Heroin is a potent and dangerous drug that can trigger serious effects on your body. Among these effects, heroin use can lead to severe kidney problems, putting your overall health at risk. Understanding how abusing heroin and kidney problems are related can help people prevent the more severe complications of heroin use.

This page explores what heroin is, how it affects the kidneys, and other things you need to know about heroin and kidney damage. You will also discover how to connect with compassionate and effective treatment for heroin addiction.

What Is Heroin?

Heroin is a powerfully addictive semi-synthetic opioid that comes from morphine, a natural substance found in the seed pods of opium poppies. It often comes as a white, off-white, or brown powder. Black tar heroin is a cruder form of the drug that comes as a dark, sticky paste.

People use heroin by smoking, snorting, or injecting the drug. Heroin acts quickly, causing intense euphoria. However, this feeling is short-lived and leads many people to take more and more, which can rapidly lead to dependence and addiction. Heroin use not only affects the brain but also has dangerous effects on other parts of the body, including the kidneys.

How Does Doing Heroin Affect Your Kidneys?

Heroin use puts your kidneys under intense pressure, often triggering serious and sometimes irreversible damage.

When you inject, snort, or smoke heroin, the drug enters your bloodstream and starts impacting multiple organs, including your kidneys. One of the most significant ways heroin affects the kidneys is through a condition known as rhabdomyolysis. This occurs when heroin causes muscle tissue to break down rapidly. The breakdown releases a protein called myoglobin into the bloodstream, which the kidneys struggle to filter out. As myoglobin builds up, it can clog the tiny filtering units in the kidneys, leading to acute kidney injury or even kidney failure.

Heroin also increases the risk of developing infections that can severely damage the kidneys. Using dirty needles or sharing them with others, for instance, can introduce bacteria into the bloodstream. These bacteria can travel to the kidneys, causing infections that may lead to abscesses or other forms of kidney damage.

Over time, repeated exposure to heroin can cause chronic inflammation and scarring in the kidneys, a condition known as heroin-associated nephropathy. This condition is especially dangerous because it progressively reduces the kidneys’ ability to filter waste from the blood, eventually leading to chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease, which may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Another way heroin harms the kidneys is through its impact on blood pressure. Heroin can cause periods of low blood pressure, reducing the amount of blood that flows through the kidneys. Without enough blood, the kidneys can’t function properly, which can contribute to long-term damage. These combined effects make heroin and kidney failure a major concern for anyone abusing this Schedule I controlled substance.

Other Negative Long-Term Effects & Risks of Heroin

Heroin’s harmful effects extend far beyond the kidneys, impacting almost every major system in the body. One of the most dangerous long-term effects is the increased risk of infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis C. These diseases are commonly spread through the sharing of needles during heroin use. Both HIV and hepatitis C can cause severe complications in the liver, but they also place additional stress on the kidneys, potentially accelerating the progression of kidney disease.

The respiratory system is another area severely impacted by heroin use. Over time, heroin can cause chronic respiratory conditions, including severe asthma, chronic bronchitis, and a higher susceptibility to pneumonia. This is because heroin slows breathing, which can lead to a lack of oxygen in the body. In severe cases, this can cause respiratory depression, a life-threatening condition where the lungs can’t get enough oxygen into the blood.

Heroin also takes a heavy toll on the cardiovascular system. Long-term use can damage the heart and blood vessels, leading to conditions such as endocarditis (an infection of the heart lining) and collapsed veins. Collapsed veins make it difficult for blood to circulate properly, increasing the risk of blood clots, which can cause strokes or heart attacks. Additionally, heroin use can lead to high blood pressure, which further damages the heart and kidneys.

Brain health is also severely impacted by heroin. Prolonged use can cause permanent changes in brain structure and function, affecting areas that control decision-making, behavior, and emotional regulation. This damage can lead to a condition known as heroin-induced brain damage, where cognitive functions like memory, attention, and learning are significantly impaired. This makes it harder for people to stop using the drug, as their ability to make sound decisions and resist cravings is compromised.

Finally, heroin use can provoke a wide range of psychological issues. Those who use the drug long-term often suffer from anxiety, depression, and mood swings. The drug’s effects on the brain’s reward system can make it difficult to feel pleasure from everyday activities, leading to a cycle of drug-seeking behavior. Over time, this can result in addiction – opioid use disorder – where the person feels compelled to take heroin just to feel normal.

Short-Term Effects of Heroin

The short-term effects of heroin are immediate and intense, making it one of the most dangerous drugs available. When heroin is used, it rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier, leading to a quick and powerful high. This high is characterized by a rush of euphoria, often described as a warm, pleasurable sensation that spreads throughout the body. However, this euphoria is short-lived, lasting only a few minutes, after which the person may experience an array of adverse effects.

One of the most significant short-term dangers of heroin use is its impact on breathing. Heroin acts as a powerful depressant of the CNS (central nervous system), slowing down breathing to dangerous levels. This can lead to hypoxia, a condition where the brain and other organs don’t get enough oxygen. In severe cases, this can cause brain damage or even death, especially if the person overdoses on heroin. The risk of overdose is high because the difference between a dose that causes a high and one that can be fatal is very small.

Heroin use also causes a range of unpleasant physical effects. People using the drug often experience nausea and vomiting shortly after taking it. Many experience a sensation of severe itching, which can lead to skin infections if the person scratches too hard or too often. Other physical symptoms include dry mouth, a heavy feeling in the limbs, and pinpoint pupils.

As the effects of heroin begin to wear off, people usually feel extremely drowsy and may nod off suddenly, a condition known as nodding. This state of semi-consciousness can last for hours, during which time the person is at risk of accidents or injuries due to their impaired mental and physical state.

Beyond this, heroin’s effects on the brain can cause confusion, clouded thinking, and poor judgment. This can lead to risky behaviors, such as driving while under the influence of the drug or engaging in unsafe practices like needle sharing. The short-term effects also include a rapid onset of dependence, where the body begins to crave heroin to function normally. Even after using the drug just a few times, people may start to experience withdrawal symptoms if they don’t continue to take it, further fueling the cycle of addiction. Fortunately, heroin addiction is treatable with a combination of medications and talk therapy. 

Get Compassionate Heroin Addiction Treatment at California Detox

If you have been abusing heroin, getting help right away can prevent issues like kidney damage developing. Reach out to California Detox today – we treat opioid addictions in an immersive inpatient setting to help you get back on track in one month.

You will begin your recovery with supervised detox. This makes heroin withdrawal safer and much more comfortable. Access to medications and 24-hour care helps you move from heroin dependence to ongoing treatment at our luxury rehab in Laguna Beach, CA.

Every heroin addiction is different, so all California Detox treatment plans are personalized to reflect this. Therapies include:

• MAT (medication-assisted treatment)
• Talk therapies like CBT or DBT
• Counseling
• Motivational therapy
• Family therapy
• Group therapy
• Holistic therapies
• Aftercare

Start fighting back against heroin addiction right away by calling 949.694.8305.