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OVERDOSE:

If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or 911 immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hot-line at 800-222-1222. Symptoms of overdose may include: slowed breathing, slowed heartbeat, persistent dizziness/fainting, cold/clammy skin, limp/weak muscles, excessive drowsiness, loss of consciousness, or convulsions.

Alcohol:

Elimination of alcohol from a healthy adult body occurs at an average rate of approximately ½ to ¾ ounce per hour, the equivalent of 1 ounce of 100-proof whiskey, one large beer, or about 3 to 4 ounces of wine. When blood alcohol concentrations reach very high levels, the brain's control over the respiratory system may be paralyzed. A .30 BAL is the minimum level at which death can occur; at .40 the drinker may lapse into a coma. At .50 BAL, respiratory functions and heartbeat slow drastically, and at .60 most drinkers are dead.
  When the amount of alcohol is high, imbalances are created which can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hyperuricemia (as in arthritis or gout), fatty liver (which may lead to hepatitis or cirrhosis), and hyperlipemia (build-up of fats sent to the bloodstream; which leads to heart problems).
  One effect of drinking alcohol is "blood-sludging" where the red blood cells clump together causing the small blood vessels to plug up, starve the tissues of oxygen, and cause cell death. This cell death is most serious, and often unrecognized, in the brain. With this increased pressure, capillaries break, create red eyes in the morning, or the red, blotchy skin seen on the heavy drinker's face. Blood vessels can also break in the stomach and esophagus leading to hemorrhage, even death.
  Other effects of alcohol on the blood include: anemia; sedation of the bone marrow (which reduces the red and white blood count, and weakens the bone structure); and a decrease in the ability to fight off infections. The stomach, the small and large intestines, and the pancreas are each affected by alcohol. Alcohol increases acid in the stomach. That can result in gastritis or stomach or intestinal ulcers. The pancreas produces insulin which is necessary to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. Drinking causes a steep rise in the blood sugar; the pancreas responds by producing insulin which causes a fast drop in blood sugar and the symptom of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. 70-90% of alcoholics suffer to some degree from the disorder of hypoglycemia, chronic low blood sugar, as a long term effect of their drinking. Symptoms of hypoglycemia can include dizziness, headaches, lack of ability to concentrate, depression, anxiety, light-headiness, tremors, cold sweats, heart palpitations, loss of coordination, and upset stomach. In time, the drinker's overworked pancreas may stop producing insulin and diabetes can result. Conversely, a person with a family history of diabetes may be more vulnerable to problems with alcohol. Alcohol reduces blood flow to the muscles, including the heart, causing muscle weakness and deterioration. One outcome is cardiomyopathy (sluggish heart) which is common in alcoholics. Another outcome, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), or "holiday heart,"is often treated in emergency wards after several days of party drinking. Muscle aches are a common symptom of excessive-drinking "hangovers." This system controls the body's hormones and includes the pineal, pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands, and the ovaries or testes. Alcohol sedates these glands, resulting in under-production of hormones; effects include increased susceptibility to allergies.
  Alcohol can effect sexual functioning in various ways. In low doses, it lowers inhibitions and may make a person feel sexier; but in higher doses, it can decrease sexual functioning: in men, by decreasing the frequency of erections, decreasing the maintenance of erections, decreasing penile size during erection, and increasing the amount of time between erections, in women by interfering with normal processes of sexual stimulation, and blocking orgasmic response. With chronic and prolonged use of alcohol in men, there is a shrinkage of sex glands and an increase of the "female hormone" estrogen. This produces secondary sexual characteristics, such as enlarged breasts and a decrease in body hair. Prolonged use of alcohol can cause infertility in Women who drink during pregnancy risk the development of both mental and physical defects in their children. Effects on the child can include: growth deficiencies; poorly formed bones and organs, heart abnormalities, cleft palate, retarded intellect, delayed motor development, poor coordination, behavior problems, and learning disabilities.
  Smoking cigarettes, combined with alcohol use, will increase the chance of birth defects. Use of alcohol increases the chance of miscarriage. Drugs such as marijuana and cocaine which are used, like alcohol, for "recreational" purposes have different, but similarly harmful, physical effects. If marijuana is used with alcohol, the effect is greater than if the two effect patterns were added together. Driving after using either alcohol or marijuana is unsafe, after using both, driving is more than twice as dangerous. Judgment, reaction time, and coordination are worse than with either drug taken alone.
  Cocaine, "Crack" and amphetamines are fast-acting stimulants. People who use alcohol and stimulant drugs together will drink more to feel the effects of alcohol because of the stimulant effects. When stimulant effects wear off, the alcohol effects "catch up" quickly, and that can be extremely dangerous, both in terms of physical effects and distortions of perception and judgment..

