Ms. Wilcyska talks to the practical nurse about the days when she was turned on to heroin by a male friend. What feeling would she describe as a result of injecting heroin?

Ms. Wilcyska talks to the practical nurse about the days when she was turned on to heroin by a male friend. What feeling would she describe as a result of injecting heroin?

• A. Increased alertness
• B. Euphoria
• C. Insomnia
• D. Increased sexual drive

Answer: (B)

The main thing this item tests is the typical subjective effect of heroin use after injection—an intense sense of pleasure or euphoria produced by rapid opioid action on the brain’s reward pathways. When heroin is injected, it quickly reaches the brain and activates opioid receptors, causing a surge of dopamine in reward areas and a feeling of euphoria or a “rush.” This is the hallmark sensation users often report at the outset of use. In contrast, heroin is a CNS depressant, so it does not produce increased alertness or insomnia; those would be inconsistent with the drug’s immediate effects. Increased sexual drive is not a characteristic effect of heroin either.

The main thing this item tests is the typical subjective effect of heroin use after injection—an intense sense of pleasure or euphoria produced by rapid opioid action on the brain’s reward pathways. When heroin is injected, it quickly reaches the brain and activates opioid receptors, causing a surge of dopamine in reward areas and a feeling of euphoria or a “rush.” This is the hallmark sensation users often report at the outset of use. In contrast, heroin is a CNS depressant, so it does not produce increased alertness or insomnia; those would be inconsistent with the drug’s immediate effects. Increased sexual drive is not a characteristic effect of heroin either.