For example, hundreds of Molly capsules tested in two South Florida crime labs in contained methylone, a dangerous synthetic cathinone. Raised heart rate, blood pressure, and chest pain are some other health effects of synthetic cathinones. People who experience delirium often suffer from dehydration, breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, and kidney failure.
The worst outcomes are associated with snorting or needle injection. Intoxication from synthetic cathinones has resulted in death. Yes, synthetic cathinones can be addictive. Animal studies show that rats will compulsively self-administer synthetic cathinones. Human users have reported that the drugs trigger intense, uncontrollable urges to use the drug again.
Taking synthetic cathinones can cause strong withdrawal symptoms that include:. As with all addictions, health care providers should screen for co-occurring mental health conditions. While there are no FDA-approved medicines for synthetic cathinone addiction, there are medicines available for common co-occurring conditions. This publication is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from NIDA.
Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Drug Topics. Sold under names such as White Lightning, Cloud 9, or Ivory Wave, bath salts represent a category of illicit drug that typically contains combinations of various synthetic cathinones, including 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone MDPV , mephedrone, and methylone.
People were abusing a synthetic cathinone in Russia and eastern Europe for several decades before the drug appeared in western Europe and the United Kingdom in the s. And cathinone, an alkaloid derived from east Africa's khat plant, has been chewed by people for hundreds of years for its stimulant effect.
The effects of the drugs also vary based on the route of administration; they can be swallowed, snorted, injected, or inserted into the rectum or vagina. The most worrisome effects are the extreme neurological and psychiatric changes—paranoia, terrifying hallucinations, psychosis, self-destructive and violent behavior—that occur in users of bath salts. Despite these effects, some users continue to use the drugs.
Moreover, the effects are long lasting. Clin Toxicol. The enduring high and extreme behavior may stem in part from the insidious combination of the compounds in bath salts. While mephedrone acts like methamphetamines in increasing dopamine concentrations, MDPV mimics the way in which cocaine inhibits the reuptake of dopamine, resulting in the brain staying flooded with dopamine, according to research by Louis De Felice, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond.
The long-term neurological effects of bath salts are likely to be as damaging as those of methamphetamines and cocaine—or worse. In July, President Obama signed legislation that adds MDPV and mephedrone, along with 29 other compounds used to produce synthetic marijuana and hallucinogens, to the controlled substances listed as Schedule I drugs.
And although several states had acted earlier to make the components of bath salts illegal, the drug was easily obtained at gas stations, adult bookstores, convenience stores, smoke shops, head shops, and truck stops.
Two weeks after the federal ban went into effect, Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized packets of synthetic cathinones and 4.
The hour raid in July involved US cities and resulted in 91 arrests. But bath salts continue to be sold on the Internet and in retail stores, camouflaged under names such as stain remover, research chemicals, plant food, and insect repellent. In addition, drug makers can easily skirt the ban on MDPV and mephedrone by turning to other cathinone derivatives, of which there are many.
Unlike drugs of abuse such as ecstasy, which is consistently made of the synthetic compound MDMA 3,4-methylenedioxy- N -methylamphetamine , the composition and dose of bath salts can vary tremendously, making diagnosis challenging and leading to greater risks of overdose and adverse reactions. Withdrawal symptoms might include:. If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.
This lesson, provides scientific information about teen brain development and the effect of drugs and alcohol use on the brain. These community activities are designed to help students in grades 6 through 12 learn about the effects of drug use Content on this site is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from NIDA. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Bath Salts. Expand All What happens to your brain when you use synthetic cathinones "bath salts"?
What happens to your body when you use synthetic cathinones "bath salts"? Can you overdose or die if you use synthetic cathinones "bath salts"? What are the other risks of using synthetic cathinones "bath salts"? Are synthetic cathinones "bath salts" addictive? Withdrawal symptoms might include: depression anxiety tremors problems sleeping paranoia. What should I do if someone I know needs help? If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now: Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at TALK they don't just talk about suicide—they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by If you want to help a friend, you can: Share resources from this site, including this page.
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