Alcohol and mephedrone are both drugs, the former legal. Both compounds not only provoke a number of somatic complications, but also cause persistent dependence. And if you combine mephedrone and alcohol, it can be fatal. Let’s take a closer look at what happens as a result of their interaction.
Brief details of two substances
Mephedrone is a narcotic substance that has a stimulating effect on the psyche. After its use, a person’s motor activity increases, he or she becomes excessively liberated and sociable. After it was banned in 2010, the demand for it only began to increase.
All the effects of mephedrone use can be divided into positive (as far as possible in this context), neutral and negative. The former include stimulation of mental and physical activity, empathy, communication skills, and euphoria itself.
Tachycardia and increased pulse rate, impaired thermoregulation, and loss of appetite are considered neutral. The group of negative factors is also divided into mental and physiological changes. The former include eccentric behavior; decreased concentration; amnesia; insomnia, sleep paralysis. And physiologically there is irritation of mucous membranes, paresthesias and nystagmus, temporary loss of vision, etc.
Thus, in the case of overdose (and there is no specific permissible dose, because this drug is designer and constantly undergoes changes in the composition), a person completely disappears critical thinking, delirium occurs, serotonin syndrome.
After cathinone penetration into the body there are a number of pathological changes: vision deteriorates, diabetes develops, stomach ulcers and mechanical jaundice, pancreatitis. There is no physical dependence on mephedrone, but psychological dependence develops very quickly.
How does mephedrone affect the body?
It is a synthetic cathinone, the natural source of which is the khat plant. The artificially produced compound has a more pronounced effect. The formula of the designer drug is constantly changing so that drug traffickers can circumvent distribution bans. For the same reason, it is impossible to predict the effect, to calculate the dose. And this is the main danger of synthetic drugs.
The feeling of euphoria, the desire to communicate with other people occurs due to the release of large amounts of serotonin.
The degree of toxicity of the drug is not thoroughly studied. But it is proved that with long-term use the consequences for the body are similar to amphetamines and cathinones. After a single use, the consequences are as follows:
- Sweating;
- Headache;
- Increased heart rate;
- Nausea;
- Chest pain;
- Anxiety
Intranasal application leads to mucosal irritation, pain symptoms and bleeding. The complaints may persist for several weeks. It does not seem to be that critical. But because of the lack of a minimum threshold dose, the consequences in many cases are fatal. A person can die from a hypertensive crisis, respiratory center seizures, myocardial infarction.
The drug is rapidly eliminated from the body, after 25 minutes the concentration of serotonin and dopamine in the brain falls by half. Its elimination half-life is 2.15 hours. Consequently mephedrone is characterized by rapid effect, powerful release of neurotransmitters and the same process of decomposition into metabolites. For the addict, this means vivid but short-lived sensations a few minutes after use. Chronic mephedrone addicts face these consequences:
- Attention deficit disorder and hallucinations;
- Uncontrollable bouts of aggression;
- Disturbances of the psyche;
- Depression;
- Blood disorders, liver disorders.
Psychological dependence develops almost immediately, after 1-3 times of intake. The potential for its formation is different for all people. It is influenced by the state of a person’s psyche, his environment and heredity.
Danger of interaction with alcohol (Mephedrone and Alcohol)
Such a combination is used to enhance euphoria when resistance to the usual dose has developed. At a minimum, in this case, a person can expect dyspeptic disorders, a pronounced hangover syndrome, and memory problems. On the other hand, in a drunken state, the risk of overdosing is too high. And this poses a threat to the life of the addict.
Visually, mephedrone users look like this:
- Cheerful, outgoing, and very active for no reason;
- They have a blunted instinct of self-preservation;
- They gesticulate actively;
- There is an increase of libido;
- They are eager to help those around them.
During withdrawal, addicts have dilated pupils, their face is swollen and hyperemic, and they are bothered by feelings of thirst, chills, weakness, and nausea. Nervous system disorders are manifested by memory lapses, insomnia, or nightmares.
If a person has used mephedrone and alcohol, the consequences may be most severe, up to and including death. Death occurs as a result of overheating of the body, heart attack or suicide. People with heart disease and mental pathologies are at risk. Accidents due to loss of self-control of the user are also often registered.
In addition to psychological dependence, the toxic substances contained in ethanol cause damage to internal organs. Chronic intoxication with ethanol leads primarily to damage to the brain, nervous system, digestive organs and kidneys.
Mephedrone also causes pathological changes in the body:
- Cardiovascular dysfunction, as a consequence: arrhythmia, heart attack, stroke;
- In intravenous form causes gangrene of the extremities;
- When inhaled, promotes malignancy;
- Liver cirrhosis;
- Mental disorders of paranoid nature.
The simultaneous toxic effects of the drug and ethanol increase the burden on the nervous system, heart and liver several times over.
The internal organs begin to work harder, which causes their failure. When combining these substances, a person expects an increased effect of euphoria. In fact, he gets spasms of the muscles of the jaw, nystagmus, paresthesias, decreased libido, severe mental disorders.
The most dangerous consequences of the simultaneous effects of alcohol and the drug are pulmonary embolism, sudden loss of vision, kidney failure.
Conclusion
Regular use of the designer drug ensures a person’s inevitable demise in 4-5 years. In combination with alcohol, many of its effects are potentiated. It is impossible to foresee the long-term consequences for the body of such a duet. But even a single case can become fatal.
It is not so important whether a person takes drugs or regularly goes on binges. Any addiction needs to be addressed by professionals in order to get timely help. If you don’t stop, it becomes a one-way road. Dependence on mephedrone develops after only 1-2 months of irregular use. Even after a course of therapy at the clinic, the chances of a full life are negligible. More often than not, after improving their physical health, addicts start living their old lifestyle again.