Author: Charles Frank

Mind Matters: The Bodys Response to Bath Salts National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA

They contain types of synthetic cathinones, which are banned in the U.S. The people who manufacture bath salts intentionally mislabel them in an attempt to avoid legal restrictions. Treatment for bath salt addiction while still under research, typically involves medication and therapy.

Are Bath Salts Addictive?

Sudden Weight Loss-Bath salts can reduce an individual’s appetite and if they are misusing the substance consistently, weight loss is likely to occur. If you feel sick or like something is wrong, get immediate medical help. Call 911 if you have any loss of muscle control, chest pain, or difficulty breathing, or if you or someone you know overdoses. Drug effects can include a short-term increase in energy and mood and acting strangely friendly to others.

The drug effect is a high or “rush” that is similar to methamphetamine (speed). They are often sold on the street as cheap substitutes for other stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine. There are also many peer-support groups, such as 12-step programs, which can provide support and encouragement to those in recovery. The end goal of any treatment plan is to help patients return to a satisfying and productive life while avoiding relapse and a return to addiction.

Risks from using them include liver failure, mental illness, and even death. In the short-term, Bath Salts can make your heart beat very fast, make you feel overly friendly, very angry and violent, make you see things that aren’t real, and cause panic attacks. If ingested orally, absorption is rapid with a peak “rush” at 1.5 hours, the effect lasting 3 to 4 hours, then a hard “crash”. The total experience may last upwards of 8 hours or longer.1 Snorting and injecting the drug can be especially hazardous. In 2020, the maximum prison sentence for a person found guilty of trafficking Schedule I substances was between 20–30 years. The U.S. government passed the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act (SDAPA) in July 2012.

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Like other manufactured drugs, bath salts may contain additional unknown substances. This can make them very dangerous, as a person cannot be sure what they are consuming. Read on to learn more about bath salts, how they affect a person’s body and mind, and where to get support for substance misuse. You can get intense withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking them, which make it hard not to use again. In purest form, the drug is a light brown or white crystallized powder. It usually comes in plastic bags or foil labeled as bath salts, glass cleaner, or even plant food.

How do bath salts affect the body?

At first, however, bath salts can produce a stimulating, euphoric high. Bath salts have been called a variant of cocaine, methamphetamine,or ecstasy because their stimulant characteristics are quite similar in nature. Like cocaine, bath salts are frequently crystalline in appearance, and can be regularly purchased on the street. Bath salts are known as such because of their resemblance to legitimate bath salts, like epsom salt, that are used for actual bathing.

Effects & Dangers of Bath Salts

Synthetic cathinones are still relatively new to the drug market so the long-term effects on humans have yet to be thoroughly investigated. Due to the chemical similarities between methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and cocaine or methamphetamine, their effects on the brain are likely to be similar. With that being said, the effects may be much more intense because MDVP is reportedly 10 times more powerful than cocaine. The adverse effects of MDPV can last as many as six to eight hours after use; it has been reported to cause prolonged panic attacks, psychosis and deaths.

Using bath salts can trigger intense cravings and lead to drug binges, making cessation challenging. Regular use increases tolerance, necessitating larger doses to achieve the same effects. Psychiatric or other qualified mental health staff will remain vigilant throughout the period of bath salts detoxification and withdrawal, as anxiety and depression are frequent stimulant withdrawal manifestations.

1. The treatment of bath salts abuse comes in many different steps.
2. These substances bear structural similarities to natural cathinones but are chemically stronger.
3. Those addicted to bath salts require professional help to support their recovery.
4. Death is also not uncommon with long-term use of bath salts.

Are Bath Salts Illegal?

Nasal inhalation and injection use preset the highest risk of overdose and death. Intense Euphoria and Energy-Bath salts can hijack the pathways of the brain that are concerned with reward and cause the individual with the bath salts use disorder to feel intense euphoria or happiness. Because bath salts illicit amphetamine-like effects, the individual under the influence will typically have an unusual amount of energy.

Resources for Help and Support

If you use bath salts for a long time, you can become suspicious (paranoid) of others. Bath salts (synthetic cathinones) look and feel a lot like Epsom salts. Bath salts are among a group called new psychoactive substances. They give you a “high” that affects how you see others and the world around you. Their effects are similar to the effects of amphetamine and ecstasy (MDMA). BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor.

People sometimes refer to bath salts by numerous street names, such as bliss or meow meow. Snorting and injecting bath salts are the most dangerous methods. People who use the drug this way are more likely to overdose. Bath salts first appeared in Europe in 2007, and it didn’t take long before they reached the United States. The number of calls to United States poison control centers that were related to bath salts went from zero in 2009 to 302 in 2010.