What do all drugs have in common? *
Abstinence * Addiction * Effects on behavior
EXCESSIVE DOSAGES
Circulation – Most drugs directly affect heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure. In fact, stimulants such as amphetamine, cocaine, and numerous over-the-counter and prescription medications increase all of these. This is partly why seizures and heart attacks are involved in so many overdoses and other drug-related emergencies. Alcohol also speeds up blood circulation. Someone who receives a cut or skin puncture will bleed more intensely if s/he has been drinking.
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Excessive dosages * Interactions * Personal & fetal health * Set & setting
An overdose is defined medically as drug toxicity – when your bloodstream has so much of a foreign chemical in it that a potentially fatal bodily reaction occurs. Some drugs such as marijuana do not have any known toxic levels, and those that do vary widely. For example, though the exact level is unclear, to die directly from too much ecstasy (MDMA), one would probably have to swallow about a few dozen tablets at the same time. Similarly, a caffeine overdose would require about 50 cups of coffee within a single day. The toxic level of psychedelic drugs are for the most part so high that physical overdoses seldom occur. So does this mean it’s 100% safe to take as much as you need of drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy, caffeine, and psychedelics? No, of course not. Overdosing is just one of several common causes of drug-related emergencies. In addition to long-term effects, taking too much of any drug poses the numerous short-term dangers described below.
Breathing – While taking too much of a stimulant speeds up breathing to dangerous levels, doing the same thing with depressants, opiates, or dissociatives can have the opposite effect. Many deaths related to alcohol, heroin, GHB, and sleeping medications are due to respiratory failure. Inhalants such as nitrous oxide can also be dangerous when the user does not stop for air. The effects of the gas are prolonged and intensified as long as it continues to be inhaled and exhaled without intrusion of air. Obviously, this is the same as holding your breath since the lungs and brain are receiving no oxygen during this period. Nitrous oxide-related emergencies are practically always caused by respiratory cessation and injuries from passing out and falling down. And nicotine, marijuana, opium, or any drug that’s smoked will make breathing more difficult through damage to the throat and lungs.
Body Temperature – Almost all drugs have an affect on the user’s body temperature, sometimes directly and other times by changing the body’s ability to regulate itself. Stimulants which always raise pulse rate and blood pressure also raise body heat. Depressants are more likely to decrease it by indirect means – relaxation, sedation, sleep induction, etc. Other drugs can affect the way you release heat, such as DXM which inhibits sweating. Ecstasy (MDMA) often makes users feel cold and chilly in moderate environments. But when taken at a crowded rave or nightclub, the majority of MDMA-related emergencies are due to overheating, and not to pure overdoses as often reported. The inhibition of body temperature regulation that MDMA causes makes the user sensitive to surrounding environmental temperature, including packed parties with all-night dancing. In addition, unregulated venues may lack proper ventilation and affordable drinking water for their patrons. This is the number one reason why so many MDMA-using youths overheat at raves and clubs. Another popular party drug, alcohol, also dehydrates the body and does cause overdose a lot. In addition, alcohol lowers body temperature and thus leads to hypothermia-related emergencies and deaths as well.
Psychological State – Even if a drug has no toxic level and won’t really physically hurt you regardless of how much you take, it will nonetheless affect your emotions and way of thinking. The purpose of many drugs, especially recreational ones, is specifically to change one’s attitude and perception. But when too much is taken, the effects will surpass the intended level and a positive, controlled experience will turn into an overly done, uncomfortable ordeal. Thinking about what you want to get out of the experience is important before deciding how much to take. The drug will influence your mood no matter what. Among many other precautions, limiting your dosage will help regulate the drug’s level of influence to your desire. This applies to all drug behaviors – legal, illegal, for fun, to get work done, to relax, or for medication (in which case instructions on dosage, administration, and intervals should be supplied by the label and physician anyway). Psychological and emotional damage despite lack of physical effects are most well-known with psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and 2-CB. In fact, the term “bad trip” refers to experiences marked by paranoia, fear, delusions, psychosis, confusion, panic attacks, and other symptoms. Such a trip can be extremely scary and traumatizing. Previous experience and one’s own psychological health are just as much factors as dosage is in the likelihood of a bad trip occurring. All substances can cause such problems, although the symptoms will obviously differ between different drug categories. Too much alcohol, for example, can induce various moods such as anger, depression, and anxiety, even when nausea and dizziness haven’t kicked in yet.
NOTE: The dosage of a drug is just one of many factors that influence the likelihood of overdose or any other incident. A user’s experience and tolerance are important considerations. Physical factors include weight and stomach content at the time of consumption (if consumed orally), as well as genetic sensitivity. For example, the liver enzyme that breaks down MDMA (ecstasy) doesn’t function in about 10% of Caucasian males and 2% of Asians. Thus, this genetically unique minority is more susceptible to prolonged effects and overdose since the drug won’t get metabolized in the system as quickly. Another concern about MDMA, as well as any drug that releases serotonin, is serotonin syndrome, a drug-induced condition characterized by various physical symptoms which can ultimately lead to hyperthermia and death. Genetics or other factors of unique sensitivity might be part of the cause, since the reason why some users fall victim to this condition while most don’t is not well-studied. A much more common factor is the route of administration. With almost any drug, oral intake is usually the safest partly because the chemical reaches the bloodstream most gradually. Nasal administration (snorting) brings about the effects more quickly but poses the risk of damage to the nostrils. Next is smoking or inhalation – even quicker but can hurt the lungs, throat, and ability to breath. The fastest way to feel the effects of a chemical is to inject it into your bloodstream, as is the case with methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and all sorts of hospital or medical drugs such as morphine. In the case of illicit use, injection is the most dangerous route of administration because the entire dose reaches the bloodstream together immediately, making overdose very easy. In addition, the lack of government regulation exposes the user to infections from dirty needles and unpredictable experiences from drug impurities.