The Symptoms, Signs, and Dangers of a Heroin Overdose
In 2021, over 106,000 people in the US died from drug-related overdose, including prescription opioids and illicit drugs.[1] Of those, over 80,000 were attributed to opioids of all types, nearly 10,000 of which were attributed to heroin.[2]
Though dangerous on its own, heroin may be used in conjunction with drugs, such as cocaine, or laced with drugs like fentanyl – sometimes without the user’s knowledge – compounding the risk of fatal overdose.
If you or a loved one uses heroin, it’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heroin overdose. Rapid intervention is the key to reversing an opioid overdose.

Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Overdose on Heroin?
It’s possible to overdose on heroin, even if it’s your first time using it. The risk of a heroin overdose increases with frequent use, however, as well as combining heroin with other drugs.
Can a Heroin Overdose Be Reversed?
With prompt medical attention, a heroin overdose may be reversed. With the rise in opioid addiction and overdose cases, many emergency responders carry opioid-reversing drugs like naloxone to treat overdoses.[20] Once naloxone is administered, the person will still need to go to the hospital for evaluation and treatment.
How Is Naloxone Used?
Naloxone is available in injectable and prepackaged nasal spray forms in most pharmacies.[21] It’s important to receive training to learn how to use naloxone, but it’s safe and easy to administer for practical purposes.
Injectable forms may be administered into a vein (IV), into the muscle (IM), or under the skin (subcutaneous).[22] For some people, a nasal spray may be easier to use in an emergency than the injectable form.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023b, July 10). Drug overdose death rates. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates on 2023, July 10.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023b, July 10). Drug overdose death rates. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates on 2023, July 10.
Rania Habal, M. (2023, June 30). Heroin toxicity clinical presentation. History, Physical, Causes. Retrieved from https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/166464-clinical on 2023, July 10.
What are the immediate (short-term) effects of heroin use? | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021, April 13). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-immediate-short-term-effects-heroin-use on 2024, June 8.
S;, H. (n.d.). [the history of heroin]. Acta pharmaceutica Hungarica. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11862675/ on 2023, July 10.
2019 National Drug Threat Assessment. DEA. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dea.gov/documents/2020/2020-01/2020-01-30/2019-national-drug-threat-assessment on 2023, July 10.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fentanyl Facts. (2024, April 2). Stop Overdose. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/fentanyl-facts.html on 2024, August 12th.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fentanyl Facts. (2024, April 2). Stop Overdose. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/fentanyl-facts.html on 2024, August 12th.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fentanyl Facts. (2024, April 2). Stop Overdose. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/fentanyl-facts.html on 2024, August 12th.
Opioid overdose – statpearls – NCBI bookshelf. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470415/ on 2023, July 10.
Opioid overdose – statpearls – NCBI bookshelf. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470415/ on 2023, July 10.
Opioid overdose – statpearls – NCBI bookshelf. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470415/ on 2023, July 10.
Opioid overdose – statpearls – NCBI bookshelf. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470415/ on 2023, July 10.
Good Samaritan Laws – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. (n.d.-a). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542176/ on 2023, July 10.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023b, March 3). What can be done for a heroin overdose?. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-can-be-done-for-heroin-overdose on 2023, July 10.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023b, March 3). What can be done for a heroin overdose?. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-can-be-done-for-heroin-overdose on 2023, July 10.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, April 13). What are the treatments for heroin use disorder?. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-treatments-heroin-use-disorder on 2023, July 10.
What are the treatments for heroin use disorder? | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021, April 13). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-treatments-heroin-use-disorder on 2024, June 13.
What are the treatments for heroin use disorder? | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021, April 13). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-treatments-heroin-use-disorder on 2024, June 13.
Naloxone DrugFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2024, February 12). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/naloxone on 2024, June 13.
Naloxone DrugFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2024, February 12). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/naloxone on 2024, June 13.
Naloxone DrugFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2024, February 12). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/naloxone on 2024, June 13.