Cocaine, Crack:

The effects of coke & crack include constricted peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. Duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects, which include energy, reduced fatigue, and mental clarity, depends on how it is used. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. However, the faster the absorption, the shorter the high lasts. The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. Cocaine's effects are short lived, and once the drug leaves the brain, the user experiences a "coke crash" that includes depression, irritability, and fatigue.
Stimulants are also quickly-addicting drugs which cause their users to need more and more to get the same "high". Chronic stimulant use leads to dysphoria--a depressed, low-energy state; flattened emotions, a lack of interest in sex, and physical immobility.
  The physical and psychological consequences of heavy stimulant use include: hallucinations and delusions, a mental state that appears "really crazy." Many stimulant users experience formication, the sensation that their skin is crawling with bugs. Impaired judgment and feelings of persecution are common. Users may over stimulate their heart muscles and cause sudden death from a single heavy dose   Other effects include heart disease, heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, and gastrointestinal problems. Other symptoms include convulsions, nausea, blurred vision, chest pain, fever, muscle spasms, and coma.   Mental effects are paranoia, irritability, restlessness, auditory hallucinations and mood disturbances. Prolonged cocaine snorting can result in ulceration of the mucous membrane of the nose.

Ecstasy, MDMA, MDA:

MDMA has become a popular drug, in part because of the positive effects that a person experiences within an hour or so after taking a single dose. Those effects include feelings of mental stimulation, emotional warmth, empathy toward others, a general sense of well being, and decreased anxiety. In addition, users report enhanced sensory perception as a hallmark of the MDMA experience. Because of the drug's stimulant properties, when used in club or dance settings MDMA can also enable users to dance for extended periods. However, there are some users who report undesirable effects immediately, including anxiety, agitation, and recklessness.
  As noted, MDMA is not a benign drug. MDMA can produce a variety of adverse health effects, including nausea, chills, sweating, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and blurred vision. MDMA overdose can also occur - the symptoms can include high blood pressure, faintness, panic attacks, and in severe cases, a loss of consciousness, and seizures. Because of its stimulant properties and the environment in which it is often taken, MDMA is associated with vigorous physical activity for extended periods. This can lead to one of the most significant, although rare, acute adverse effects -- a marked rise in body temperature (hyperthermia). Treatment of hyperthermia requires prompt medical attention, as it can rapidly lead to muscle breakdown, which can in turn result in kidney failure. In addition, dehydration, hypertension, and heart failure may occur in susceptible individuals. MDMA can also reduce the pumping efficiency of the heart, of particular concern during periods of increased physical activity, thereby further complicating these problems. MDMA is rapidly absorbed into the human blood stream, but once in the body MDMA interferes with the body's ability to metabolize, or break down the drug. As a result, additional doses of MDMA can produce unexpectedly high blood levels, which could worsen the cardiovascular and other toxic effects of this drug. MDMA also interferes with the metabolism of other drugs, including some of the adulterants that may be found in MDMA tablets. In the hours after taking the drug, MDMA produces significant reductions in mental abilities. These changes, particularly those affecting memory, can last for up to a week, and possibly longer in regular users. The fact that MDMA markedly impairs information processing emphasizes the potential dangers of performing complex or even skilled activities, such as driving a car, while under the influence of this drug. Over the course of the week following moderate use of the drug, many MDMA users report feeling a range of emotions, including anxiety, restlessness, irritability, and sadness that in some individuals can be as severe as true clinical depression. Similarly, elevated anxiety, impulsiveness, and aggression, as well as sleep disturbances, lack of appetite and reduced interest in and pleasure from sex have been observed in regular MDMA users. Some of these disturbances may not be directly attributable to MDMA, but may be related to some of the other drugs often used in combination with MDMA, such as cocaine or marijuana, or to potential adulterants found in MDMA tablets.

