With as many drugs that are out there, people often experiment with different concoctions. In this way, the speedball was created, a dangerous drug that has claimed the lives of many. Seek professional help to treat addiction, including addiction to multiple drugs.
A speedball is a mixture of cocaine and heroin that is injected intravenously. Users will typically purchase both drugs separately to join them in a way based on the type of high they want. Since cocaine is a stimulant and heroin is a depressant, abusing these two drugs simultaneously can produce a bevy of problems.
For example, one of the most concerning aspects of using speedballs is that it can cause the brain to go haywire. Heroin alters how the brain perceives pain, and cocaine numbs pain in a specific part of the body like a local anesthetic. In light of this, these two drugs almost work against each another, because the brain sends mixed messages to the body that is in no condition to receive them properly.
Another major concern with taking speedballs is that is creates a double dependency. Users are likely to become addicted not only to heroin, but also to cocaine. This means that, even if users are not taking speedballs, they will feel the need to utilize each drug, and frequently. It can be incredibly dangerous to feed this kind of dual drug habit, because individual use of the two substances can produce serious side effects, while combined use can produce even more severe effects.
Outside of developing two addictions and suffering a deadly mind-body miscommunication, using speedballs on a regular basis dramatically increases the risk of overdose. While the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of naloxone to reverse heroin overdoses, there is not current remedy for a speedball overdose, even though overdose is more likely to occur when both substances are combined.
Using speedballs can be incredibly dangerous, primarily because of the aforementioned reasons. Combining drugs continues to produce scary and deadly effects, and the best way to prevent them is to avoid drugs use altogether. If you or someone you love is addicted to speedballs, then get help immediately to avoid irreversible harm.