Flakka disrupts normal brain functions, particularly in regulating dopamine and serotonin, which leads to a wide array of psychological symptoms. The gut-brain axis connects intestinal health to cognitive function. Lectin-induced gut inflammation may impact this connection, potentially contributing to neurological symptoms like brain fog. “Bath Salts” are a brand name for a class of drugs called synthetic cathinones. Cathinones are drugs similar to the chemicals in the khat plant that grows in Africa. But the human-made version is much stronger and can be very dangerous.
Everything you need to know about the new street drug ‘flakka’
- Rescue crews and emergency department staff need to give sedatives to these patients to calm them and make them safe.
- The effects of Flakka (Alpha-PVP) addiction on the body include severe damage to multiple systems, leading to both immediate and long-term health risks.
- Although the exact mechanism of action is unclear, why it has been causing this alteration in a person’s functions, it is known that Flakka is designed to cause the brain to become flooded with dopamine.
- Sometimes the effects of flakka can linger for weeks after it has been ingested.
It can cause compulsive drug-seeking behavior even when people know the health, social and legal consequences of their actions. Law enforcement and community activists were instrumental in limiting the damage done by the drug’s dangerous effects. Most reports of flakka after 2016 turned out to be other similar chemicals in the bath salt family. 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. Chronic use of Flakka leads to tolerance, dependence, and severe withdrawal symptoms.
Signs such as tachycardia, agitation, and paranoid behavior are common. Drug tests are also used to confirm the presence of synthetic cathinones in the system. Since Flakka is often used alongside other substances like alcohol, a thorough assessment of the patient’s history of substance use and mental health is important to make an accurate diagnosis.
Is there treatment available for Flakka addiction?
This classification means that it is illegal to manufacture, distribute, or possess flakka. The common symptoms of Flakka (Alpha-PVP) addiction include a mix of severe physical, behavioral, and psychological effects that escalate with continued use. how does flakka affect your brain Lectins’ effects on gut permeability might indirectly impact brain function. The gut-brain axis is increasingly recognized as important in neurological health.
OCD and Addiction
When someone goes through a flakka detox, they will usually experience withdrawal symptoms such as those listed above. As flakka is a new drug, there is still a lot to learn about the treatment of the substance. Little information is known about flakka outside what is reported from users. When someone is addicted to flakka, they can experience withdrawal symptoms without it. Synthetic drugs are illicitly created to produce substances that differ slightly from legal drugs.
Common Causes of Brain Fog
Chronic abusers often suffer from anxiety, confusion, insomnia, hallucinations and delusions, and paranoia. Injecting the drug can raise the risk of getting HIV or hepatitis when sharing needles and other drug equipment. The initial effects of taking Flakka are similar to those of bath salts and methamphetamines. This includes feelings of euphoria, heightened focus, increased sex drive, and being sociable.
Bath salts contain manmade stimulants called cathinones, which are similar to amphetamines. Yes, we understand the connection between addiction and mental health. Combining Flakka with other substances significantly increases the risk of severe adverse effects and overdose. The major challenges facing the clinicians managing a person with cathinone intoxication are control of agitation and other signs of sympathetic excess and acute decompensation can occur if immediate measures are not taken. Although most respond to aggressive treatment, the course is usually prolonged and many never return back to baseline.