Heroin, Dope:

Long-term effects of heroin appear after repeated use for some period of time. Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulites, and liver disease. Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin's depressing effects on respiration. In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may have additives that do not really dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs. With regular heroin use, tolerance develops. This means the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity or effect. As higher doses are used over time, physical dependence and addiction develop. With physical dependence, the body has adapted to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms may occur if use is reduced or stopped. Withdrawal, which in regular abusers may occur as early as a few hours after the last administration, produces drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), kicking movements ("kicking the habit"), and other symptoms. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health can be fatal.

OxyContin, Oxy's:

OxyContin is available in tablet form in 5 doses: 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160mg. (However, the manufacturer is no longer shipping 160mg). How is it used? As pain medication, OxyContin is taken every 12 hours because the tablets contain a controlled, time-release formulation of the medication. Most pain medications must be taken every three to six hours. Oxycontin abusers remove the sustained-release coating to get a rapid release of the medication, causing a rush of euphoria similar to heroin.
  What are its short-term effects? The most serious risk associated with opiates, including OxyContin, is respiratory depression. Common opiate side effects are constipation, nausea, sedation, dizziness, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, sweating, and weakness. Taking a large single dose of an opiate could cause severe respiratory depression that can lead to death.
  What are its long-term effects? Chronic use of opiates can result in tolerance for the drugs, which means that users must take higher doses to achieve the same initial effects. Long-term use also can lead to physical dependence and addiction -- the body adapts to the presence of the drug, and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced or stopped. Properly managed medical use of pain relievers is safe and rarely causes clinical addiction, defined as compulsive, often uncontrollable use of drugs. Taken exactly as prescribed, opiates can be used to manage pain effectively.
SIDE EFFECTS: Nausea, vomiting, constipation, mild itching, drowsiness, dry mouth, lightheadedness, loss of appetite, or weakness may occur. Some of these side effects may decrease after continued use of the medication. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. To prevent constipation, maintain a diet adequate in fiber, drink plenty of water, and exercise. Consult your pharmacist for help in the use of a laxative (e.g., stimulant-type, stool softener). Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: slow/irregular/shallow breathing, dizziness upon standing, slow/fast/irregular heartbeat, mental/mood changes, uncontrolled muscle movements (tremors), vision changes. Get help immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: severe stomach/abdominal pain, change in the amount of urine, seizures. A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching, swelling, severe dizziness, trouble breathing. If you notice other effects not listed above, call 911.

Marijuana, Pot:

Methamphetamines, Crystal Meth:

Also Known as Meth, Tina, Ice, Glass, Crank or Chalk
  Crystal methamphetamine or "tina" is one of the fastest growing drugs in the gay community. To users it's short-term effects may seem mild and the initial high fantastic, but in the long run tina can be dangerous to their physical and emotional health not to mention social well-being. Unfortunately, the drug causes decreased appetite and gives a false sense of prolonged energy. Persons taking the drug can dance for over 6 hours straight without eating or hydrating themselves. Their bodies give no sign of fatigue or hunger even though they were obviously present. They get very hyperactive and often make inappropriate comments and engage in inappropriate behavior.
Crystal can be in the body anywhere from 2-20 hours. However, after users start to come off the drug or "crash" they become emotionally instable and highly irritable. This can be extremely dangerous for those that suffer from depression who naturally have a difficult time regulating their moods. The drug also causes heart palpitations, blurred vision, extended wakefulness and damage to the brain, lungs and liver. The ultimate side effect is death from overdose.
What are the Hazards of Crystal Meth? Crystal meth is an addictive killer; that much is known. But what makes it so dangerous? In low doses, crystal meth heightens the senses and makes the users more alert. In higher doses, the drug causes exhilaration and euphoria. If used in even higher doses, heart rate increases, body temperature can rise to very dangerous levels, and the user can become paranoid, agitated and exhibit very bizarre and risky behavior. It's at these high doses that overdose and death occur. Addiction - Some experts say that it is impossible not to become addicted to crystal meth. Some studies have shown that 9 out of 10 people who inject crystal meth just once will become addicted. While those who smoke crystal meth take longer to become addicted, most do and eventually progress to injecting meth. In addition to its ability to addict the user, tolerance also occurs, meaning the user must use higher doses to achieve the same effect. Eventually, the doses are so high that the most dangerous effects such as increased heart rate, severe hyperthermia (high body temperature), paranoia, and stroke occur, eventually resulting in death. Once addicted, kicking the addiction is said to be at most almost impossible and at least extremely difficult and emotionally painful.
Withdrawal - Prolonged use and addiction to crystal meth slowly "burns out" the pleasure senses. The body produces two substances, dopamine and norepinephrine, to stimulate the body. Crystal meth eventually burns out the system that produces these important chemicals. After this occurs, the body can no longer produce the chemicals that stimulate the pleasure senses. Simply put, crystal meth becomes necessary for the user to feel pleasure. After stopping the drug, the person will experience a profound "numbness" and depression because the body can no longer produce the two stimulants necessary to experience pleasure. The depression can become so profound that users trying to stop crystal meth will commit suicide to ease their pain. To make matters worse, addiction relapse is very common. Most people trying to stop will use again once out of rehab. In short, crystal meth takes hold and will not let go.

