Many illicit and prescription drugs can be fatal on their own; however, some drug combinations increase the likelihood of overdose and fatality immensely. One such instance is the combination of substances cocaine and heroin. The ingestion of this hybrid is often referred to as “speedballing”. To fully understand the dangers of this blend, it is…
Benzodiazepines and opioids can be harmful and potentially fatal on their own; however, combining these two substances should be avoided at all costs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 16 percent of overdose deaths involving opioids also involved benzodiazepines in 2016. It is important to understand the chemical makeup of these two substances…
What Is Tianeptine? A new drug has recently been making headlines due to the ongoing battle surrounding its legality. The drug in question is Tianeptine, commonly sold under the name Tianna. First synthesized in the 1960s by the French Society of Medical Research, Tianeptine was established as an atypical antidepressant and anxiety medication. Although legal…
History of Kratom Clinically known as mitragyna speciosa, kratom is derived from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. The plant produces both opioid and stimulant substances that have been used in holistic medicine since the 1800s. Traditionally, the leaves are chewed to relieve musculoskeletal pain and increase energy, whereas different extracts from the leaves…
History of Amyl Nitrite First synthesized in 1844 by French chemist Antoine Jerome Balard, amyl nitrite was introduced to medicine as an effective treatment for chest pain. The substance originally came in a round, pearl form and the drug would be administered by crushing the pearl and inhaling its vapor. Due to this method of…
History of Psilocybin Mushrooms Commonly known as “mushrooms”, “magic mushrooms”, or “shrooms”, these fungi have been used in religious rituals for over 6,000 years due to their psychedelic properties. Psilocybin mushrooms were first mentioned in medical literature in 1799, but it wasn’t until 1958 that French botanist, Roger Heim, identified the hallucinogenic substances in the…
History of Ritalin Ritalin, clinically known as methylphenidate, is a stimulant commonly prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy disorders. The drug was first synthesized in 1944 by chemist Leandro Panizzon who named the drug after his wife Rita. By 1955, Ritalin was identified as a stimulant and approved for medical use in the United States. Prescriptions…
History of Mescaline Mescaline, more commonly known as peyote, has been used for over 5,000 years by Native Americans in the American southwest and Mexico, pre-succession. Mescaline is an organic compound found in different species of cacti native to the area and is revered for its psychedelic properties and commonly relied on during religious rituals….
History of Percocet At out Percocet addiction treatment center you’ll learn that, Percocet is a blended drug as it combines the synthetic opioid oxycodone with acetaminophen, a common pain reliever found in over-the-counter drugs such as Tylenol. Patented in 1976, Percocet acted as an alternative to a popular drug at the time, Percodan. Percodan was…
History of Vicodin Vicodin is a blended drug as it combines the synthetic opioid hydrocodone with acetaminophen, a common pain reliever found in Tylenol and Advil. Hydrocodone was patented in 1923 as an effective pain reliever and was widely administered throughout the medical community. Due to its unwavering popularity, Vicodin was introduced in 1978 as…