According to the Centers for Disease control, heroin overdose has now reached epidemic proportions. What is even more surprising is that many of these overdose deaths are after the person receives treatment for heroin addiction. It seems strange that so many people who sought treatment still overdose on this powerful drug. There are a few reasons why this could be happening.
Tolerance after Medication Assisted Treatment
One reason is due to building a tolerance level after medication assisted treatment. When someone is on methadone or one of the buprenorphine drugs, they develop a tolerance to opiates and opioids. If they suddenly stop using the methadone and switch back to heroin, they run the risk of overdose due to this tolerance.
Also in some cases, the tolerance to the drug causes them to take heroin or another opiate. Since they do not get high on the methadone or buprenorphine substitute drug and they still want to feel the euphoria, they might decide to take heroin or an opiate along with their normal treatment dose.
Buprenorphine and methadone are designed to plateau the euphoric feeling of each drug. When this happens, it stops the user from getting any higher. Unfortunately, it is possible at that point to take too much of the heroin or opiate and still overdose even though they are not getting the euphoric effect.
Leaving Methadone or Buprenorphine Treatment Too Early
Sometimes when you leave substance abuse treatment early, you run the risk of overdoing it when you go back to your drug of choice. Some people who haven’t been high in a long time, accidently take too much in order to achieve the high that they expect. This is a simple case of overdose through taking too much.
Medication Assisted Heroin Treatment has positive results when a person stays in the program. Unfortunately, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, as many as 50 percent of those in Medication Assisted Therapy do not complete the full program and therefore are at a higher risk for this happening.
Poly-Drug Use
Most heroin users also use other drugs.
Many overdose deaths particularly heroin overdose deaths are attributable to more than one drug. Opiate overdose is very treatable. All a paramedic or other professional has to do is administer a drug called Narcan. This drug sends the body into instant opiate withdrawal. This stops the overdose immediately. Unfortunately, many users do not just do one drug at a time.
Some combinations are just as lethal as large amounts of heroin. If someone is overdosing on both heroin and ketamine, the Narcan can prevent the heroin overdose but not the symptoms of taking too much ketamine. Therefore, the person still dies of an overdose.
This occurrence happens more often than it should when someone is in or has recently left heroin treatment. A large combination of heroin, methadone, buprenorphine, and ketamine will easily kill someone if the doctors cannot treat all of the drugs at once.
For more information on overdose deaths after heroin treatment or for information on medication assisted heroin treatment, give us a call at 877-743-0081 (Who Answers?).
The Dangers of Abusing Heroin & Prescription Pain Pills and the Need for Opiate Addiction Treatment -
Both heroin and prescription pain pills belong to the same class of drugs known as opiates. While heroin’s designation as a Schedule I class controlled substance makes for one of the most addictive substances around, prescription pain pills fall under the Schedule II class designation, which can be just as addictive depending on the drug ... 
Choosing Inpatient Opioid Overdose Treatment -
Many individuals feel that they can handle the effects of drug abuse on their own when they decide to quit. Especially because opioids do not normally cause a deadly withdrawal syndrome and those who have been abusing these drugs are often nervous about legal consequences, many choose to handle the effects of opioid drug abuse ... 
Naltrexone as an Opium Addiction Treatment -
Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, can be used to treat opium addiction just as it can be used to treat addiction to other opioids, both natural and synthetic. Even though the drug is not as well tolerated as other medications, it can be a beneficial treatment for certain individuals. How Does Naltrexone Work to Treat Opium ... 
Will Opiate Drug Addiction Treatment Cure My Heroin Problem? -
Heroin addiction is one of the most difficult disorders to overcome, making professional treatment an essential part of recovery. 
When Does Opioid Use Turn Into Opioid Dependence and When to Get Treatment Help? -
Prescription opioid drugs have become a standard treatment model for dealing with conditions involving pain symptoms. In spite of the dangers associated with their use, more often than not, pain treatment approaches incorporate some form of opioid-based medication treatment within their standard protocols. While it’s well known that the recreational use of opioids carries a ...