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More than 1 in 5 people in Oregon have engaged in illicit substance use within the last month. This includes everything from trying a singular substance to engaging in multi-substance use, knowingly and unknowingly. While it’s common knowledge that substance use of any degree comes with risks, do you know about the dangers that come from multi-substance use?
As one of the oldest non-profit rehab centers in the state, our team at Serenity Lane has seen how substance use impacts our community and its residents. To address this concern, we want to answer some of the common questions we get about substance use.
Today we’re going to talk about heroin and meth, how using them together impacts a person, and the dangers that come from combining the two.
The intentional combination of substances is not uncommon, especially for those experimenting with substance use or who regularly engage in substance use. In the case of methamphetamine (known commonly as meth) and heroin, the effects of these two substances have very different effects on the body. Because of this, there’s a common misconception that the effects of these two “cancel” each other out.
On the surface, this is the case. Meth is a stimulant, meaning it speeds up the body. Heroin, on the other hand, is a depressant, so it slows down the body. This gives the false impression that they neutralize each other, but the body is still processing the effects of both, not negating their presence entirely.
Heroin is an illicit form of opioid derived from morphine. Opioids are utilized in medical settings to help with pain management and anesthesia. This happens by slowing the reactions within the body and increasing pleasure feelings by interacting with the opioid receptors in our bodies.
While engaging in heroin people often experience drowsiness, impacted breathing, dry mouth, and a heaviness in their extremities.
Methamphetamine is classed as a stimulant. A legal example of a stimulant includes Adderall or simpler things like coffee. Stimulants heighten the systems within the body, speeding them up. This leads to euphoria and higher levels of energy.
When meth is in someone’s system people experience increased attention and wakefulness, decreased appetite, heightened euphoria, increased breathing, rapid heartbeat, and heightened body temperature.
In order to better understand substance use, it’s important to discuss the reasons that people intentionally engage in multiple substances.
Most commonly, people seek out multiple substances because they want to experience the effects of both, or they’ve heard from others that it’s “fun” or relaxing to try it.
Some people intentionally take an opposite substance because they believe that the “cancellation” of the effects of both means they can take more of each.
Engaging in multiple substances at once, as we’ve been speaking about, has a specific name. It’s referred to as polysubstance use. Polysubstance use, while often intentional, can also happen unintentionally. This can occur in many ways from unknowingly taking a substance that has been laced with another substance, to not realizing a medication in your system could interact with another substance that you’re consuming.
Regardless of how it occurs, polysubstance use comes with many risks. Let’s talk about the ones specific to heroin and meth.
The combination of a stimulant, like meth, and a depressant, like heroin is referred to as “speedballing.” While it is most commonly referring to the combination of cocaine and heroin, it can also apply to meth and heroin.
As we touched on earlier, when heroin and meth are both present in someone’s system leads to the feeling of them negating the other. This misconception, however, is very dangerous. If it leads to people consuming more of either substance or another substance, there comes a great risk of overdose.
Our bodies process the substances we put into them, but this process takes a set amount of time and can only handle so much at once. Even if you’re not “feeling” the effects of a substance or substances, that doesn’t mean that it’s fully out of your system.
If you continue to put substances into your body before the others are processed properly, your body can become overwhelmed. As a result, it can start to shut down, otherwise known as an overdose.
When people engage in speedballing, the risk of overdose is high. Overdosing can be fatal if not addressed quickly. In order to properly react to an overdose, you need to be able to spot the signs of one.
If someone is overdosing on multiple substances, they can often show conflicting side effects or a combination of the two. Here are the most common side effects of both meth and heroin overdoses.
Overdoses, as a whole, also often come with side effects of confusion. This can include slurred speech, memory loss, spacing out, and more.
If you have an inkling that someone is experiencing an overdose, it’s important to call for medical help right away. The Good Samaritan Law prevents you from getting into legal trouble when seeking medical help for a drug-related concern. When speaking with medical help, be open and honest about what’s going on and what substances they’ve taken that you’re aware of. This honesty will help ensure they can properly address the concern and safely assist your loved one.
Whether you’re looking for heroin rehab, meth rehab, or a combination of the two there are options available for you here in Oregon. How do you get started? How do you know what options are best for you?
If you or your loved one has only engaged with speedballing or other combinations on a very infrequent basis, it’s most important to look for programs that are geared toward the primary drug they engage in. On the other hand, if someone regularly engages in two substances at the same time, treatment for polysubstance use would be more important.
There’s no wrong time to get started on recovery. Whether you have questions or want to hop into it today, our team at Serenity Lane is here to help. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at (800) 543-9905 and we’ll work with you to address your needs.
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