Amphetamines, Speed, Crank:

Consistent heavy use or a single large dose can induce amphetamine psychosis, almost identical in symptoms to schizophrenia. Vivid auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions are the real frighteners and, unlike hallucinogens, the "trip" cannot be turned around. This is a very real mental state caused by over-excitement of the brain's fright centers. Its effects often start with curiosity, deep thought, and paranoia. Its slow build up makes it all the more dangerous, as it is harder to recognize the symptoms. Some people get into obsessional activities, ironing or scrubbing floors though the night, or dismantling and reassembling electrical equipment. While amphetamine psychosis is much more common amongst heavy regular users there are real dangers that any small amount of speed used by a person with schizophrenic tendencies could push them over the edge. Amphetamines are highly addictive, working like alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine on the dopamine "reward" pathways of the brain. Short term recreational use can slip unnoticed into long term systematic abuse. Some speed addicts have had habits lasting over twenty years.
  If you are addicted, withdrawal will give exactly the reverse effects of the drug. Instead of the drug's euphoria and curbing the need to eat and sleep, withdrawal causes excessive hunger and fatigue, different from heroin withdrawal, but equally distressing. Users can be addicted quickly, needing higher doses more often. Adverse health effects include irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure and a variety of psychological problems. Long-term effects may include severe mental disorders, memory loss, and severe dental problems.

Barbiturates, Downers:

Barbiturates are a type of depressant drug that causes relaxation and sleepiness. In relatively low doses, barbiturates and alcohol have very similar clinical syndromes of intoxication. Barbiturates are sedatives used for seizure disorders, induction of anesthesia, and management of increased intracranial pressure, and it enhances the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid. Barbiturates are general depressants to nerve and muscle tissue. Mild to moderate barbiturate toxicity mimics to alcohol intoxication. Severe acute barbiturate toxicity results in CNS problems, with common problem of lethargy and coma. Constricted pupils, confusion, hypo tension, poor coordination, respiratory and depression may be found. Although a barbiturate serum level may be obtained, the clinical presentation predicts the seriousness of the overdose that might happen. Attention must be given to the ABC's, which is airway, breathing and circulation. Gastric lavage and multiple doses of activated charcoal may be used to decontaminate the gastrointestinal system. Intra-venous fluids and forced dieresis and alkalinization should be used for long acting barbiturate intoxication. In severe cases, even hemodialysis may be necessary. Early death are usually a result of shock or cardiopulmonary arrest while later death are usually the result of pulmonary complications such as aspiration pneumonia or pulmonary edema. However, excessive and prolonged dosages of barbiturate drugs, such as phenobarbital, may produce the following chronic symptoms: memory loss, irritability, changes in alertness, and decreased interpersonal functioning. Barbiturates may also cause an acute overdose syndrome, which is life-threatening. The difference between the dose causing drowsiness and one causing death may be small. In the medical profession, this difference is called a narrow therapeutic-to-toxic range. This is the reason why barbiturates are dangerous. It is also why barbiturates are not often prescribed today. In addition to having a narrow therapeutic range, barbiturates are also addictive. If taken daily for longer than about 1 month, the brain develops a need for the barbiturate, which causes severe symptoms if the drug is withheld. Symptoms of withdrawal or abstinence include tremors, difficulty sleeping, and agitation. These symptoms can become worse, resulting in life-threatening symptoms, including hallucinations, high temperature, and seizures. Pregnant women taking barbiturates can cause their baby to become addicted, and the newborn may have withdrawal symptoms.
  Street Names: Amobarbital, Downers, blue0 heavens, blue velvet, blue devils, Pentobarbital, Nembies, yellow jackets, abbots, Mexican yellows, Phenobarbital Purple hearts, goof balls, Secobarbital, Reds, red birds, red devils, lilly, F-40s, pinks, pink ladies, seggy, Tuinal, Rainbows, reds and blues, tooies, double trouble, gorilla pills, F-66s.
  At even higher doses, the person is unable to be aroused (coma) and may stop breathing. Death is possible.   Symptoms include: Sluggishness, In-coordination, Difficulty in thinking, Slowness of speech, Faulty judgment, Drowsiness, Shallow breathing and Staggering.
&bnsp Barbiturates may cause prolonged coma and may damage fetuses of pregnant women. An estimated 25% of barbiturate-induced comas are accompanied by severe side effects. The side effects of barbiturates, especially the depressive effect on the cardiovascular system, can cause death. Other side effects include impaired gastrointestinal motility and impaired immune response and infection. Since barbiturates depress activity in the brain, measurements of brain activity may be unreliable. Other complications, such as lung infection, fevers, or deep vein blood clots are possible.

