Side effects - Heroin and weight loss

[votrevelly]

Hi all, first post.

So a friend of a friend has been using heroin for a couple of years now, only ever smoking it. He got clean last year, but is now using every day again. I've noticed that he seems to be losing weight, and he is aware of this himself. The thing that confuses me (and him) is that I always thought that the gear itself doesn't actually affect the body in this way, but it's rather the lifestyle.. but this guy eats like a pig! A very balanced diet, he works out a lot, and leads an otherwise healthy life. Also, he isn't smoking huge amounts, only one or two bags a day. So is there any reason why he would be losing weight? Does heroin directly affect the body in this way?

Many thanks.

[Junkhead23]

SWIM started losing weight when he started injecting. Has he started doing that? Also like SWI said heroin does not make you lose weight it is simply not eating

[Hapworth]

SWIM believes that the media loves to focus on the "heroin chic" user: emaciated, swollen eyes, unkempt. Truth is, this type is not the norm. SWIM eats a normal diet and can feel suddenly hungry after shooting. At first, when he was first shooting and would feel nauseous, he would stay away from food. But SWIM is saddened to see that H has not helped him shed pounds (SWIM could lose about ten). Again, SWIM believes that all types of people (and all types of body types) can be found among H users. The media and antidrug departments within governments love to focus on the cliched user (strung out, wandering like a zombie for another fix; or, when he/she gets a fix, he/she is nodding out on the street). SWIM is married, has two kids, and teaches at a university. SWIM eats well, works hard, and lives a more or less normal lifestyle. People would be surprised at how many functioning opiate addicts there are in the world. There are tons of vicodin addicts of all ages, shapes, and styles. But the "heroin chic" image is so powerful that we just assume that everyone must fit that mold. In general, SWIM believes that the emaciation linked with H use has much more to do with economics (one would rather buy H than buy food) and psychology (some people just don't care about food) than anything fundmental about H's chemistry. Sorry for the rant!

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[bloot]

Originally Posted by Hapworth

SWIM believes that the media loves to focus on the "heroin chic" user: emaciated, swollen eyes, unkempt. Truth is, this type is not the norm. SWIM eats a normal diet and can feel suddenly hungry after shooting. At first, when he was first shooting and would feel nauseous, he would stay away from food. But SWIM is saddened to see that H has not helped him shed pounds (SWIM could lose about ten). Again, SWIM believes that all types of people (and all types of body types) can be found among H users. The media and antidrug departments within governments love to focus on the cliched user (strung out, wandering like a zombie for another fix; or, when he/she gets a fix, he/she is nodding out on the street). SWIM is married, has two kids, and teaches at a university. SWIM eats well, works hard, and lives a more or less normal lifestyle. People would be surprised at how many functioning opiate addicts there are in the world. There are tons of vicodin addicts of all ages, shapes, and styles. But the "heroin chic" image is so powerful that we just assume that everyone must fit that mold. In general, SWIM believes that the emaciation linked with H use has much more to do with economics (one would rather buy H than buy food) and psychology (some people just don't care about food) than anything fundmental about H's chemistry. Sorry for the rant!

Very well put. When my cat was using heroin he always seemed to get quite a bit more hungry than being sober.. He actually got worst munchies from this than marijuana. He would eat SO SO much every time he was high.. His initial nausea from injecting would soon pass and turn into severe hunger.

[Laudaphun]

Now you've gotten SWIM fired up... It doesn't matter if she is using heroin or hasn't touched it once in years, or if she has touched it once in several years.... She can't keep weight on and, low weight=junkie to the rest of the world. SWIM actually is ill, from a really real sickness from which she is recovering (hopefully) and is why her weight is low. So, by gaining 10 pounds, people will think she is clean even if she flunks all her classes. It's not whether she is on heroin that makes people suspect she is or isn't... it's what she looks like, what she dresses like, or does. It's always been about weight, mainly. Gonna go eat now, I suppose.

[Birkill]

Swim finds that he actually puts on weight wen hes on the gear as it gives him the munchies and as he still lives at home theres unlimited free suply, i think the lifstyle a h head adopts is what fuks the life not the actual drug its self!

[votrevelly]

Yeah SWIM finds that he gets the gear munchies too! Like someone said above, it can be a viciously more insatiable hunger than SWIM gets from smoking weed.

I was fairly sure it was the lifestyle that made SWIM lose weight rather than the gear itself, even though SWIM eats just as much food (if not more) than if he was clean. It might even be a psychological thing, e.g. SWIM associates his heroin use with things like weight loss, thus causing a placebo-like tainted perception.

votrevelly added 3 Minutes and 15 Seconds later...

