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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2019, 21, N6 (pages: 17 - 19)

Intravenous Abuse of Naphazoline and Heroin Mixture, a Case Report

Kordrostami R., Akhgari M., and Ameri M.

Summary: Nasal and oral preparations are widely used by patients, as they are considered relatively safe drugs with few significant adverse drug reactions. They may, however, be misused and abused, causing euphoria and other pharmacological effects. We report the case of a 50-year-old man who started using nasal or ophthalmic naphazoline in combination with heroin via intravenous injection three years ago. During hospitalization for the treatment of ulna body fracture, he showed withdrawal symptoms. He had uncontrolled hypertension and anaemia. Nasal and ophthalmic preparations may be abused due to their CNS stimulant and vasoconstrictor properties to get a stronger euphoric effect from the substance that was abused. This raises the further concern of the abuse potential of over the counter drugs.