What is Flakka? Understanding the Drug and its Effects
What is Flakka? Flakka is a designer drug that causes excessive stimulation, increased strength, and severe paranoia. It first gained popularity in the mid-2000s.
Alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (Alpha-PVP), also known as flakka, was made to mimic the effects of stimulant hallucinogens like ecstasy and LSD. Flakka is a street term used to describe a synthetic cathinone produced through chemical manufacturing. The name is derived from the Spanish slang term “la flaca,” which refers to a beautiful and alluring woman.
Alpha PVP is chemically similar to bath salts. Manufacturers produce flakka in a gravel-like, crystal form that appears white or pink. Individuals may ingest, inhale, inject, or vaporize flakka.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration classifies flakka as a Schedule I drug. This means the substance has no medical use and is a high potential for abuse.
What is Flakka?
What is flakka and what is it made of? Alpha PVP, is a man-made cathinone drug typically made from a manufactured version of stimulant amphetamines. This new wave of synthetic cathinone is called New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). Many experts consider them more potent than earlier versions and more likely to cause dangerous side effects.
Synthetic cathinones are stimulants that most commonly originate from laboratories in China and India. In 2013, manufacturers in China created the synthetic drug and sold it online over the Internet. That same year, researchers linked the drug to about 123 deaths in Florida. This information comes from the United Way of Broward County’s Commission on Behavioral Health and Drug Prevention.
Flakka is most chemically related to natural cathinones found in the Khat plant. The Khat plant is native to areas of the Middle East and East Africa. People traditionally chewed these plant leaves to achieve stimulant-like effects.
How does the drug work? Once the drug enters the body, its chemicals attach to brain cells that control mood-related neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals flood the brain, causing an intense high and strong feelings of euphoria. Users claim the euphoric effects of flakka can last longer than cocaine and methamphetamine.
Effects of Alpha PVP
The initial effects of using Alpha PVP are a euphoric high, intense stimulation, and the ability to stay focused. However, once the high wears off and users begin increasing the dosage, it can lead to dangerous side effects. These side effects include death and thoughts or behaviors linked to suicide. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, flakka can cause a dangerous symptom known as excited delirium.
The clinical signs of this symptom include irregular heartbeat, hypertension, hyperthermia and excessive sweating. Excited delirium is characterized by sensations of extreme stimulation, hallucinations, increased physical strength and intense paranoia and psychosis. In severe situations, it can lead to seizures, stroke and a heart attack.
Flakka and similar synthetic cathinone drugs strongly stimulate the central nervous system. They cause rapid changes in blood pressure and body temperature. These effects can be dangerous and unpredictable, often leading to severe physical distress.
Health authorities in the United States warn that these drugs intensely stimulate the central nervous system. This stimulation can cause symptoms such as high fever, irregular heartbeat, and hypertension. Each of these effects increases the risk of serious medical emergencies.
Other side effects include:
- High fever
- Liver failure
- Hypertension
- Violent acts of aggression and extreme agitation
- Self-injury
- Paranoia and hallucinations
- Stroke
- High risk for aneurysm
- Irregular heartbeat and elevated heart rate
- Kidney damage
- Delirious thoughts
- Excessive stimulation
- Jerking muscle movements
- Increased risk for depression and anxiety
Check Your Insurance Coverage for FREE
Find out if your insurance covers addiction treatment in minutes. We accept most insurance!
Why are users turning to Flakka?
Alpha PVP is becoming a popular drug because it mimics the effects of cocaine and meth but costs much less. It has become a cheaper alternative to other pricier street drugs. At about $5 per dose, flakka can result in an intense and attainable high lasting for up to 5 hours. The nickname “5 dollar insanity” describes the effects of use.
It is a drug many young adults turn to due to its affordability and its accessibility. Unfortunately, many young people are still unaware of the dangerous side effects. Synthetic cathinone abuse causes side effects such as twitching, delusions, and life-threatening seizures. People use it to feel good, but it can cause paranoia, delusions, and mental problems.
Bath Salts vs Flakka
Bath salts and flakka are similar drugs that produce nearly identical effects on the body. They cause the user to initially experience an intense sense of euphoria. However, once the dosage has increased, serious side effects begin to kick in.
Users often experience hallucinations, panic attacks and paranoia. This can lead to acting on bizarre behaviors, the development of anxiety, an extreme sense of agitation and confusion. In severe cases, users can become violent and put themselves and others in danger.
When Flakka and bath salts first gained popularity, people commonly referred to them as “zombie drugs.” People gave it this name because its effects cause users to lose complete touch with reality and the world. Authorities label bath salts and flakka as highly addictive substances unsafe for human consumption. They can cause withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, paranoia, depression and the development of sleep conditions.
Bath Salts
- Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is one of the main ingredients in Bath Salts
- A designer drug with cathinone, a natural substance from the Khat plant. It produces amphetamine-like effects.
- Synthesized and manufactured in China and shipped overseas
- Bath salts is a general name for a mix of synthetic cathinones and other chemicals sold under that label.
- The drug is usually comprised of two or more different stimulant substances: mephedrone, methylone, or MDPV
- When some of these ingredients were banned by the DEA, their chemical formulas were slightly altered. This created flakka.
- Have been banned in the US
Flakka
- Alpha pyrrolidinopentiophenone (Alpha PVP) is the only ingredient in Flakka
- The newer generation of designer drugs contains the active ingredient cathinone which is popular and significantly cheaper. They are more accessible to those struggling with addiction.
- Synthesized in China
- Difficult and risky to make because the formula changes each time to avoid legal bans. This makes the composition and potency of each batch unknown and not predictable.
- Have not been officially banned in the US
- Vaping is the most common way to ingest flakka
- Because it’s a newer drug, long-term side effects are not yet known
Flakka and bath salts, known for causing zombie-like effects, have become popular with people who crave stimulant drugs. The substance is not only highly addictive but also extremely dangerous and can cause lasting psychological harm.
Reach out to Hotel California by the Sea
We specialize in treating addiction and other co-occurring disorders, such as PTSD. Our Admissions specialists are available to walk you through the best options for treating your addiction.
Hotel California by the Sea provides substance use disorder treatment for people struggling with addiction to synthetic cathinone drugs. Clients receive professional treatment to help them overcome addiction through detox, residential and outpatient programming. Clients learn skills to manage triggers through treatments like CBT, family therapy and group therapy.
Hotel California by the Sea specializes in co-occurring mental health conditions. We provide full services to help treat these disorders that may be affecting a substance or alcohol addiction. Clients can expect to receive individualized care and the support of an experienced team to help them recover.
References:
https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/flakka-addiction-abuse/
https://www.medicinenet.com/flakka/article.htm
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-is-flakka-and-is-your-teen-using-it
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7663692/
https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/26/health/flakka-gravel-illegal-drugs/index.html
https://drugfree.org/drugs/what-is-flakka/
https://careplusnj.org/flakka-the-drug-that-is-taking-over-the-streets/
https://welevelupfl.com/treatment/flakka-drug/