Designer Drug Effects

Use of designer drugs is growing around the world and they can cause serious damage to your health. Designer drugs are especially dangerous because of how they are made. They can be be manufactured in large factories or in some cases at home using a variety of chemicals that are known to cause damage to the body. Often, the chemicals present in a designer drug are unknown to their consumers. The side effects of designer drug can range from simple nausea, to brain damage, and even death.

Effects On Mentality

• Many designer drugs, such as ecstasy, can be classified as hallucinogens. Hallucinogens are drugs that cause the user to hallucinate. The user will feel a disconnection from reality and may see images and objects which do not exist in reality. In addition, these drugs often cause delirium and psychosis in their users. The onset of delirium and psychosis may occur from one use, or it may appear slowly over long-term use.

Stimulative Effects

• Many designer drugs have a stimulative effect on the user. This sensation can be a sense of increased well-being and the user may become excited or have an increase in energy. The stimulative effects do come with consequences. Designer drugs cause the heart rate to increase to a rate much higher than normal. This increase causes all systems of the body to work harder. Any drug that is classified as a stimulant can cause damage to the circulatory system.

Depressive Effects

• Depressants are drugs which can cause the user to feel sedated and numb, and they lessen nerve ending response causing a decrease in the body's ability to sense pain. An overdose of any drug (including designer drugs) that can be classified as a depressant can cause disruption in the breathing cycle, coma, and possibly death. This is because they can cause some functions of the body, such as respiration, to fall to unsafe and possibly deadly levels.

Nausea

• Designer drugs can cause nausea is some users. The level of nausea caused by these drugs is dependent on several factors including what other drugs the user has taken, how much of the designer drug was taken, and the potency of the designer drug. Anti-emetics, which are drugs that are made to combat nausea, may be used to treat feelings of nausea. Stopping the use of a drug generally causes nausea to subside.

Dehydration

• Many designer drugs cause the body to work much harder than normal. This extra stress on the body can lead to increased perspiration and loss of fluids from the body. Treating dehydration should include an increased intake of fluids and rest. In severe cases, such as dehydration coupled with overdose, emergency medical technicians should be contacted immediately.