Is heroin a depressant drug?

Written by Brandon Okey. Mina Draskovic, B.Psy., reviewed this content for accuracy.

Heroin is classified as a central nervous system depressant because it slows down brain activity. The depressant effects create feelings of relaxation, but they also pose serious risks because they can critically slow down breathing and heart rate.

A 2023 study (Anghel, et. al.) explains that heroin activates mu-opioid receptors in the brain to cause sedation, slowed breathing, and euphoria. These effects occur with both regular use and high doses, which shows how dangerous heroin is as a central nervous system depressant regardless of how much you take.

Ardu Recovery Center is here to help you break free from heroin addiction. Our team of experts uses proven methods to tailor heroin treatment programs just for you, so you can overcome addiction and reclaim your life.

What do depressants do?

Depressants are a class of drugs that slow down the central nervous system (CNS) activity. These substances reduce the overall level of arousal and excitability in the brain and body. By dampening neural activity, depressants produce the following effects:

Sedation and drowsiness
Slowed breathing rate
Decreased heart rate and blood pressure
Impaired cognitive function and memory
Reduced reaction time and coordination
Slurred speech
Muscle relaxation
Reduced pain sensitivity
Confusion and disorientation
Respiratory depression

Through different mechanisms, depressants decrease the transmission of nerve impulses throughout the CNS. While this results in a calming effect on both the body and mind, depressants also dangerously suppress vital functions when misused.

Here’s how depressants work:

Depressants amplify the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter. Enhanced GABA activity reduces the excitability of neurons. This means neurons are less likely to fire, which dampens brain activity.
Neural inhibition occurs across the central nervous system. The result is a generalized slowing of neural processes throughout the brain and spinal cord.
Decreased neuronal firing reduces the release of other neurotransmitters, including excitatory ones such as glutamate. This makes the brain quieter overall, which is why depressants slow things down and make you feel relaxed or sleepy. Their effects on serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine negatively impact mood, cognition, and behavior.
Depressants increase slow-wave brain activity (alpha and theta waves) while decreasing fast-wave activity (beta waves). This contributes to their sedating effects.
Depressants slow down brain activity, which affects how users process information from their senses. They become less responsive to environmental stimuli, such as sights, sounds, and touch.
They also impact the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary body functions. This leads to noticeable changes in vital signs, including a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduced breathing rate.

Depressants include drugs such as alcohol, prescription medications such as Valium and Xanax, and opioids such as heroin and morphine.

Overcoming an addiction to depressants isn’t just about quitting. Our team is here to guide you through the fog, help you build new coping skills, and find joy in sobriety. Whether you’re struggling with alcohol, addiction to benzodiazepines, or opioid use disorder, we’ve got your back every step of the way.

Contact our drug rehab center and take the first step towards a brighter, healthier future.

How does heroin make you feel?

Heroin is a powerful and illegal drug derived from morphine, which comes from the opium poppy plant. It’s highly addictive and comes in different forms: white or brown powder, or a sticky black substance called “black tar heroin.” People usually inject, smoke, or snort it to get a quick, intense high.

Users initially experience euphoria when taking heroin, but its impact on vital functions can be severe and life-threatening. Here’s how heroin’s depressant effects impact you:

It slows down your heart rate
Your blood pressure drops
You feel sedated and very drowsy
Pain becomes less noticeable
Your reflexes and reactions slow down
Thinking and decision-making become difficult
Your pupils get smaller
Your body temperature decreases
Your urge to cough is suppressed
You may feel nauseous and vomit
High doses can put you in a coma
Your breathing becomes dangerously slow

Despite these dangerous effects, heroin’s initial euphoria is tempting, which makes breaking free from its grip all the more challenging. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), over 500,000 people battled heroin use disorder in 2013, 84% of which showed dependence.

For those facing similar challenges, Ardu’s heroin detox program allows you to safely manage withdrawal and support recovery from dependence. Our medication-assisted treatment enables you to manage heroin withdrawal symptoms and cravings as you develop healthy coping skills.

How does heroin depress the central nervous system?

