Flakka is one of the names for a synthetic cathinone related to bath salts. Occasionally also called “gravel,” Flakka has become a large problem in states like Florida and Ohio. Like other synthetic cathinones, flakka is incredibly dangerous with unpredictable side effects. Occasionally called the zombie drug or confused for bath salt drugs, Flakka is a new psychoactive substance (NPS) or designer drug, a class of synthetic drugs. Synthetic drugs are increasing in popularity throughout the United States because they are widely available, incredibly cheap, and have stimulant effects. There are no specific treatment medications that address flakka withdrawal directly, but many benzodiazepines can help keep a person stable if administered under professional supervision.
These effects can be pleasing at first, leading the user to believe the drug might be harmless. However, when the high wears off, users will need to take more and more of the drug to achieve the same effects; this can lead to negative side effects. Flakka is extremely dangerous and has caused users to commit suicide and violent acts toward others. Recognizing the signs of Flakka use is crucial for providing timely support and intervention. Flakka, a potent synthetic stimulant similar to bath salts, carries a high risk of overdose, with even minimal amounts posing a significant threat to life.
Adverse effects
The primary Flakka ingredient, alpha-PVP, interacts with neurotransmitters in the brain, causing them to release serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, all chemicals directly affecting moods and emotions. All three chemicals also regulate biological processes, contributing to physical effects. Flakka is thought to be mostly manufactured in countries like China and Pakistan, but it’s also possible that local laboratories in Florida and other states were producing it. It is not regulated, so there aren’t any restrictions on what ingredients are used to make it and no reputable source to inspect it, which makes it exceedingly dangerous. Sometimes a substance sold as flakka will have completely different ingredients in it as another substance sold under the same name. Users have no idea what they are actually ingesting, which makes it incredibly hard to predict the effects or the harm of the drug.
Experts worry that some survivors of flakka overdoses may be on dialysis for the rest of their life. Although a typical flakka high can last one to several hours, it is possible that the neurological effects can be permanent. Not only does the drug sit on neurons, it could also destroy them, Hall said.
- The only evident difference between bath salts and Flakka is the lack of 3,4-methylenedioxy motif molecules in Flakka.
- These effects can be pleasing at first, leading the user to believe the drug might be harmless.
- If you or a loved one are abusing Flakka and bath salts and want to stop, you don’t have to struggle alone; help is available.
- Licensed professionals can monitor and ease physical withdrawal symptoms, offer support, and help manage distressing mental health symptoms to keep you from acting on them.
- However, there are other areas that have been deeply affected by the drug’s spread.
Illegal Drug Addiction
Flakka is the street name for the synthetic cathinone called alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (Alpha-PVP). Flakka is a synthetic cathinone drug chemically similar to bath salts, whose effects mirror that of the stimulant cocaine. It most commonly takes the form of white or pink, foul-smelling crystals that can be eaten, snorted, injected, smoked, or vaporized. One single dose—costing under five dollars—can give a user an intense, fleeting high.
How can Delamere help with Flakka addiction?
In combinations with other drugs, A-PVP has been linked to overdoses and suicides. It was reported that the drug in combination with pentedrone, caused heart failure that led to death. Attending a professional treatment center like Windward Way Recovery can be the best way to achieve sobriety. When it comes to substances like Flakka, getting professional help is often necessary. It is such a severe drug that stopping without medical supervision can be fatal.
What are the Long-Term Effects of Flakka?
In 2015, police in Florida reported an outbreak of extremely bizarre behaviors by people after using flakka. In one case in Miami, one man chewed another man’s face after using flakka. It has the molecular formula of C15H21NO, a cathione that is structurally related to methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and pyrovalerone. Both chemicals have been known to affect the body’s dopamine and norepinephrine level. It follows that the risks in taking Flakka is considerably more so for people with diagnosed and undiagnosed mental and physical illnesses.
Before recent law changes, the drug was legal for purchase with no age restrictions, so adolescents and teenagers were particularly at risk of abusing the drug. Man-made in China, Flakka is a synthetic version of naturally occurring amphetamine-like drugs called cathinones. Like its close cousins “Bath Salts” and “Molly”, Flakka is popular with young clubbers who want the mind-altering effects of acid combined with the euphoric feelings of ecstasy.
Help For Your Flakka Addiction at Iris Wellness Group
Flakka is a highly potent drug that can be snorted, injected, eaten, smoked, or vaporized in e-cigarettes. When heated up, it gives off a foul-smelling smoke characterized as smelling like dirty socks. On the street, Flakka is called ‘gravel’ because it looks a bit like the white crystalline gravel you get at the bottom of aquariums. Street names of designer cathinones include Ivory Wave, Meow Meow, Snow Leopard, Pure Ivory and White Lightning.
Is Flakka illegal?
It is a Schedule 1 drug in the US, which are drugs that are what is flakka drug wikipedia classed as the most dangerous and with the highest risk for abuse and dependence. The expert team at Delamere is used to treating all kinds of drug addiction and has direct experience of helping people overcome their dependence on Flakka. We take a holistic approach to healing at our state-of-the-art wellness retreat in the heart of Cheshire. Guests undergo a complete transformation physically, mentally and emotionally during a tailormade drug rehab programme which includes a safe and comfortable drug detox.
After the high comes a period of “comedown”, a state when Flakka leaves the body. When this happens, the user may feel extreme depression and fatigue, prompting the user to use the drug again to get rid of the negative comedown experience. The drug takes on the form of a pink or white, nasty-smelling crystal that can be snorted, eaten, injected or even vaporized in an e-cigarette. When vaporized, overdosing on the drug may happen as the drug quickly enters into the bloodstream. Flakka is dose-specific that even a minute amount will give the user his desired effect.
Psychological symptoms include paranoia, delusions, poor judgement, disorientation and more. When a user is experiencing these effects, it can lead to paranoia and violent aggression or even cause a psychotic episode. In some cases, it can cause acute liver and renal failure, hypertension, narrowing of the blood vessels, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm and death. Bath salts are white in appearance, similar to Flakka, and can be smoked, swallowed, or injected into the body. They both act as central nervous system stimulants and induce hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia (constant feeling of threat), and an aggressive mental state.
Many flakka users become agitated or panicked, sometimes exhibiting violent outbursts. Excess dopamine floods the brain’s reward circuits, triggering intense euphoria. The norepinephrine buildup also drives rapid heart rate and elevated blood pressure, causing dangerous overstimulation. Flakka is a dangerous drug that has many bad side effects, mostly including changes in behavior or mood. Despite the DEA’s efforts to ban flakka, the drug is still being manufactured and sold illegally, often through online vendors. The core chemical compound used to make flakka, alpha-PVP, is still legal in many parts of the world.
Flakka, like bath salts, is sometimes found as a white or pink finely ground crystal, which can smell rancid. Flakka withdrawal will differ based on the length and severity of their Flakka abuse, any underlying physical and mental health issues, and if they’re dependent on other drugs. Flakka comes in white or pink crystal form and appears similar to the tiny rocks used in aquariums and floral arrangements, which is why it came to be called gravel. Despite being labeled “not for human consumption,” Flakka users swallow, snort, smoke, and even inject it. Quitting Flakka poses a significant challenge for many, primarily due to the body’s dependence on the drug, leading to a range of distressing withdrawal symptoms.