Benzodiazepines, Benzo's:

Benzodiazepines are drugs with a wide margin between an effective therapeutic dose and a toxic overdose. However, severe overdoses can be fatal, especially if taken by a person who is drinking alcohol at the same time. Taking an overdose of benzodiazepines can also cause unconsciousness and possibly death. Anyone who shows signs of an overdose or of the effects of combining benzodiazepines with alcohol or other drugs should get immediate emergency help. Warning signs include slurred speech or confusion, severe drowsiness, staggering, and profound weakness. The family of anti anxiety drugs known as benzodiazepines includes alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan). PREGNANCY. Some benzodiazepines increase the likelihood of birth defects. Using these medicines during pregnancy may also cause the baby to become dependent on them and to have withdrawal symptoms after birth. When taken late in pregnancy or around the time of labor and delivery, these drugs can cause other problems in the newborn baby, such as weakness, breathing problems, slow heartbeat, and body temperature problems.
BREAST FEEDING. Benzodiazepines may pass into breast milk and cause problems in babies whose mothers take the medicine. These problems include drowsiness, breathing problems, and slow heartbeat. Women who are breast feeding their babies should not use this medicine without checking with their physicians. Other symptoms include behavior changes, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, confusion, depression, seizures (convulsions), hallucinations, sleep problems, increased nervousness, excitability, or irritability, involuntary movements of the body, including the eyes, low blood pressure, unusual weakness or tiredness, skin rash or itching, unusual bleeding or bruising, yellow skin or eyes, sore throat, sores in the mouth, or throat fever and chills.

LSD, Acid:

The precise mechanism by which LSD alters perceptions is still unclear. Evidence from laboratory studies suggests that LSD, like hallucinogenic plants, acts on certain groups of serotonin receptors designated the 5-HT2 receptors, and that its effects are most prominent in two brain regions: One is the cerebral cortex, an area involved in mood, cognition, and perception; the other is the locus ceruleus, which receives sensory signals from all areas of the body and has been described as the brain's "novelty detector" for important external stimuli. LSD's effects typically begin within 30 to 90 minutes of ingestion and may last as long as 12 hours. Users refer to LSD and other hallucinogenic experiences as "trips" and to the acute adverse experiences as "bad trips." Although most LSD trips include both pleasant and unpleasant aspects, the drug's effects are unpredictable and may vary with the amount ingested and the user's personality, mood, expectations, and surroundings.
  Users of LSD may experience some physiological effects, such as increased blood pressure and heart rate, dizziness, loss of appetite, dry mouth, sweating, nausea, numbness, and tremors; but the drug's major effects are emotional and sensory. The user's emotions may shift rapidly through a range from fear to euphoria, with transitions so rapid that the user may seem to experience several emotions simultaneously. LSD also has dramatic effects on the senses. Colors, smells, sounds, and other sensations seem highly intensified. In some cases, sensory perceptions may blend in a phenomenon known as synesthesia, in which a person seems to hear or feel colors and see sounds. Hallucinations distort or transform shapes and movements, and they may give rise to a perception that time is moving very slowly or that the user's body is changing shape. On some trips, users experience sensations that are enjoyable and mentally stimulating and that produce a sense of heightened understanding. Bad trips, however, include terrifying thoughts and nightmarish feelings of anxiety and despair that include fears of insanity, death, or losing control.
  LSD users quickly develop a high degree of tolerance for the drug's effects: After repeated use, they need increasingly larger doses to produce similar effects. LSD use also produces tolerance for other hallucinogenic drugs such as psilocybin and mescaline, but not to drugs such as marijuana, amphetamines, and PCP, which do not act directly on the serotonin receptors affected by LSD. Tolerance for LSD is short-lived it is lost if the user stops taking the drug for several days. There is no evidence that LSD produces physical withdrawal symptoms when chronic use is stopped.
  Two long-term effects persistent psychosis and hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD), more commonly referred to as "flashbacks" have been associated with use of LSD. The causes of these effects, which in some users occur after a single experience with the drug, are not known.
  Psychosis: The effects of LSD can be described as drug-induced psychosis-distortion or disorganization of a person's capacity to recognize reality, think rationally, or communicate with others. Some LSD users experience devastating psychological effects that persist after the trip has ended, producing a long-lasting psychotic-like state. LSD-induced persistent psychosis may include dramatic mood swings from mania to profound depression, vivid visual disturbances, and hallucinations. These effects may last for years and can affect people who have no history or other symptoms of psychological disorder.
  Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder: Some former LSD users report experiences known colloquially as "flashbacks" and called "HPPD" by physicians. These episodes are spontaneous, repeated, sometimes continuous recurrences of some of the sensory distortions originally produced by LSD. The experience may include hallucinations, but it most commonly consists of visual disturbances such as seeing false motion on the edges of the field of vision, bright or colored flashes, and halos or trails attached to moving objects. This condition is typically persistent and in some cases remains unchanged for years after individuals have stopped using the drug. Because HPPD symptoms may be mistaken for those of other neurological disorders such as stroke or brain tumors, sufferers may consult a variety of clinicians before the disorder is accurately diagnosed. There is no established treatment for HPPD, although some antidepressant drugs may reduce the symptoms. Psychotherapy may help patients adjust to the confusion associated with visual distraction and to minimize the fear, expressed by some, that they are suffering brain damage or psychiatric disorder.

