Heroin

History

Heroin (Diacetylmorphine, Morphine Diacetate and also Diamorphine) was first synthesized in 1874 by English chemist C.R. Wright. But its commercial value was first recognized in 1897 by Heinrich Dreser and Felix Hoffman at the Bayer pharmaceutical laboratory - the same researchers who invented aspirin, which is is made by a similar process. Heroin was intended to be a less-addictive substitute for other common opiates.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, heroin was common in over-the-counter medicines, but it was made illegal in the United States in 1924 through the Heroin Act. In the second half of the twentieth century, heroin was widely stigmatized as the quintessential illicit drug, as images of urban heroin addicts were propagated by media reports.

Types of heroin

1: Morphine Freebase or Morphine HCl.

2: Heroin Acetate or Heroin Freebase.

3: Similar to #4 Heroin but specifically altered at the point of manufacture to make it conducive for smoking. The technical definition is a 60:40 mix, with 60 representing Heroin HCl and 40 representing Caffeine HCl.

4: Heroin HCl, which is a white or grey-ish substance that is easily dissolved and injected.

Black Tar Heroin. In a sense does not fall under the above number, as it uses a completely different method from Opium to Heroin. Contains 6-MAM and 3-MAM (which binds relatively weak to the μ-Opioid receptors).

Dosage

Note: Purity varies wildly, and with such the dose does also.

Intravenous

Common (no tolerance)	5-15mg
Strong (no tolerance)	10-20mg
Common (with tolerance)	20-30mg
Strong (with tolerance)	30-50mg

Smoked

Common	10-20mg
Strong	20-30mg

Duration

When injected intravenously, smoked, or insufflated, heroin produces a wash of euphoria followed by a period of sedation lasting for 2-4 hours. Intramuscular and subcutaneous injection typically lack the initial wave of intense euphoria, and cause feelings of sedation lasting three to five hours.

Intravenous

Onset	3-5 seconds
Total	4-5 hours

Smoked

Onset	5-15 seconds
Peak	5-10 minutes
Total	3-5 hours

Harm Reduction

• Always have Narcan when using heroin, which can save your life if you OD. Be in the presence of other people who can help you if you OD

• Do not drive or use heavy machinery

Potentiators

A common misconception is that Grapefruit juice potentiates Morphine and/or Heroin. It does not.

Any first generation anti-histamines.

Some words from a fellow member

Hello fellow & former opiate/heroin addicts. I have some very important information that may save your life one day.

There's a good chance you've heard it before, but cannot emphasize how strong its so important to know the following critical information:

• If you relapse after having a week or more clean time, you have very well may die. Why, you ask? Most cases involve an individual who managed to get clean for a fair amount of time and relapse, often using the same dose they normally would use. Sometimes even less. In fact, I'd wager that at least 70% of heroin related deaths are from who make this lethal mistake. I feel obligated to make this post, as one of my closest friends died last month after making this common mistake. There is more to keep in mind. Many people are not very bright, and don't realize how serious drug interactions can be, ESPECIALLY with little to no tolerance. A lot of other overdoses occur from people mixing heroin/opiates/alcohol with benzos. Without serious tolerance to all/any of these drugs, especially benzos, this is an incredibly potential lethal combination. I have been using opiates/heroin for well over 5 years now, and nearly every time I hear about someone overdosing & dying, it is either a result of benzos+opiates/alcohol, or from relapsing without stopping to think about how low their tolerance has become. A third killer is easily a result from mixing heroin with cocaine. It is true that many experienced users are able to handle a speedball, but even with a high tolerance, people still have died. And I assure you, cocaine overdose is NOT fun. The majority of users don't speedball, and if you haven't tried coke+heroin IV, do yourself a favor and just don't try it or your addiction will get far worse. I sincerely hope any heroin/opiate/benzo/alcohol users will heed my warning & remember this vital information forever. Share it with your friends, but most of all, be SAFE.

~ soli