# Heroin and Itchiness

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heroin-and-itchiness/468662>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 19, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heroin-and-itchiness/468662 "2008-10-19T20:50:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![potsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@potsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/potsy)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heroin-and-itchiness/468662/1 "2008-10-19T20:50:02Z")

</div>

My friends called me out for itching like a heroin addict from a rash I have, but none of could figure out why heroin addicts itch. So can anyone explain the mechanism of why taking heroin or withdrawing from heroin leads to being itchy? Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heroin-and-itchiness/468662/2 "2008-10-19T22:22:52Z")

</div>

According to [this site](http://www.drugtext.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34&Itemid=23) opiates such as heroin, morphine, etc release histamine, hence the itching and perspiration of junkies.

> [@](#):
>
> In the usual therapeutic dosage, morphine widens the veins in the skin, often giving the face, throat and upper part of the chest a flushed appearance and a warm sensation. This is due to the fact that morphine releases histamine. This is also the reason for the itching and perspiration often seen in opiate users.