To wonder what heroin makes you feel like...?

[Nancery]

As it's so risky (I presume so anyway), and physically addictive, and while some people seem to be able to use it regularly but hold it together while others unravel I wonder what it's a) appeal is and b) what you feel like on it....?
Anyone have first hand experience?

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

I've never tried morphine or diamorphine, I dont think so anyway. Only g&a in labour, my mum scared me off the pethidine beforehand, but then didnt need it anyway.

I'm on daily codeine, having given up on tramadol which did bugger all. Tbh the codeine does bugger all too. I'm in constant pain but doctors are so scared of addiction that theyre wary of prescribing opiates for chronic conditions (even the codeine is prescribed individually, not on repeat). So i can fully understand why someone would end up on illegal drugs, and have contemplated it at times myself. Probably not worth bothering with heroin though - if codeine and tramadol have no effect, perhaps i have no opioid receptors?!

[GrassIsSinging]

I smoked heroin once, as a wayward teenager. It made me very, very sick. It didnt feel anything like that lovely, woozy morphine feeling (have had two c-sections and had morphine after both). Much more intense and overwhelming. I couldnt speak. It frightened the life out of me and I never touched it again.

[GrassIsSinging]

Also, agree with Weathergames - I dont think there are many 'recreational' heroin users about.

[NoodleOodle]

Cocodamol used to make me feel lovely as a child.

Was tricked into smoking heroin as a teenager once and that felt great.

Had pethadine in labour and was also a lovely feeling. Couldn't stand the gas and air, which made me feel drunk, whereas the pethadine made me feel relaxed.

[getagoldtoof]

I have read about 'chipping' where users take heroin recreationally. I understand it to be completely unsustainable in the long term.

I have got a close friend who used for years, and worked, although claims he had no social lifeduring that period. Another friend who became addicted was injecting within weeks of first trying it, but came off quickly and hasn't gone back.

I have never tried it and never want to. I am a child protection social worker, and placing babies who are withdrawing away from their parent's care is heartbreaking.

In my distant past I used Ketamine a bit. I remember it quite fondly. I never took a lot, just enough to make me giggly. I remember once looking at myself in the mirror and my arms looked massive. I only overdid it once, was at home having a party. Went to bed and could hear sirens, felt a bit worrying, but knew it would be pk. I got up after about an hour and went back to partying.

[Mrsjayy]

I had a very right on friend not seen him a long time anyway he used to use heroin now and again For the vibe apparently I really don't get the recreational use at all, on the other end of the spectrum I had a family member who was a herion addict and it ruined his and his families life , his baby was born addicted his wife was an addict too,

[Somepercentagenotcool]

I had diamorphine in both labours - it bloody well didn't take the pain away, but it did sort of 'distort' it. I was off my tits both times as well, I reckon I must have looked like a right eeejit! I much preferred the gas and air tbh, but after hours and hours of very long labours it just didn't touch the sides.

[Rebecca2014]

I was on a drugs forum last night (type that in Google, your find the forum) and a lot of the heroin users said you can function as a heroin user but you need to have a lot of money to keep up the habit and stop the withdrawal symptoms. Once the money runs out basically your fucked.

[sashh]

if codeine and tramadol have no effect, perhaps i have no opioid receptors?!

Have you tried paracetamol with tramadol? I didn't believe the Dr who had been called out to me, but it worked.

I've had IV morphine, oramorph and gas and air, and the g and a I could understand people using to party, the others took away pain but I didn't feel at all woosy - but then I'm on daily opiates so maybe I have a tolerance.

It's interesting how people react differently to different drugs, and even the same drugs but delivered by a different route.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Yup :( did have a tiny effect then, that i figured was just the paracetamol

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

As in, just a tiny painkilling effect, no obvious spaciness that would make me think it was the tramadol.

[kali110]

Dont know. Iv had morphine and all it did was take edge off the pain but i didnt get any feelings off warmth.
Iv had weird feelings from tramadol, like being very spacey and not in control.
I however absolutely hated it so id be a crap heroin addict!
Its not something i would ever try.
I do feel very bad for drug addicts, it must be very hard to get off these type of substances.

[kali110]

Beyond have you tried cocodamol and tramadol together? I know docs are wary now. I was on daily coedine for 8 years then tramadol. Im only off them due to seeing a specialist so i now take either depending on however much pain im in.
I wish id stayed on the codeine though, the tramadol just caused more problems :-(

[aermingers]

I took heroin for a short while in my late teens. I was extremely fortunate it did not turn into a habit as my supply was cut off when my dealer was arrested and shortly after I split up with the boyfriend I had taken it with, found a job and moved away from the area. But I came very, very close. I was injecting and if I had been able to carry on taking it I would have done.

I have since found out that ex did develop quite a long term habit and some friends I knew at the time were on it for over a decade.

What all of us had in common was that we had extremely traumatic childhoods and were still dealing with the resulting anguish. I know I for one was in constant mental pain and heroin took it away.

I have a massive problem with the way people dealing with mental trauma are treated in this country. Counselling is like putting a plaster on a severed leg in the cases of people who's distress is so extreme they will take heroin; and anti-depressants aren't much better.

Opoids take away physical pain and are seen as acceptable for physical pain. But when you're talking about mental pain it's seen as something that people should just put up with and accept.

Personally I would much rather see people develop a medically managed addiction to something like barbituates or even opoids which helps them deal with the pain they are in than be on street drugs like heroin. I don't see why you should be given opoids for a bad back but be told to get on with it when you're broken inside.

[honeycrest]

I have read peoples accounts of being a 'chipper' on other forums and it seems that you really have to be disciplined to be able to keep it up long term. For example, always sticking to a set amount of days off so that you don't develop a physical addiction or too high a tolerance. I'm sure it's possible to do it and not become addicted but that's probably more likely if it is only a very occasional thing. I'd imagine many users who think they are just chipping are mentally addicted at least and a lot of them end up full blown addicts in the end.

[honeycrest]

Also, I find it interesting the differing experiences of using opiates. Even on here, some people feel very uncomfortable and not high at all whereas others love the feeling. I've heard people describe it as like finally being the person they were supposed to be even after just the first time using. I wonder are some brains somehow predisposed too the effects of opiates.

Personally I've never taken anything stronger than codeine. I definitely feel a slight sense of well being after taking a couple of nurofen plus though, I must be a lightweight!

[whois]

I would probably see chipping as a 'managed addiction' rather than purely 'social use'.

[CoteDAzur]

honey - The difference in perception/appreciation may just be a question of dosage.