From: peter@petermc.demon.co.uk (Peter McDermott) Subject: Re: Speed Questions Date: 1995/07/27 newsgroups: alt.drugs,rec.drugs.misc,alt.drugs.hard In article <231306Z26071995@anon.penet.fi>, an336519@anon.penet.fi wrote: > 1) Speed accelerates the heart rate, right? How damaging is this? > Is there any chance that, used occasionaly, it might actualy be > benificial, somewhat like an aerobics workout? Is it true that > there is a risk of heart attack from this? Each year in the UK, several people die as a result of cerebral haemorrage, caused by a weakness in the wall of the blood vessels of the brain. There is no way of knowing about this weakness until it blows. > 2) I've heard lots of horror stories about th evils of meth. But > it seems to me that the most dangerous effects, those that cause > people to freak out and act oddly or even phsychoticaly, are not > directly linked to the drug and what it directly does to the > mind\body, but rather are a result of sleep deprivation, which the > drug caused, but which would happen no matter how the deprivation was > caused. Am I correct in this assumption, or does the meth actualy > cause them by interacting with the brain? This assumption is correct, I believe. Most amphetamine psychosis stops after sleep is resumed. In a small proportion of people, it doesnt, but these may have a predisposition to psychiatric illness of some sort. If you have ever had a non-drug related psychotic episode, I wouldn't advise the use of speed. > 3) How long does it take to build up tolerances to meth, and how > long does the tolerance last if you don't use for a while? For > example, I read that acid tolerance builds rapidly over a few days > use, but it dissapears just as quickly if you stop using it for a few > days. Does meth tolerances fade, or are they permanent? Yes, tolerance forms quickly and returns to base quickly after abstaining. > 4) Though I've never smoked it, and don't plan to, I've heard that > smoking crystal is extremly risky, as holding the hit too long can > cause it to literaly crystalize your lungs and cause them to > collapse. Is that true? No. Sounds like dope-fiend legend to me. > If not, what are the effects on your lungs? > I have a hard time imagining the effects as good... Smoking anything is not good, but you aren't smoking enormous volumes as with tobacco. > 5) Someone told me they enjoyed staying up for days on meth, then > tripping on acid. Am I the only one who thinks this sounds mentally > dangerous? Tripping stressess a mind that has had plenty of sleep as > it is. I can't imagine doing it after being up for long periods. I > can barely walk after being up much more than 36 hours as is. No, it sounds like an extraordinary bad plan to me. Experienced users who like to play on the edge may get off on this kind of stress. However, it sounds very risky in terms of producing paranoia and possibly moderate psychosis. Strongly not reccommended IMO. > 6) How does the meth measuring system work? I'm familiar with a > "quarter," which is a quarter gram, right? but, what do the terms > "teener" (spelling?), and "eight-ball" mean? A "Teener" or "teenth" is a sixteenth of an ounce, an "eight-ball" is an eighth of an ounce, a "quarter" can refer to a gram or an ounce (or even a pound." I'm not sure where you are posting from, but here in the UK, speed is pretty cheap. An ounce costs around 100 UK pounds, so these quantities do not represent large amounts of money. ====================================================================== From: vinkers@gallium.chem.vu.nl (vinkers) Subject: Re : Speed Questions Date: 1995/07/27 newsgroups: alt.drugs,rec.drugs.misc > I came up with some questions tha I was > hoping someone could answer for me. I'll take a shot at number 2, 4 and 6: > 2) I've heard lots of horror stories about th evils of meth. But > it seems to me that the most dangerous effects, those that cause > people to freak out and act oddly or even phsychoticaly, are not > directly linked to the drug and what it directly does to the > mind\body, but rather are a result of sleep deprivation, which the > drug caused, but which would happen no matter how the deprivation was > caused. Am I correct in this assumption, or does the meth actualy > cause them by interacting with the brain? Severe sleep deprivation has quite a bearing on your mental health, so it may account partly for the occurring of a so-called "speed-psychosis" after prolonged usage. I can hardly imagine it is the only cause involved, however. Psychotic behaviour can have a lot to do with the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline, levels of both are heightened when using speed (speed causes them to leak away out of the vesicles in which they are stored, the granula, into the synaptic cleft and it also inhibits their rate of re-uptake). Schizofrenic (how difficult a mental disorder :-) is said to be caused by heightened levels of dopmaine and hence schizofrenics are give dopamine-antagonists (haloperidol & co) to treat them. Some markedly schizofrenic symptoms will disappear (e.g. seeing things which aren't there), other will develop (e.g. loss of control of the fine muscle coordination resulting in a trembling of hands, lips etc.). If such a "treated" schizofrenic is given a little speed, "old" behaviour returns immediately. Back to your question: I wonder how long could anybody stay up and not sleep, without the use of stimulants? Try and find out how psychotic a person you become, then you've got the best answer possible (assuming you're already familiar with a speed-psychosis). > 4) Though I've never smoked it, and don't plan to, I've heard that > smoking crystal is extremly risky, Define "risky". > as holding the hit too long can > cause it to literaly crystalize your lungs and cause them to > collapse. Is that true? If not, what are the effects on your lungs? > I have a hard time imagining the effects as good... The effects of smoking speed on your lungs are harmful indeed (this holds true for most compounds when smoked), but chronic lung-damage is more the issue than a sudden collapse. When people refer to smoking speed as risky, I suspect they mean the reinforcing pattern of use to which this way of taking can easily lead (more easy then oral consumption, although ...) --> addiction. > 6) How does the meth measuring system work? xxx gram (+/- 10%) of this fine, pure material (10% pure, +/- 10%) :-) A Friendly Chemist