Hallucinogens Flashcards
Hallucinogen
A substance capable of producing a sensory affect in the absence of actual stimulus.
Psychedelic Effects of Hallucinogens
Activates serotonin-5-hydroxtryptamine 2A receptors (5-HT-2A) NT sites.
DMT
Occurs naturally in plants and can be made synthetically. Orally or smoked. Schedule I.
LSD
Derived from fungus on rye and other breads. Orally or mucous membrane.
Schedule I drug.
Peyote
Cactus plant containing hallucinogen mescaline. Can be made synthetically, brewed in tea, swallowed, or consumed raw.
Psilocybin
Found in mushrooms in subtropical area. Brewed in tea or eaten raw. Schedule 1. Taken orally, added to foods, or brewed as a tea.
How long does it take to experience effects of hallucinogens?
20-90 minutes, lasting 15 minutes to 12 hours. (DMT = shorter experiences, LSD = longer experiences)
Persistent Psychosis
Reexperiencing the same perceptual sensations experienced under influence of of a hallucinogen (Disorganized thinking, emotional lability (rapid changes in mood), distrustfulness of others, and visual disturbances.
HPPD
Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder, recognized by DSM-5
Pelopesia/Telopesia
Objects appearing nearer than they are/further away
Micropsia /macropsia
Objects appearing smaller/larger than they are
Visual Trailing
Seeing stationary objects follow behind moving objects
Ego-dystonic psychosis
Thinking misaligned with one’s self-concept
What does LSD look like?
Colorless, odorless, and crystalline in appearance. One of the most potent psychoactive substances.
How is LSD available?
In liquid form, added to blotter paper, and saturated in sugar cubes.
Is LSD addictive?
It does not have the addictive properties of dependence and withdrawal, but tolerance can develop.
What is a bad LSD trip?
Traumatic feelings of insanity, terror, looming fear of death, panic attacks, paranoia, and suicidality.
Flashbacks
Long-term effect of LSD, disturbing perceptual distortions akin to those experienced while under the influence of LSD.
Ayahuasca
Brownish-red tea for brewing DMT
Can you become addicted to DMT?
Physical dependence and withdrawal are not associated, but tolerance can occur. Psychological cravings, mood swings, and irritability may happen when detoxing.
Serotonin syndrome
Potentially fatal condition associated with high serotonin levels. Individuals who are on antidepressants and mix it with DMT are at higher risk.
Mescaline
Derived from the peyote cactus plant, off-white, contained in a capsule or sprinkled on marijuana or cigarette. Mescaline can be chewed, smoked, or ingested, or made into a tea. Schedule 1.
Can you withdraw from mescaline?
Physiological dependence and withdrawal are not associated, however psychological symptoms may occur like depression or dysphoria (state of unease).
Why is mescaline unique?
Categorized as a phenathylamine, which is a natural intoxicant that contributes to the synthesis of potent hallucinogens and can cause vasonconstriction.
How long do the effects of psilocybin last?
Experienced within 15-45 minutes and last up to 6 hours.
Dissociative Drugs
Category of hallucinogens known to cause users to feel detached from their bodies.
PCP
A dissociative drug originally used as an anesthetic for surgery. Orally, capsule, liquid, or tablet. Smoked, snorted, or injected.
Ketamine
Used medically as an anesthetic, sedative, pain reliever, or to treat depression. Liquid form or white powder. Snorted, injected, smoked or swallowed.
Dextromethorphan (DXM)
Potent hallucinogen when taken in large doses. Found in cough medicines.
Salvia divinorum
Plant, leaves can be chewed, dried, or smoked or brewed into a tea.
What is the mechanism of action for PCP, ketamine, and DXM?
The disruption of glutamate on specific nerve cells responsible for memory, emotions, and experiences of pain.
What is the mechanism of action for S. Divinorum?
Activates opioid receptor (different from opioids).
How long are the effects of PCP experienced?
2-5 minutes when smoked and can last up to 4-6 hours. When administered orally, 20-90 minutes lasting up to 6 and 24 hours.
PCP Binge Runs
When a person uses PCP multiple times for 2 or 3 consecutive days, during which they don’t eat or sleep. This can cause malnutrition and dehydration, which can lead to organ failure.
Does PCP lead to dependence and withdrawal?
Regular use of PCP can lead to dependence and withdrawal. Long-term use can produce flashbacks, hallucinations, anxiety, and depression.
What does detox tx look like for PCP?
Inpatient supportive medical care. Sometimes short-term use of benzos to control seizures or emotional disturbances.
What is ketamine used for?
To facilitate date rape or sexual assault. Victims experience, blackout, sedation, and memory loss.
Can tolerance and dependence develop with ketamine?
Yes, but there is higher risk for psychological dependence than physiological.
Ketalar and Spravato
Schedule III substances, each have different medical uses (ketalar = general anesthesia, spravato = refractory unipolar depression with suicidality.
What receptors does ketamine attach to?
It is a dissociative anesthetic b/c it breaks apart and attaches to mu, kappa, and delta opioid receptors.
Ketamine slang: K-hole
Dissociative paralysis likened to a near death experience.
Ketamine slang: The God Phase
The belief the person has total control over the universe.
Ketamine slang: baby food
Sends person into state of pleasurable immobility, like an infant
Ketamine slang: k-land
mellow psychedelic transcendence and escape from reality.
Salvia Divinorum
Mint plant, used in religious ceremonies, raw, dried, or brewed into a tea, inhaled, vaped, or smoked, effects experienced in one minute and last thirty minutes.
What is the mechanism of action for salvia divinorum?
Through the kappa opioid receptor (different from heroin and morphine.)
MDMA
Synthetic drug (ecstasy), capsule, liquid, tablet, crystallized to be smoked or snorted. Schedule 1. Tolerance and dependency are hard to predict.
MDMA Mechanism of Action
45 minutes, lasting 3 hours. Increases serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
What are the aftereffects of MDMA?
Serotonin depletion because it blocks the reuptake of serotonin.
Sexstasy
MDMA plus viagra and can result in permanent damage to sexual functioning.
Is DXM controlled by the government?
No
What is illegal use of DXM referred to?
Robotripping, tussin toss, skittling, pharming, leaning, or dexing.
What is the standard dosage for DXM?
10-20 mg every hour, or 30 mg every 6-8 hours.
What is DXM mechanism of action?
When high doses of DXM are used, DXM works as an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NDMA). In low doses, it stops an individual from coughing. In high doses, they dissociate.
Amanita Muscaria
Highly toxic mushroom with CNS effects leading to coma, or in rare instances, death. Orange, red, or tan cap with white spots.
Embalming fluid
Contains formaldehyde, methanol, ethanol, and other solvents. It is added to marijuana or cigarettes to be smoked, which produces hallucinations.
Scopolamine
Used for nausea or vomiting caused by surgical anesthesia or motion sickness. May lead to anticholinergic syndrome, which may lead to toxicity and overdose.
Nutmeg myristicin
Highly toxic when taken in higher-than-normal quantities and can lead to death and organ failure. Severe effects are noted when 50g or more are taken. Causes hallucinations, dry mouth, confusion, and seizures.
