They last between two and five hours, which is similar to the duration of the effects of effects of bath salts. It can be smoked in a joint or e-cigarette, injected or compressed into capsules and swallowed. Synthetic cathinones are also labeled as ‘not for human consumption.’ These labels help hide the real reason for 7 topics covered in group therapy for substance abuse the product’s existence, so the drugs distribute easily. However, several traditional drug treatment approaches can help someone addicted to flakka become sober. When someone is addicted to flakka, they can experience withdrawal symptoms without it. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor.
Withdrawal Treatment/Treatment for Flakka Addiction
New structures have new properties and thus create unique behavioral characteristics during intoxication. It can be assumed that the tendency towards the use of new drugs will grow and that there will be an increasing number of cases in clinical practice. Doctors have to take this into consideration in order to provide appropriate treatments and minimize undesirable damage. Improper use of PEA derivatives or synthetic cathinone can be very dangerous [4]. Their use sometimes causes severe poisoning and considerably affects human health. Usually, people will be more anxious and aggressive after using synthetic cathinones, and they will exhibit aggressive behavior at high doses (70–100 ng/mL) [5].
Flakka: New Synthetic Drug Is More Potent Than Predecessors
It wasn’t long before viral videos and sensationalized news reports of alleged Flakka overdoses started to spread across the internet, and people began comparing its effects to that of a zombie outbreak. With repeated long-term use, meth can lead to extreme weight loss, skin sores, and severe dental issues. Chronic abusers often suffer the difference between alcohol and ethanol from anxiety, confusion, insomnia, hallucinations and delusions, and paranoia. Injecting the drug can raise the risk of getting HIV or hepatitis when sharing needles and other drug equipment. Ecstasy or MDMA is a different class of chemical altogether, but Molly, though often touted as “pure” MDMA, is a first-generation cathinone.
6. Clinical Course and Health Risks
In some cases, new versions of synthetic cathinones or synthetic marijuana are developed that are technically outside the federal laws banning these substances due to the specifics of their chemical makeup. Sold online and in head shops, these drugs are easily accessible to those who are interested in using them recreationally. Unfortunately, users often mistakenly believe that the legal status of these substances is an indication that they are safe. Resurgence Behavioral Health is a leading addiction treatment center.
Since Resurgence Behavioral Health can treat any form of substance addiction, we can help clients who have developed a dependence on Flakka, opioids, or other substances. If you feel like you can’t stop using Flakka, it’s a clear sign that help is needed. Nelson et al. [53] studied the stereoselective effects of α-PVP, and the results showed that the adverse effects of racemic α-PVP were mediated primarily by the S isomer. Bath salt is a name that has been created for a group of drugs that possesses one or more synthetic chemicals related to cathinone, a stimulant similar to amphetamines that is found in the plant khat (Catha edulis). Chemically, bath salts are derivatives of β-phenyl-ethylamine (PEA), including methamphetamine (N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine) and MDMA (3,4-methylendioxy-N-methylamfetamin, Ecstasy, or Molly). The range of chemical structures of these compounds is very broad and constantly changing.
Short-Term Effects of Flakka Use
This classification means that it is illegal to manufacture, distribute, or possess flakka. Bath salts contain manmade stimulants called cathinones, which are similar to amphetamines. In the 1980s, the all-night rave scene gave birth to the synthetic drug MDMA or ecstasy, giving users the euphoric high of amphetamines and the psychedelic effects of hallucinogens. As a relatively new drug, the long-term effects of Flakka haven’t been widely studied but all psychoactive drugs are known to cause cardiovascular problems, respiratory difficulties, kidney and liver damage. If you are struggling with Flakka addiction, it is important to get help from a medical professional who can facilitate a full drug rehab programme. Flakka works in a similar way to other amphetamine-like synthetic substances in that it increases the level of dopamine in the brain – the neurotransmitter responsible for controlling pleasure and reward.
High doses deliver a similar high to cocaine or methamphetamine, which can cause paranoid delusions and involuntary muscle jerks. In small doses, Flakka can give users an immediate sense of euphoria, boost confidence, lessen inhibitions and increase libido. When the brain gets used to these pleasant sensations, it is hardwired to want more, leading to a higher tolerance, greater dependence and a potentially deadly addiction.