I forgot to mention, it has nothing to do with the so called "heroin chic" representation of users that the media likes to portray.

[Naked Lunch]

Swim can eat and drink a ton when high, swims never drunk so much water before, it actually makes swim vomit.

[xxdan123xx]

H slow basically stops peristalsis... movement of the intestions which aids in digestion. Swim never lost weight until his use got out of control.. He starter loosing weight while still sniffing but got really dangerously skinny once injection started. He too ate like crazy while using but before the first "hit" of the day couldn't eat a thng. It slows peristalsis so that coud have somthing to do with not being ableto break down foods enough to get enough nutrients. Withdrawl on the other had makes you loose weight without a doubt. Diarrea nausea lack of sleep all result in weight loss. If in a cycle of use and withdrawl which most addicts are it may not be the h causing one to lose weight but the withdraawl

[Laudaphun]

Yah, any opiate seems to have this effect... on SWIM. Actually taking her to a nutrician to get some meat on her bones. Ti'med of being looked at like gradually wasting away. SWIM's goal is too put 10 lbs back on before seeing the nutritionist and before discontinueing opiates altogether. Maybe SWIM won't, but was under the impression that opiates, constipation, and low weight cause this.

SWIM's friend doesn't life weights anymoe but used to be build, very hard-core into work outs but has been taking weight gainer to try and put on some weight... but it's tough.

[BrownStreakRailroad]

SWIM has been using gear for 13 years on and off and SWIM definatly loses weight very rapidly when he starts using and SWIM cannot keep meals regular and has a hectic lifestyle because of working SWIM's life around the drug and this does have an effect on SWIM's weight. plus the colour goes from his face and looks gaunt too, also all the smoking has dried his facial skin causing small wrinkles!!!lol. but SWIM believes that it is all the crap in the gear that is the problem.....medical morphine addicts could live a 'normal' life without the adverse effects to SWIY body that street heroin addiction brings. SWIM thinks stress, caused by just being an addict could be a factor too.

[xxdan123xx]

Swims face gets so pale when he is using heavily he must wear make up in order to not look like a ghost. Swim has been a few days clean tho 3 actually longest hes done in a while and has still not really gotten most of the color back. Hes kicking cold turkey tho and this wreaks just as much havoc on the body as using so maybe thats why.. just wish he could go outside and not look like a drug addict.. its depressing to wake up and know that to go out side one must put on makeup especially if one is a 22 year old otherwise healthy male. He used to be ib such great shape.. o well sry for the rant Be well all

[chillinwill]

Back when Red Rock was using, after he inital nausea when he first started injecting passed, he knew he would crave food, specially fast food. Around this time period, he would eat as much as he wanted of the unhealthy foods while obtaining very little exercise. Surprisingly, he seemed to lose weight and would get the sunken look in his eyes and whatnot. This might be due to after the initial rush, he wouldn't want to eat anymore for the rest of the day.

[BeanCounter]

This woman I know lost all of her body fat in the first month of using and it stayed off, was horrible; skin and bone. It later transpired that her thyroid levels had gone through the roof which prob'ly accounted for the weight loss (She has autoimmune hypothyroidism and, if anything, her thyroid tend to be low). She regained most of the weight during a longish methadone/sub taper but has since slipped off the wagon a bit with corresponding weight loss again.
As she's never had high thyroid levels and has always had the condition she hypothesises that possibly H can, for some people cause a rise in thyroid levels or other metabolic change although poor digestion from opiates is certainly a factor (Only a rabbit should shit rabbit droppings). Whatever it's horrid being so skinny and she may well avoid a habit out of sheer vanity.

[Junkhead23]

SWIM has lost 2 stone since starting injecting and also looks pale and generally not well most of the time

[drinkswithevil]

yes i was using alot of pills and methadone , then i went to rehab for beign pulled over while under the influence of xtc, swim had to go to rehab for 6 months first two months in rehab he gained 20 poounds of muscle and fat, swim felt great, got compiments everywhere he went about how much healthier he looked..after swim has left rehab he started using norcos and methadone sometimes bassicly whatever sswim can get,swim is loosing weight again lost about 6 pounds so far,it sucks because swim has no appetite unless he is on pills....swim hates the cycle >< when swim in on the drugs his mind is saying "this is it no more using , time to get straightened up !!" and reall feels like this is the last time , then the morning comes and buys more ....><