Author: James Anderson

Flakka Effects Short-Term, Long-Term, & Side Effects

The combination of a high body temperature and extreme muscle overactivity can cause other metabolic problems to happen in the body. Muscle tissue begins to break down, releasing proteins and other cellular products into the bloodstream, in a process called rhabdomyolysis. The result of the cellular products and proteins released during rhabdomyolysis and dehydration can impair the filtering function of the kidneys, leading to renal failure and death. In addition, such agitation may trigger Taser use or other methods that have the potential to harm the individual when law enforcement personnel have to intervene. Flakka is a highly addictive and dangerous drug, otherwise known as alpha-PVP (alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone.) It is an amphetamine-like stimulant that belongs to the cathinone drug class. Cathinones are man-made, or synthetic drugs containing cathinone, a naturally occurring stimulant found in the khat plant.

  1. Flakka, on the other hand, typically refers to a specific synthetic cathinone known as alpha-PVP.
  2. Medical professionals can provide medications and monitoring to manage withdrawal symptoms, which can be severe and include anxiety, depression, paranoia, and intense cravings.
  3. Abusing Flakka can have a range of adverse effects on users, both physically and cognitively.
  4. Internationally, the legal status of flakka varies by country, but many countries have taken steps to control its use due to its dangerous effects.

Everything you need to know about the new street drug ‘flakka’

In 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration banned two chemicals used to make the synthetic street drug bath salts. In response, illegal drug manufacturers tweaked their formula. As with all substance abuse, those experiencing addiction to flakka should screen for co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.

Users have reported that the drug use of flakka can trigger intense and uncontrollable urges to ingest the drug again. Flakka is an addictive drug that people use to obtain a cheap, quick, and euphoric high. The cathinones found in flakka stimulate the release of dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter involved in the pleasure and reward center of the brain, which gives off that euphoric feeling.

Managing Flakka Intoxication and Addiction

Vaporizing flakka sends the drug quickly into the bloodstream. This method of ingestion can make it particularly easy to overdose on flakka. Cathinone is a naturally occurring compound called phenylalkylamine, found in the leaves of khat – a shrub or small tree indigenous to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Synthetic cathinones are a class of lab-made stimulants that are designed to mimic the chemical properties of khat.

This process involves the supervised withdrawal from the drug in a safe and controlled environment. Medical professionals can provide medications and monitoring to manage withdrawal symptoms, which can be severe and include anxiety, depression, paranoia, and intense cravings. Flakka addiction rarely occurs in isolation since it is often part of poly-substance abuse. Medical professionals take into consideration that Flakka users often abuse it alongside other drugs and will experience withdrawal effects from those drugs as well. They will be sure to adjust medications and provide careful monitoring to ensure a safe detoxification.

Rescue crews and emergency department staff need to give sedatives to these patients to calm them and make them safe. Flakka was added to the Schedule I list in 2014 by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This was part of an effort to curb the abuse of synthetic drugs, which were becoming increasingly popular and causing significant health issues. At high doses, flakka may also cause the body to reach high temperatures (bath salts have been linked with the same symptom). This excessive temperature can lead to severe physical complications like kidney damage and muscle breakdown.

This led to a number of emergency department visits, overdoses and deaths. It’s rapidly absorbed into the brain, which makes it highly addictive. Ecstasy increases levels of several chemicals in the brain, including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. It alters your mood and makes you feel closer and more connected to others. It triggers your brain to release dopamine and creates a euphoric feeling.

Flakka Addiction Treatment

Costs of residential treatment programs will frequently be higher than those of outpatient centers. Luxury drug rehab centers can cost as much as tens of thousands of dollars per month to attend. Flakka is believed to have similar addiction potential to bath salts and methamphetamine—two highly addictive stimulant substances. The legal status of flakka remains a moving target as authorities try to keep pace with the evolving synthetic drug market.

Effects of Flakka Use: Short-Term, Long-Term, Side Effects, and Treatment

While we are unable to respond to your feedback directly, we’ll use this information to improve our online help. Treatment for Flakka addiction includes a number of steps that are beneficial in streamlining the recovery process. Individuals with flakka overdose were isolated to a few geographic regions of the country. The epicenter of the flakka epidemic was Broward County, Florida, which includes the city of Fort Lauderdale.

Scientists have shown that Flakka is as addictive as bath salts in rodent studies, however. Even after the scientists made the drug difficult for the rats to obtain, they persisted in pushing a lever several times that administered the drug if they failed to get it from the scientists first. At high doses, Flakka can affect the body’s temperature; it will reach high temperatures and sometimes this extreme change can lead to muscle breakdown and subsequent kidney damage. Despite the DEA’s efforts to ban flakka, the drug is still being manufactured and sold illegally, often through online vendors.

Cocaine

The stimulant can even produce psychological problems in those with no history of mental illness. A 2016 study published in the journal Case Reports in Psychiatry indicated that a teen girl with no past psychiatric diagnosis experienced psychotic episodes after taking flakka. When vaporized, alpha-PVP quickly enters the bloodstream, and its effects are felt more rapidly. However, this method of administration makes overdose more likely. Users also report severe anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations. Little is known about the health effects of salvia, though animal studies show it may have an impact on learning and memory.

Flakka Effects and Dangers

Motivational incentives offer rewards to patients who remain substance-free. Although people use flakka to achieve a euphoric high, the drug’s symptoms and side effects can escalate quickly. The euphoric high from flakka abuse can last from hours to days, depending on the dosage. Sometimes the effects of flakka can linger for weeks after it has been ingested. The immediate and long-term effects of Flakka can rival those of some of the strongest crystal meth and cocaine.