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The rates of mixing both heroin and meth are on the rise. These two drugs are some of the most dangerous and addictive substances on earth. People who are addicted to drugs often abuse two or more, either in combination or in separate instances. This is known as polydrug use, and the effects of using multiple substances are very harsh on the body. Also, polydrug abuse amplifies the individual risks associated with either substance.
Why do people engage in polydrug use?
People will abuse multiple drugs at once for a variety of different reasons. In some instances, they may want to experience a powerful high that’s created when they take two or more drugs at once. Sometimes, people will use an “upper” drug to counteract the effects of a “downer,” or vice versa. Mixing drugs is especially risky because combining two very different drugs will enhance the dangerous qualities of both substances.
This particular risk factor is especially profound when people mix heroin and meth. Methamphetamine is a really powerful stimulant, speeding up the central nervous system. While on the other hand, heroin has the opposite effect. Combining these two substances can create a very powerful high, but it also puts the user at increased risk of long-term health issues and overdose.
What is heroin?
Heroin is an illegal opiate derivative, sold on the black market. It comes in a powder form that is often white or brown in appearance. Heroin is created from the opium poppy and is related to other potent painkillers like morphine, Vicodin, and fentanyl. People can either snort, smoke, or inject the drug.
Heroin impacts the body in many different ways. For one thing, it causes a profound decrease in blood pressure and respiratory rate. When taking heroin, users will experience an intense euphoria that is highly addictive. While heroin and other opioid derivative drugs dramatically decrease pain, they also cause both mental and physical impairment and come with the risk of addiction.
What are the effects of heroin?
Heroin causes a range of side effects in users. These side effects are physical, behavioral, and emotional.
What is methamphetamine?
Unlike heroin, which is a central nervous system depressant, methamphetamine is a stimulant drug that speeds up central nervous system functions. On the street, meth is sometimes called blue, ice, or crystal. It’s made into several different forms in illegal labs, either as a powder or as crystal meth, which looks like ice shards. Meth is mainly smoked in the form of crystal meth but in powder form, meth is sometimes snorted. Some users will dissolve the powder form of meth into water and then inject it, which also increases their risk of contracting infections like HIV and hepatitis.
The chemicals used to create meth are highly corrosive, addictive, and dangerous. Some of the substances in methamphetamine are industrial cleaners and other synthetic chemicals that can destroy muscles and tissue. The infamous “meth mouth” is an example of how methamphetamine impacts users.
Initially, methamphetamine was created in the early 1900s from amphetamine. Meth was used to treat nasal congestion and bronchitis as an inhalant. The drug was also used during WWII to help soldiers stay awake during long battles and military engagements. Like its parent drug amphetamine, methamphetamine increases energy and talkativeness. But unlike amphetamine, meth is more addictive and potent.
What are the side effects of meth?
Methamphetamine has many different side effects, impacting the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves.
What are the dangers of mixing meth and heroin?
Because of the way meth and heroin interact with each other, several distinct side effects occur when someone takes these drugs in combination. When stimulants, like meth, are taken along with opioid drugs, the painkilling effects of the opioid are enhanced, but painkillers often make someone tired. By mixing the painkiller, in this case, heroin, with meth, fatigue side effects are lessened. Some of the other impacts of mixing heroin with meth include:
The effects of heroin are the opposite of meth, so that they will cancel out the less pleasant effects of the drug. In turn, the user is left with a more pronounced high than they would generally get with either one or the other drug. But that’s where the danger lies. The combination of meth and heroin may feel comfortable, but it is a deception.
Meth will cancel out heroin’s less pleasant effects while also outlasting heroin’s results as well. The danger here is that users will take higher and higher doses of heroin so that they will get a more intense high. As a result, they can inadvertently poison themselves. They won’t feel the dangerous effects of heroin when high on meth at the same time. Taking too much heroin will cause organ damage, brain damage, and may even kill the person. An estimated 130 people overdose every day in the U.S. because of opioid drugs.
Polydrug abuse can make the road to recovery more difficult, but it is possible to beat addiction to meth and heroin with help from trained and supportive medical professionals. If you or a loved one are addicted to heroin or meth, please reach out to Mission Harbor Behavioral Health today. Our representatives are standing by to answer your questions about treatment and detox.
The facilities at Mission Harbor are staffed with trained experts to best assist patients with their mental health issues. We are capable of dealing with any and all cases with a licensed staff, equipment, and approved techniques. Our mission is to help those who want to help themselves, and we support your decision in seeking help.
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