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Drug use and middle/old age

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GumbyClaymation

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Lot of drugs (maybe all) put a strain on the body. Does drug use become more dangerous as you get older? For those that have been around a long time, do you eventually lose interest, or are you forced to either take lower doses or use less frequently?
I'm trying to sort through some of this from a perspective of a pre-mid-life crisis. Many of my friends have stopped doing drugs, or do so only on rare occasions - they're seemingly not as into it anymore as they allow themselves to be swept into the mainstream society ratrace. I am using drugs less often, too, but more because I don't have many people to do them with these days. A solo trip here and there is good, but chances to hang with other folks using whatever are much less common.
Given that my personal desire to trip has not really decreased, I'm trying to gaze into a crystal ball and see what the future may hold for me. Will I still be tripping when I'm old man - is it possible or dangerous? Anybody else think about these same things?
 
Yes drug use gets more dangerous as you get older. That's why pharm drugs generally have different listed doses for elderly people. Side effects and hangovers also tend to increase/worsen as you get older. And the older you get the more likely you are to have health problems that can interact with your drug use. Plus one's sense of one's mortality tends to become more acute as your get older, so a teenager can have a dangerous drug experience and not really be phased, whereas someone over 30 might be freaked out just from a borderline dangerous-feeling drug experience. At least that's what I'm like, I used to be fearless and feel invincible, now I am way more cautious and get more worried if I, say, feel like my breathing is depressed.

However I think it definitely depends on the person and on what kind of drugs you are talking about. Most of the older people I know who use illicit drugs use psychedelics or cannabis, neither of which are particularly dangerous per se. I don't know a lot of people using "hard" drugs past middle age unless they are seriously addicted, and it generally has major adverse impacts on their life for obvious reasons. Many of them die before they get very old though. Stuff like MDMA I know of some people who are over 50 who still do it sometimes. What kind of drugs were you thinking about?

Anyway, I think this thread might be more suited for Drug Culture, so I'm going to move it over there.

BDD -> DC
 
In general what SD says is true, and it also depends on what drug is being used, how much, how often, and pre-existing health conditions. I know middle aged people who do psychedelics regularly (as in once or twice a month) and it seems to enhance their standard of living. I have heard that psychedelics and cannabis can help stave off neuro-degeneration in people who are genetically prone to dementia because the trips stimulate under-used areas of the brain while reinforcing others. I don't have research to back this up, but it makes sense to me.

I can't imagine doing the quantity of drugs I did 10 years ago at the same frequency. I would probably be a zombie or in the hospital. Younger people have more rapid metabolisms so the side effects are processed quickly. Though, I do sometimes wonder if my body would be more resilient now if I had partied less when I was younger, or if it doesn't make a difference.
 
Swimmingdancer said:
What kind of drugs were you thinking about?
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I guess I should have mentioned - I'm thinking mostly of psychedelics. Some things, like DMT, seem like they might be stressful physically. I've never gone through the formalism of having a trip sitter monitor blood pressure and heart rate, but I can imagine that it shoots up for a bit which may be hard to take as one gets older. I wonder if that type of intense trip is something I'll have to give up looking ahead. Also, phenethylamines often make me throw up when coming up on higher doses. I don't go dosing high all the time, but enjoy those experiences every couple of months or so.
As for weed, I have little experience. I avoid it because of oppressive workplace drug testing. Maybe I'll get into it when I change jobs it's OK for older folks. Was thinking about maybe baking with it instead of smoking it - seems healthier, but again, have very little experience with these things.
In my mid-youth, I've been more daring in exploring emerging drugs, like NBOMES and JWHs, but these things seem like they're increasingly likely to be bad news. It's not like the stuff out of PIHKAL and TIHKAL, which seem to mostly contain things that are safe when used with even a grain of precaution.
 
My desire to trip slowly died as life becomes more complicated. Relationships, jobs, children... They make it hard to get in the right mind frame for a psychedelic journey. I've had literally hundreds of trips on acid and mushrooms through college. I'm pushing 40 now and I haven't tripped in over a decade. I still like my herb though...
 
