The dangers of "Speedballing" - i.e. injecting heroin + cocaine simultaneously

[Rio Fantastic]

The dangers of "Speedballing" - i.e. injecting heroin + cocaine simultaneously

Hello,

So we hear very often that speedballing/snowballing etc is especially dangerous and that the risks of injecting heroin + cocaine simultaneously are significantly higher than the sum of its parts. The primary danger with speedballing that I'm personally aware of is that I imagine it could be more compulsive/"moreish" than I.V. heroin alone due to the short-lived effects of the cocaine, but the effects of the coke would temporarily mask the sedating effects of the heroin, so if the user redoses they could end up OD'ing on heroin by underestimating how much heroin they've taken. However, other than this, are there any other dangers to this combination in particular that aren't present with I.V. use of either substance alone? By the by, I am unfortunately all too aware of the addictive nature of heroin, cocaine, and the combination of the two, so telling me this would be preaching to the choir.

By the way, I am referring to immediate risks - I am aware that the addictive potential is probably magnified, but lets assume that the user is already an addict (as they probably would be, I can't imagine anyone crazy enough to use heroin or coke for the first time by injecting a speedball). I read sometimes some really vague references to the effect of taking an upper and a downer at the same time having some impact on your organs because the drugs have opposite effects, but I haven't had any specific explanations. Could anyone elaborate?

 

[Dextro .45]

Just an FYI, in regards to speedballing.... It's roughly 3-4 parts Opioid and only 1 part stimulant (coke, MPH, Amph).

My neighbor would usually use 4-6 Dilaudid tablets (2mg HydroMorph) with 1/4 of a little thin line of Yayo sprinkled on top.

Very dangerous for people who don't know what they're doing. Push plunger in slowly a 1/4 at a time to gauge its effect on you. After you know the potency and your reaction to said dose, THEN you could slam it in one shot for a pleasant & euphoric rush.

So I've been told....

Play safe

 

[JBrandon]

^There's no blanket rule for how much of which drug to put in. It depends on your relative tolerance and preference to each one.

To answer your question OP, there's the H overdose you addressed, and of course cocaine can always cause fatal arrhythmia on its own. The danger that is unique to the combination is a cardiovascular collapse, ultimately resulting in a hypovolemic shock, a heart attack or stroke. You can run into this with any stim and downer / vasodilator combo, like taking Viagra with cocaine or meth.

The last meth bender I went on, I checked the BP and pulse when symptoms got concerning. Of course I'd been using other uppers and downers indiscriminately. 135BPM and a BP of 113/50. Over the next hour the BPM kept trending up and the BP kept trending down until I was losing consciousness.

 

[RogerSigval]

Perhaps it would be more appropriate to start a new thread for this, but I'd just as soon "feed" off yours. I am very much a newbie to the H game and, thank God, haven't yet seemed to build up much of a tolerance - though my dosage has already increased slightly. I've had an Adderall scrip for a while now and use cocaine when it runs out, which it chronically does long before the month is over.

I've been wondering a lot lately about the potential dangers of mixing uppers and downers like this, especially since I'm regrettably a morning-till-night daily drinker on top of it all right now. Honestly, I think the only thing I get out of hand with is the Big Al, slurping more and more everyday but only occasionally getting to the point of blackouts and acting like an asshole. I've been drinking since ten years old, though back then, "the golden years," it took only a few sips of whiskey to get me going for hours. The cocaine came into play a few years ago, when my Adderall scrips started running out way too soon.

I asked a similar question about the dangers of this upper and downer mix in my very first post and was told that, if dosing is reasonable, I shouldn't die from immediate consequences. This was shortly after I started the H, and my concern for not dying today or, say, next week, was my reason for finally joining the discussions on this site. The heart risks mentioned in this thread are somewhat concerning to me. I really don't want to live to be an old man, but I'm also only in my thirties and am not ready to go just yet... at least not until I outlive my cat so as not abandon her.

I have ZERO experience with needles - it's not the stigma but the fact I've always hated them. Everything goes up the nose for me, except liquor of course, so perhaps there is a difference there. But I've been creeping silently on this site for quite a while before speaking out, and I tend to trust the people who respond. Now there are two somewhat contradictory responses, so I'm a bit confused. Is it truly all about the dosing?

 

[kingshawaiian]

Speed balling opens up a whole new ballgame of badness. You're absolutely right about the repeated urges to redose. Ruined my life even further than my H habit had already. -_-'
I'm sure this wasn't helpful information but felt the need to comment.