Here’s how heroin achieves its potent depressant effect on the CNS:

Heroin has a high lipid solubility. It rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier and enters the central nervous system where it initiates its effects within seconds to minutes of administration.
Once in the brain, enzymes quickly convert heroin into 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) and then to morphine. This two-step process is unique to heroin and contributes to its faster onset and more intense effects than other opioid drugs. Heroin and its metabolites bind to opioid receptors throughout the brain and spinal cord, especially in areas involved in pain perception, reward, and respiratory control.
According to Milella, et. al., heroin’s rapid conversion to 6-MAM and morphine leads to a more sudden and potent activation of mu-opioid receptors. This triggers the activation of inhibitory G-proteins within neurons more quickly and intensely. The activated G-proteins decrease neuronal firing by reducing calcium influx and increasing potassium efflux. This leads to a more pronounced and rapid depression of neural activity across the central nervous system.
Heroin’s fast action and potency cause a more dramatic suppression of excitatory neurotransmitters such as glutamate and substance P, while more strongly enhancing the effects of inhibitory GABA neurotransmitters. This abrupt shift in neurotransmitter balance contributes to heroin’s reputation as one of the most powerfully sedating opioids with more intense depressant effects than most other drugs in its class.

With long-term use, the brain adapts to the presence of heroin because the opioid receptors become desensitized and downregulated. Many people build a tolerance to long-term heroin use and require increasing amounts of the drug to achieve the same impact.

A 2019 Polish study explains that the potent depressant properties of all opioids including morphine and heroin often escalate into a substance use disorder (SUD). They warn that this chronic condition rewires the brain’s reward system and can lead to severe health problems, personality changes, and a high risk of premature death.

Addiction is a brain disease that alters neural structure and function and compels drug use despite harmful consequences. At Ardu, we offer targeted, evidence-based treatments that address the root of addiction and guide you toward lasting recovery.

Reach out to us as soon as possible.

Is heroin addiction dangerous?

Heroin addiction can be deadly. During a heroin overdose, breathing can slow or stop, potentially leading to coma or death within minutes. Thankfully, heroin overdoses and deaths in the United States have declined in recent years. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug overdose deaths involving heroin dropped to 13,165 deaths in 2020 and went further down to 9,173 deaths in 2021.

Here’s how to spot the signs of an overdose:

Slow, irregular, or stopped breathing
Pale, bluish skin and fingers
Small pupils
Weak pulse
Low blood pressure
Nausea, vomiting
Disorientation, delirium
Extreme drowsiness
Seizures
Coma

If any signs of opioid overdose appear, especially depressed breathing, immediately call 911.

Without treatment, the physical and social spiraling of heroin addiction can ultimately claim your life through disease, violence, suicide, or overdose. Specialized addiction and dual diagnosis treatment can break this cycle before it’s too late.

Get the right help for heroin addiction

The best time to seek heroin treatment is before addiction takes hold, but that’s rarely the case. Overcoming heroin addiction is a tough journey that shouldn’t be faced alone. Our reputable recovery programs at Ardu Recovery Center in Provo, Utah, help users get back on their feet and free from the shackles of drug use. If you are ready to put in the work.

Depending on your specific needs, we offer:

Medical detox
Dual diagnosis treatment
Alcohol rehab
Opiates treatment
Mental health treatment
Residential treatment programs

The first step in getting you clean is the detox.

Heroin detox services we offer

Ardu offers comprehensive drug detox services so you can safely and comfortably detox from heroin. Our medical detox program provides 24/7 care and effective medications that alleviate muscle aches, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, and other unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. We use prescription medications as needed to make the detox process as comfortable as possible.

As a part of our holistic detox, we offer nutritional therapy, yoga therapy, IV amino acid therapy, and massage to relax your nervous system and restore balance as your body adjusts to life without heroin.

Our heroin rehab services

At our heroin rehab center, we offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient treatments tailored to your unique needs.

Inpatient treatment provides round-the-clock structured support and intensive therapy daily. The benefits of our residential addiction treatment program are:

A safe, trigger-free environment to focus completely on your path to recovery
Constant access to medical care and counseling
A tightly structured daily schedule centered on healing
Building a recovery community with peers for motivation

The outpatient treatment allows you to maintain your personal life while getting help every week, on a bi-weekly basis, and even daily if needed. The advantages of our outpatient treatment include:

More flexibility to continue working or caregiving
Lower costs than inpatient programs
Applying skills learned in your natural environment
Options range from intensive outpatient programs to more simple therapy sessions

You can choose our intensive outpatient programs or partial hospitalization programs, and work with us to find an outpatient program that works best for you.

