Heroin is a highly addictive opiate sourced from the Asian poppy. Due to its effects on the brain and body, quitting a heroin addiction can have serious physical and psychological side effects. As a result, a number of drug treatments have been developed to provide effective and safe methods to treat heroin addiction.
Methadone
Methadone is one of the most common drug treatment methods for heroin addiction, having been in use for more than 30 years. According to Drugs.com, it mimics the effects of heroin, binding the same receptor systems in the brain. This eases addict cravings while staving off the physical symptoms of withdrawal.
Much like heroin itself, methadone can be abused with harmful side effects. Extensive product warnings for prescribing physicians ensure that methadone is primarily available in association with rehabilitation centers or formal drug treatment programs. It is a small pill which is ingested at regular intervals, and it carries the risk of creating its own dependency.
Buprenorphine
A newer treatment option, buprenorphine, is available as an oral tablet or as an injectable liquid. It offers heroin addiction patients similar shielding from their withdrawal as methadone, but buprenorphine itself has fewer risks of creating a dependence according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Still, sudden cessation of a buprenorphine course can still result in harsh withdrawal symptoms.
Drugs.com notes that buprenorphine should not be mixed with alcohol, and it can cause adverse reaction in patients with a history of seizures. Depending on patient history, buprenorphine may not be as effective as methadone.
Naltrexone
Naltrexone is a drug treatment for heroin addiction that is also used to treat alcoholism according to Drugs.com. The drug works by blocking opiate receptors entirely, removing the "high" sensation. This is a key separation in the sensations associated with a naltrexone treatment course versus a burprenorphine or methadone course.
The medication is administered orally. Dosages need to be adjusted in patients that have liver disease, kidney disease, or hemophilia. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, naltrexone is most commonly used in outpatient treatment settings. Severe withdrawal symptoms occur in patients who "cheat" on the drug with narcotics or alcohol, which coupled with the lack of a "high" sensation, makes this the least widely adopted drug treatment for heroin addictions.
