Problem 2 After every party I die Flashcards
Cocaine
o Constricts the blood vessels in the heart, which can cause heart attacks, seizures, pulmonary oedema (fluid in the lungs) or can rupture the aorta
o can lead to psychosis
o Neuro: blocks dopamine reuptake in the brain, stimulates production of neurotransmitter
Can lead to decreased number of dopamine receptors what makes life less enjoyable without the drug
Mephedrone
o 4-methylmethcathinone
o Synthetic version of the active component of khat
o Similar to amphetamine
Neurotransmitter Mephedrone
dopamine, noradrenalin and serotonin
Inhibits reuptake of these neurotransmitter
Effects of Mephedrone
Its subjective effects seem to be partway between ecstasy and cocaine – users say it increases their self-confidence and makes them more talkative (like cocaine), but also report feeling a greater sense of openness, appreciation of music and desire to dance, (similar to ecstasy)
Chemically it a mixture between MDMA and (meth)amphetamine
Relatively short and mild negative effects
Does not causes long term depression of neurotransmitters
Ritalin
o Dopamine reuptake inhibitor (blocking around 50% of dopamine transporters)
o It is not addictive if its taken in pills and doesn’t produces a high if it is used like prescribed
Chewing
o slowest route into the brain
o peaking after 1-2 hours after chewing begins
o harm: can develop tooth, gum and jaw problems
Drinking and eating
o Takes effect after ca. 30 minutes
o Delay makes it more complicated to choose the right dose
Rubbing
o Gums, eyelids and genitals
o Effective in 15-30 minutes
o Can cause infections ad necrosis
o Harm: if frequently rubbed into gums, the teeth can start to fall out because of cutted blood supply
Snorting
o Hits the brain in 3-5 minutes
o Harm: compulsive snorters can seriously damage their noses
shooting
o In veins: 10-20 seconds In muscle: 3-5 minutes
o Harm: skin and other bacterial infections, viruses such as hepatitis and HIV, and also thrombosis and the risk of sudden death
Smoking
o Hitting the brain in 10-20 seconds
o Harm: can cause respiratory problems such as asthma and emphysema
Inhaling
o Reach the brain within seconds and the heart even faster than that.
o Harms: can cause sudden death and breathing failure
Problem of NPS
• the longterm effects are widely unknown
NPS
are compounds designed to mimic existing and established recreational drugs such as “ecstasy” (MDMA) and cannabis
Stimulant NPS
o release dopamine and/or serotonin an/or noradrenalin
o can trigger the serotonin syndrome
Cannabinoid NPS
o are full agonists cannabinoid receptors
o lack of cannabidiol which dampens some effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)(active substance in weed)
o Are more difficult to dose
o can cause: as confusion and cognitive impairment, slurred speech, and excessive sweating, as well as symptoms of stimulant toxicity (hypertension, tachycardia), pulmonary damage, myocardial infarction, seizures, and stroke
Dissociative NPS (Psychedelic)
o Hallucinations
o Produce a feeling of an absence tie, weightlessness and disconnection from the physical body
o Primarily act as an uncompetitive antagonist at glutamate receptors NDMA, but also bind at opioid receptors and monoaminergic receptors.
o Less addictive than ketamine
o can cause: nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea; cardiovascular problems of arrhythmias and blackouts severe ulcerative cystitis and renal damage
Psychedelics
o Visuals
o No longterm health impairments or addiction
Depressants
o Mimic benzos and opioid quite good
o Positive modulators of GABA receptors (enhances GABA)
o They last longer as well as the withdraw and negative symptoms
Ritalin and ADHD
- Because people suffering under ADHD produce only week dopamine signals ,in effect their attention circuit is underfed, at the same time a random distracting neuron is firing
- Ritalin flips the relationship, upping the signal and reducing the firing of the random neuron
Kinetics
involves the route of use, which largely determines the speed of onset, how quickly a drug takes effect, and the speed of offset, how quickly it wears off. Both faster onset and faster offset tend to increase the addictiveness of a drug
o What the body does to the drug
Transporter internalization
When there is an increase in synaptic concentration, the cell is protected against excess accumulation by rapid internalization of the transporter. As soon as the extracellular level of monoamine is lowered, the transporter returns to the membrane.
