what are the long term effects of heroin use?

It partly depends one the route of administration (IV, smoking, eating it).

In general with long term use people will become physically dependent on the drug and often continue to use only to avoid withdrawal. Many of the problems with use are not from the drug but from life. Things like living on the street, sharing needles, bad hygiene, not getting medical checkups, stealing for drug money and so on.

The other significant thing is depression. People using opiates (any) especially at a high dose and/or the very powerful drugs like heroin often develop major depressive disorder. Much of this is due to chemical changes in the brain due to the continued exposure to heroin. One study found that about 60% of IV heroin, morphine, or oxycodone users developed severe depression within 3 years. And a terrible cycle begins of treating the depression with the heroin but that just makes things worse. Overdose is typically a common occurrence with hard core users. Many will OD and go to hospital dozens of times. And eventually people will OD and die once they reach a point where the amount of drug to get high and the amount that will kill is very small (a narrow therapeutic margin as it is called in medicine) so if you take just a bit too much you die.

But really it is depression, the life of a user, and over dose that are major problems. And once physically dependent, especially to heroin, people might need to take methadone for years even for life because of the level of addiction and the withdrawal is horribly painful. Heroin is considered by almost every government, health organization, scientist, and doctor to be the most dangerous drug.

Good luck

A horrible addiction to opiates. A very high tolerance to opiates - so if you go to the hospital the regular dose of pain relief that most people receive wont be enough to stop you from hurting. Possible liver and kidney failure (as they would be responsible for filtering and consuming the heroin in your body on a daily basis). And hyper sensitivity to pain. Of course, if you IV it, there are other long term side effects surrounding the use of the needle. Veins collapsing, track mark scars, possibly getting infected with HIV or Hep C, running out of veins to hit (so if you ever need an emergency IV it'll take them a while to find a good vein).

i have seen this many times,and was just thinking about this,myself,just a few minutes ago.

ok, here goes: the jitters,they become permanent after awhile.

Paranoia.

Nerve damage.

Depression.

insomnia

forgetfulness.

And apathy for self and for others,except for the drug.

irresponsibility.

sloppiness

poor hyegeine

poor nutrition

your teeth rot

can't tell the truth from all of the lies told to people.

(Talks out one's ***)

then there is the chance that the person will get AIDS.

You will get no where in life, you'll have a fat wife, retarded kids, and you will live in the ghetto, you'll be unemployed, kiss the presidents *** for money, you will wear southpole shorts, that actually make you look like your wearing capris.

Smoking weed will result in happiness, like BJ everyday, 'ya know?

I'm just saying...