Ketamine, Special K:

PCP, Dust:

PCP, developed in the 1950s as an intravenous surgical anesthetic, is classified as a dissociative anesthetic: Its sedative and anesthetic effects are trance-like, and patients experience a feeling of being "out of body" and detached from their environment. PCP was used in veterinary medicine but was never approved for human use because of problems that arose during clinical studies, including delirium and extreme agitation experienced by patients emerging from anesthesia. During the 1960s, PCP in pill form became widely abused, but the surge in illicit use receded rapidly as users became dissatisfied with the long delay between taking the drug and feeling its effects, and with the unpredictable and often violent behavior associated with its use. Powdered PCP - known as "ozone," "rocket fuel," "love boat," "hog," "embalming fluid," or "superweed" - appeared in the 1970s. In powdered form, the drug is sprinkled on marijuana, tobacco, or parsley, then smoked, and the onset of effects is rapid. Users sometimes ingest PCP by snorting the powder or by swallowing it in tablet form. Normally a white crystalline powder, PCP is sometimes colored with water-soluble or alcohol-soluble dyes. When snorted or smoked, PCP rapidly passes to the brain to disrupt the functioning of sites known as NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor complexes, which are receptors for the neurotransmitter glutamate. Glutamate receptors play a major role in the perception of pain, in cognition - including learning and memory - and in emotion. In the brain, PCP also alters the actions of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for the euphoria and "rush" associated with many abused drugs. At low PCP doses (5 mg or less), physical effects include shallow, rapid breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and elevated temperature. Doses of 10 mg or more cause dangerous changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration, often accompanied by nausea, blurred vision, dizziness, and decreased awareness of pain. Muscle contractions may cause uncoordinated movements and bizarre postures. When severe, the muscle contractions can result in bone fracture or in kidney damage or failure as a consequence of muscle cells breaking down. Very high doses of PCP can cause convulsions, coma, hyperthermia, and death. PCP's effects are unpredictable. Typically, they are felt within minutes of ingestion and last for several hours. Some users report feeling the drug's effects for days. One drug-taking episode may produce feelings of detachment from reality, including distortions of space, time, and body image; another may produce hallucinations, panic, and fear. Some users report feelings of invulnerability and exaggerated strength. PCP users may become severely disoriented, violent, or suicidal. Repeated use of PCP can result in addiction, and recent research suggests that repeated or prolonged use of PCP can cause withdrawal syndrome when drug use is stopped. Symptoms such as memory loss and depression may persist for as long as a year after a chronic user stops taking PCP.

I hope that in some way this has helped you, Scotty

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