Foreigner said:
In general what SD says is true, and it also depends on what drug is being used, how much, how often, and pre-existing health conditions. I know middle aged people who do psychedelics regularly (as in once or twice a month) and it seems to enhance their standard of living. I have heard that psychedelics and cannabis can help stave off neuro-degeneration in people who are genetically prone to dementia because the trips stimulate under-used areas of the brain while reinforcing others. I don't have research to back this up, but it makes sense to me.

I can't imagine doing the quantity of drugs I did 10 years ago at the same frequency. I would probably be a zombie or in the hospital. Younger people have more rapid metabolisms so the side effects are processed quickly. Though, I do sometimes wonder if my body would be more resilient now if I had partied less when I was younger, or if it doesn't make a difference.
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Do you have a source for that? I'm very interested.

Generally, the body metabolizes drugs more slowly as you get older, requiring less of a dose. This is mostly true for drugs which act on ligand-gated ion channels, i.e. benzos. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Responsibilities like kids and work make it harder to fiend all the time. Drugs don't become boring but you being on drugs all the time does. When you are a teenager you sit around imagining doing things stoned. When you get older you have the freedom to do anything while high, then you get to the stage where you have done it ll and its not a new adventure like it once was. As you get older the stoned dude all the time becomes more annoying than humorous.

It's not all doom and gloom though. I get to do better drugs in more interesting places with equally as awesome people now I am approaching 40. You realise dance clubs at 3am are depressing compared to fancy parties with midgets and half naked circus acts on MDMA, or tripping at the opening of an andy Warhol exhibition with the state premier. You don't attract the attention of parents, teachers or even police as you get older either, which makes using drugs in public a hell of a lot less stressful. Asking police for directions while wearing a suit and high as a kite is strangely enjoyable and liberating. ;)
 
twotoomany said:
My desire to trip slowly died as life becomes more complicated. Relationships, jobs, children... They make it hard to get in the right mind frame for a psychedelic journey.
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These complications really make some of the long lasting psychedelics problematic IMHO. Especially at heavy doses where doing "responsible stuff" is impossible... adult life tends to be more "busy" in many ways, and setting aside 8-12 hours *plus* any recovery time that is necessary can be tricky.

I've found that as I've gotten older, I'm way more "picky" about when to use things as a result.
 
If you're elderly, nearing the end, have some money set up, and can procure good H safely. Then those will truly be your Golden years. Even better if you can get your son to get it for you for safety.
 
Hey some old people can still go hard.... no lie I was at a rave last month and a 70 year old was rolling as well as dnb stepping... he danced so fucking hard and started doing this in the 90s. His son is a DJ and got him into the scene. I would post a pic with him and a friend, but that wouldn't be right since I didn't ask. Was the craziest site I ever seen.
 
NerdOnDrugs said:
If you're elderly, nearing the end, have some money set up, and can procure good H safely. Then those will truly be your Golden years. Even better if you can get your son to get it for you for safety.
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while I agree that H can be nice, I just don't see how spending years trapped behind addiction can be "your golden years". In all honesty, that much heroin spent over a long time can get very gloomy, just as it does when you're younger.

But, all in all I think most drugs will most definitely play a bigger portion of your energy and time against you as you age. Certain drugs like cannabis I don't see doing this so much, but you also don't see that many 70/80 year olds doing methampetamine (at least I've never seen it personally), simply because it's far to strenuous on your body physically and mentally. Drugs like DMT and GHB I also don't see having as much of a body stress when not used on a regular basis because these particular drugs naturally are formed within the compounds of our bodies. But, I guess I don't have that much experience yet, because most people I have come across that have experience with drugs and have aged to be that old have lost interest for the most part in drugs besides the pharmaceutical ones they consume on a regular basis.
 