Cathinone use can also cause rhabdomyolysis, which is a melting of the muscle tissue and the release of muscle fibers into the blood stream. This can lead to kidney failure and result in a user needing permanent dialysis. The effects of the comedown from Flakka (the period when the drug leaves the body) include fatigue and depression. The stimulant can even produce psychological problems in those with no history of mental illness. A 2016 study published in the journal Case Reports in Psychiatry indicatedthat a teen girl with no past psychiatric diagnosis experienced psychotic episodes after taking flakka.
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant made from the coca plant. These stimulants increase levels of dopamine, a brain chemical that can create feelings of euphoria. When you use street or club drugs, you’re taking a lot of risks. The drugs are dangerous, and usually there’s no way to know how strong they are or what else may be in them. It’s even more unsafe to use them along with other substances like alcohol and marijuana. Users of Flakka risk experiencing a heart attack or stroke due to the rapid heart rate caused by the substance.
They mimic the stimulant effects similar to those resulting from illegal drugs. These include cocaine, methamphetamine (crystal meth), and MDMA (molly or ecstasy). A psychoactive substance, Flakka affects the central nervous system, causing individuals to experience euphoria, increased energy and focus, and even increased libido. However, taking too much of the drug can lead to adverse effects such as hallucinations and irregular heartbeat. Mixing this drug can also cause adverse health effects that can lead to overdose and death.
Future research should focus on the development of analytical methods for rapid identification in both live and dead specimens. A synthetic drug known on the streets as “Flakka” (α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone, α-PVP) has become popular in the United States. It is chemically similar to MDPV, also known as a bath salt, which was responsible for the increase in bizarre cases of intoxication and agitation in the United States several years ago [30]. Although people use α-PVP for their euphoric potential, symptoms can easily escalate into terrible delusions, paranoid psychosis, extreme agitation, and many other altered mental states. Α-PVP causes a condition called agitated delirium, where there is an excessive influx of sympathetic activation [31]. This condition causes changes to the mental state, including bizarre behavior, anxiety, agitation, violence, confusion, myoclonus, and seizures [32,33].
Drug Enforcement AdministrationThe effects of flakka are so gruesome that the U.S. put a ban on 116 different Chinese substances used to make it. While toxicology reports will determine whether Harrouff was on drugs during the alleged attack, Snyder said he “would not be surprised” dandruff symptoms and causes if Harrouff was under the influence of flakka. Hall added that there have been recent reports of a designer drug marketed as flakka in Ohio and Houston as well as Florida. «We’re starting to see a rash of cases of a syndrome referred to as excited delirium,» said Hall.
- It is common to hear reports that it takes multiple people to restrain and sedate these patients.
- After exposing C2C12 myoblasts to α-PVP and other drugs for 1 h or 24 h, the cell membrane integrity, ATP content, mitochondrial oxygen consumption, and mitochondrial superoxide radical anion production were measured.
- Typically, users experience a euphoric-like high when taking Flakka.
- The metabolism of α-PVP and MDPV has been examined, but only the Phase I metabolism will be described here.
In Japan, a fatal case of sudden death due to cardiac failure of a 41-year-old man who had self-administered α-PVP was reported in 2014 [68]. The toxicological analysis revealed other substances as well, but α-PVP was detected (411 ng/mL) in postmortem blood samples and in blood samples from the right and left ventricles and femoral vein [58]. Α-PVP levels were identified at concentrations of 597, 635, and 580 ng/mL in the blood from the right and left ventricles and femoral vein, respectively [69]. In the USA, there were over 300 cases of α-PVP exploitation in the first three months of 2015 [70], and 18 fatal deaths were reported in only one south Florida county [71]. A brief review of the previously reported human α-PVP poisoning cases is summarized in Table 1.
Its street name draws from a hispanic colloquial term, which generally refers to a “slender, elegant woman who charms all whom she meets,” Hall says. «The main issue with this whole category is that the user just doesn’t know what they’re taking or the strength of what they’re taking, and literally they are the guinea pigs,» he said. «We’re referring to these as the guinea pig drugs. Often the dealer might not even know what they’re selling.»