If you take a lot of stimulant drugs like MDMA, meth or coke, you can overdose. This is known as overamping. Stimulants speed up your body functions. Taking a large amount of one or more stimulants can put a lot of strain on your body.
What does overamping look like?
Ever taken a load of caffeine or pre-workout and ended up feeling on edge? That’s what mild overamping can feel like. The more a person takes, the more intense and dangerous the effects are.
Common experiences are:
- Feeling very hot
- Having a racing heart
- Feeling anxious
- Feeling dizzy
- Feeling nauseous
What happens if you mix an upper and downer?
Depressant drugs slow down your body functions. If you take a stimulant drug (like MDMA) and a depressant drug (like alcohol) together, they can mask the effects of each other. This makes it easier to accidently overdose or overamp.
Can you overdose on caffeine?
Caffeine is a stimulant drug. That means if you have too much, it can lead to overamping. If you’re already taking drugs like MDMA, meth or coke, adding caffeine to the mix can increase your risk of overamping. Keep this in mind if you’re drinking energy drinks or coffee while taking other drugs.
What to do if someone is overamping?
Mild cases of overamping can be resolved with rest, hydration, and a calming environment.
If you spot someone who is overamping, reassure them and help them cool down. You can:
- Take them to a cool, calm and quiet area.
- Give them some water or a sweet drink to sip slowly.
- Help cool them down by fanning them, using a cold cloth on their head and advising them to remove layers of clothing.
- Speak to them in a calm voice and reassure them they will be OK.
- Have them sit up or if they need to lay down, ensure they are in the recovery position.
- Keep an eye on them until they start feeling better.
Stay with them and get help immediately if you see any of the below warning signs.
When is overamping dangerous?
Overamping can put a lot of strain on your body. In some cases, people will need medical help.
Call 111 if someone:
- Has a very high temperature (they may be sweating)
- Has difficulty breathing
- Is extremely agitated or confused
- Has chest pains
- Has a seizure, convulsions or tremors
- Loses consciousness
You may need to give CPR or rescue breaths if the person is not breathing.
Don’t restrain a person who is having a seizure. Clear the area of any objects that could hurt them. If you can, time how long the seizure lasts for and share that information with the medical professionals who arrive to help them.
Featured image by Mishal Ibrahim on Unsplash
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