I'm @ 44y.o. and have been doin H since 1987....yeah it's lost it's lovin' feel-in'----whoa that lovin' feel-in'---it's lost that lovin' feelin' now it's gone, gone, gone...whoa, whoa, whoa....I basically do it cause it's all I've known all those years and when I stop I'm totally lost & depressed. You can say it's my anti-depressant...screw Zoloft and Paxil!! They AIN'T GOT SHEEIT ON THE SMACK ATTACK!!!!8(

But it's taken a toll my my arms...big, obvo scars and lumps where I inject daily--swollen up like big ol' pimples. If I really have to I'll wear 3/4 or long sleeves to cover them up, my face is gaunt and I hardly eat so I'm skinny as death and for the second time I have to treat my Hep-C cause it's BAAAACCKKK!!!
 
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Niggasbebuggin said:
while I agree that H can be nice, I just don't see how spending years trapped behind addiction can be "your golden years". In all honesty, that much heroin spent over a long time can get very gloomy, just as it does when you're younger.
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It's more practical for the terminally ill who don't have much time left. But if a consistent supply can be procured, or large amounts purchased, as long as the elderly person has money or has family money, it's golden baby!

Especially for older folks with the usual list of pains, aches, illnesses, bitching, and complaining as they get closer to dieing. There's lots of elderly who can't wait to die which is a shame, when they could experience bliss before leaving us.
 
RaZkaL86 said:
I'm @ 44y.o. and have been doin H since 1987....yeah it's lost it's lovin' feel-in'----whoa that lovin' feel-in'---it's lost that lovin' feelin' now it's gone, gone, gone...whoa, whoa, whoa....I basically do it cause it's all I've known all those years and when I stop I'm totally lost & depressed. You can say it's my anti-depressant...screw Zoloft and Paxil!! They AIN'T GOT SHEEIT ON THE SMACK ATTACK!!!!8(

But it's taken a toll my my arms...big, obvo scars and lumps where I inject daily--swollen up like big ol' pimples. If I really have to I'll wear 3/4 or long sleeves to cover them up, my face is gaunt and I hardly eat so I'm skinny as death and for the second time I have to treat my Hep-C cause it's BAAAACCKKK!!!
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Yep, a lot of people die prematurely on heroin or either end up living a life like this.... but to each their own. I just couldn't be able to do it. If I'm old all I see myself hopefully doing is smoking some good ganja and messing with some psychedelics. I definitely wouldn't do e anymore though or heroin. I don't even want to do heroin now.. and that's why I quit. Anyways hope you get better... even though I know hep c is for life... just want it to be manageable.
 
I got off opiates a couple years back and could not imagine being a slave to them again, especially at an elderly age. Who wants to spend their golden years scrambling for a fix? I'll be 50 in a few months and my body has taken a beating from various addictions, worst being alcohol. I know a few older folks who like weed because it mellows them out.

I'm not even that old yet but can't take stims of any sort, blood pressure being an issue and the comedown can be rough. The older you get, sleep gets diminished so I appreciate benzos at low doses. I imagine smoking weed would be enjoyable too.
 
xstayfadedx said:
Hey some old people can still go hard.... no lie I was at a rave last month and a 70 year old was rolling as well as dnb stepping... he danced so fucking hard and started doing this in the 90s. His son is a DJ and got him into the scene. I would post a pic with him and a friend, but that wouldn't be right since I didn't ask. Was the craziest site I ever seen.
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That's made me feel much better:D I'm not far off 40 and in the last few years have started to feel quite old when at gigs or clubs (though going to clubs is a pretty rare event these days). A few months back my mate got patronisingly told it was "really great" that he was still going out to clubs, taking drugs and enjoying himself by someone about half his age - he's also 38.
Thing is if it's someone decent that's on and I'm suitably up for it, nothing is going to stop me enjoying it. I'm a techno fan and I'm going to see Kevin Saunderson and then Jeff Mills in the next couple of months and there's no way I'm holding back for that.
Also as you get older you know exactly what you can handle and don't just scoff random pills when out. I geekily plan my drug intake days and even weeks in advance if I've got a decent night out planned.
 
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