMORY IS A FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN Among heroin addicts there is an unofficial term used to describe[...]
Continue Reading >
Our small intimate setting provides you with a place of support, encouragement, and safety. You’ll receive a customized, one-on-one treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.