Illicit drugs including Overdose Symptoms and Conditions

Side effects of marijuana:

Common short-term effects of marijuana may include:

• Dry mouth.
• Nausea.
• Increased heart rate (for up to three hours after smoking).
• Increase in appetite.

Brain fuction:

• Altered senses, like seeing brighter colours or smelling scents more intensely.
• Altered sense of time and space.
• Euphoria and mood changes.
• Issues with thinking and problem-solving.
• Impaired memory.
• Disorientation and confusion.
• Relaxation and/or sleepiness (sedation).
• Dizziness.
• Issues with coordination.
• Slowed reaction time.
• Experiencing a panic attack.

If you consume marijuana in high doses, you may experience:

• Hallucinations (false perception of objects or events involving your senses).
• Delusions (unshakable belief in something untrue).
• Psychosis (Your risk of this is highest if you regularly use high-potency marijuana).

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Side effects of Amphetamines:

• Decreased circulation in your hands and feet (making them feel cold or causing colour changes, like Raynaud’s phenomenon)
• Decreased hunger (which may cause unintended weight loss)
• Dizziness
• Fast heart rate or higher blood pressure
• Feeling anxious, jittery, restless or irritable
• Headaches
• Insomnia or other sleep-related issues
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sex drive changes and/or sexual dysfunction
• Stomach ache (abdominal pain)
• Tremors
• Vision changes like blurring

Some side effects are less common but are more serious.

They can include:

• Allergic reactions, including ones severe enough to cause anaphylaxis
• Bruxism (tooth-grinding)
• Compulsive skin-picking (dermatillomania)
• Dependency and addiction
• Hair loss (alopecia)
• Heart-related symptoms chest pain (angina) or heart palpitations
• Mania or symptoms that look like it
• Psychosis
• Serotonin syndrome
• Unexplained wounds appearing on your fingers or toes

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Side effects of Hallucinogens:

• Dilated pupils (mydriasis).
• Increased body temperature.
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure.
• Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) and flushing.
• Loss of appetite.
• Sleeplessness.
• Drowsiness.
• Dry mouth (xerostomia).
• Tremors.
• Uncoordinated movements (ataxia).
• Muscle relaxation or weakness.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Cystitis (long term side effects of ketamine).

Specifically, PCP use is associated with a wide range of adverse effects. At low-to-moderate doses, a person may experience a slight increase in their breathing rate and a pronounced rise in their blood pressure and pulse rate. In addition, they may experience:

• Shallow breathing (tachypnea).
• Flushing and excessive sweating.
• Generalized numbness of their extremities.
• Loss of muscular coordination.

At high doses, PCP use can lead to adverse effects including:

• A drop in blood pressure, pulse rate and respiration.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Blurred vision.
• A person’s eyes flicking up and down.
• Drooling.
• A loss of balance.
• Dizziness.

PCP use often leads to emergency room visits due to overdose or because of the drug’s severe psychological effects. While intoxicated, PCP users may become violent or suicidal and are therefore dangerous to themselves and others.

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