Author: Alex Thompson
Bath Salts Effects Short- and Long-Term Effects of Bath Salts
Their effects are similar to the effects of amphetamine and ecstasy (MDMA). Sudden Weight Loss- Bath salts can reduce an individual’s appetite and if they are misusing the substance consistently, weight loss is likely to occur. The effects from Bath salts can last for 3 to 4 hours before the user has a potentially harsh crash. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. If ingested orally, absorption is rapid with a peak “rush” at 1.5 hours, the effect lasting 3 to 4 hours, then a hard “crash”. The total experience may last upwards of 8 hours or longer.1 Snorting and injecting the drug can be especially hazardous.
- They become disconnected with reality and exhibit erratic behavior.
- It’s important that these individuals seek treatment and remain actively involved in their treatment for a sufficient length of time.
- Balt salts can lead to serious, and even fatal adverse reactions.
- Bath salts (synthetic cathinones) look and feel a lot like Epsom salts.
- The drug can also raise a person’s blood pressure and heart rate.
It is a typical side effect of bath salts and may lead to tooth damage and cracking. People experience withdrawal when they reduce or stop using a drug after continued use. Bath salts can produce withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, depression, paranoia, sleeping problems and tremors. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts while using bath salts, call or text 988 (the national suicide hotline).
Synthetic Cathinones (“Bath Salts”)
At first, however, bath salts can produce a stimulating, euphoric high. A 2013 study found that one of the main substances used in bath salts, MDPV, is highly addictive — possibly even more so than meth. The adverse effects of MDPV can last as many as 6 to 8 hours after misuse, and it has been reported to cause prolonged panic attacks, psychosis and death. People typically abuse bath salts to experience euphoria and increased alertness.
These drugs contain one or more chemicals related to cathinone, a natural stimulant found in the khat plant. “I am an experienced drug user who experimented with more drugs than I have fingers. Nothing but fear, heart palpitations, jitters, severe nausea, and everything coming and going a million miles an hour.
Overdose with bath salts
This is called “keying” and a gram of bath salts will supply a person with a bath salts misuse disorder with anywhere from 5 to 8 keys. Because bath salts illicit amphetamine-like effects, the individual under the influence will typically have an unusual amount of energy. These are two tell-tale signs of bath salts misuse and should not be ignored. Researchers are not sure how bath salts affect the brain, although it appears that, like other stimulants, they flood the brain with dopamine.
Chemically, drugs that are considered bath salts are related to cathinone, a naturally occurring stimulant that is found in the leave of the East African Khat plant. The cathinone in bath salts is synthetic though, and more potent than the naturally occurring cathonine. Because of this, in some cases, consuming bath salts can be fatal. Individuals experiencing psychotic episodes can quickly become violent. Immediately call 911 if someone behaves violently or has breathing problems or seizures after using bath salts. Bath salts are human-made stimulants that are chemically similar to methamphetamine and MDMA.
They are often sold on the street as cheap substitutes for other stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine. Snorting and injecting bath salts are the most dangerous methods. People who use the drug this way are more likely to overdose.
How do people use bath salts?
Bath salts (synthetic cathinones) look and feel a lot like Epsom salts. Bath salts are among a group called new psychoactive substances. They give you a “high” that affects how you see others and the world around you.
Data sources include Micromedex (updated 3 Mar 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 4 Mar 2024), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2024) and others. You can have what is called “excited delirium.” If you have this, you will get dehydrated, your muscle tissue will begin to break down, and your kidneys may stop working. The above symptoms could be a result of bath salts misuse or addiction and are a reason for concern. Bath salts are known as such because of their resemblance to legitimate bath salts, like epsom salt, that are used for actual bathing.
Synthetic cathinones increase dopamine levels in the brain, which triggers feelings of pleasure. The drug can also raise a person’s blood pressure and heart rate. Bath salts misuse appears to have declined recently, as many sellers relabeled the bath salts in their original form as “molly” or “flakka”, so many people don’t even know they’re taking bath salts. Other labels that dealers may use for these substances are “plant food” and “phone screen cleaner.” Once acquired, the powder is snorted, injected, smoked, or swallowed. Nasal inhalation and injection use preset the highest risk of overdose and death. Regular use of bath salts can result in a severe substance use disorder.
In purest form, the drug is a light brown or white crystallized powder. It usually comes in plastic bags or foil labeled as bath salts, glass cleaner, or even plant food. Unlike Epsom salts, Dead Sea salts, or other types of salts you might use to game up your bath time, synthetic cathinones are a powerful and illegal drug. Synthetic cathinones is the scientific name for the drug commonly known as bath salts. Bath salts first appeared in Europe in 2007, and it didn’t take long before they reached the United States.
MY HEART STOPPED BEATING.
Due to the chemical similarities between methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and cocaine or methamphetamine, their effects on the brain are likely to be similar. With that being said, the effects may be much more intense because MDVP is reportedly 10 times more powerful than cocaine. The stimulant effects of bath salts generally last about three to four hours, according to a 2012 study published in the journal Pharmacy & Therapeutics. But some individuals have symptoms that linger for two to three days. According to PBS NewsHour, a method for detecting bath salts is being developed, but it will be for law enforcement use and not necessarily available for everyone to use in the home. This may help people isolate the problem if their loved one has a run-in with the law while under the influence of bath salts.
Drug effects can include a short-term increase in energy and mood and acting strangely friendly to others. Risks from using them include liver failure, mental illness, and even death. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, MDPV is at least 10 times more powerful than cocaine. The high potency of bath salts can lead to a number of distressing effects on the body and mind. Cathinone comes from a plant called khat, found in East Africa and southern Arabia.