Our team will thoughtfully assess your needs and insurance coverage to determine if residential care or outpatient care will give you the best chance of success given your current situation. Successful recovery is possible—we’re here to guide you.

If you want to verify your health insurance coverage, gather more payment information, and pursue the Medicaid redetermination process in Utah, visit our insurance verification page.

“Ardu is such a warming place to be. The moment you walk through the doors you feel the love everyone has for one another. Staff genuinely cares about each other and the clients, they check in frequently and always try to make sure clients are getting the most out of the experience.

—Melanie Ogden

 5/5

Brandon Okey is the co-founder of Ardu Recovery Center and is dedicated to empowering people on their journey to sobriety.

Is heroin a depressant FAQ

What is heroin commonly called?

Heroin has many street names. Some of the most widely recognized names include:

Black tar heroin (when in its sticky form)
White heroin (when appears as a powder)
Smack
Dope
Horse
Junk
Brown sugar

These names often depend on the region in which the drug is sold. Regardless of its name, heroin is a dangerous central nervous system depressant with a high risk of physical dependence, brain damage, and a range of adverse effects on bodily functions.

Is alcohol a depressant?

Alcohol is a depressant of the central nervous system. Like other depressant drugs, alcohol slows down brain activity to decrease motor coordination, impair cognition, and slow breathing. While many people drink alcohol for its relaxing effects, excessive consumption can lead to dangerous short-term consequences, such as shallow and slow breathing, as well as long-term effects, including alcohol use disorder (AUD), brain damage, and depression.

Are depressants illegal?

Some depressant drugs are legal, others are not. Prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines and opioid-based medications are legal when prescribed for specific medical purposes, such as treating mental health conditions or for chronic pain relief. Illegal depressants, including heroin and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), are illicit drugs that pose significant health risks and lead to serious health consequences. Illicit drugs are highly addictive and commonly abused, often leading to legal penalties and substance use disorders.

What are the 3 most widely used depressants?

The three most widely used depressants include alcohol, prescription opioids, and benzodiazepines.

Alcohol is the most commonly consumed depressant worldwide. It affects respiratory function and leads to a wide range of health issues.
Prescription opioids are used for pain relief but are frequently abused because of their addictive potential.
Benzodiazepines, another class of depressants, are often prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders but can also cause long-term adverse effects.

All three can slow the central nervous system and lead to dangerous outcomes, including shallow breathing and overdose when misused.

What is defined as a narcotic?

A narcotic is a drug that dulls the senses and relieves pain, often with a high potential for addiction and dependence. These drugs include opioid-based medications such as heroin and prescription opioids. They slow the central nervous system and can lead to both physical pain relief and cognitive impairment.

Some narcotics are legally prescribed for severe pain, but the illicit type such as heroin are classified as illegal narcotics because of their widespread abuse and associated risks. Narcotics have a high potential for addiction and can lead to brain damage, respiratory depression, and fatal overdose.

What drug slows down the central nervous system?

Heroin is one of the most well-known drugs that slow down the central nervous system. As a depressant, heroin directly affects brain chemistry by binding to opioid receptors, slowing breathing, reducing heart rate, and impairing mental functioning.

Other drugs that slow the central nervous system include alcohol, benzodiazepines, and prescription opioids, which are used for medical treatment but can also result in physical dependence and long-term harm when abused. The depressant effects of these drugs can be life-threatening, especially during overdose because critical body functions such as breathing and heart rate can be suppressed or stopped.

Resources

Anghel, M. C., Nițescu, G. V., Tiron, T., Guțu, C. M., & Baconi, D. L. (2023). Understanding the Mechanisms of Action and Effects of Drugs of Abuse. Molecules, 28(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28134969

Trends in Heroin Use in the United States: 2002 to 2013. (n.d.). https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_1943/ShortReport-1943.html

Milella, M. S., De Pirro, S., Barra, M., Caprioli, D., & Badiani, A. (2023). Heroin and its metabolites: Relevance to heroin use disorder. Translational Psychiatry, 13(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02406-5

Listos, J., Łupina, M., Talarek, S., Mazur, A., & Kotlińska, J. (2018). The Mechanisms Involved in Morphine Addiction: An Overview. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(17), 4302. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20174302

Drug Overdose Deaths: Facts and Figures | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2024, August 22). National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates