What is Speedballing? Everything You Should Know

According to the latest release by the Office of National Statistics, there were 5,448 drug-related deaths in England and Wales in 2023. Over 3,500 of these were due to opiates and cocaine, respectively.

Substance misuse is a persistent problem around the world, and drugs such as opiates and cocaine are dangerous enough alone. Combined, the problem is an entirely different struggle.

The combination of heroin and cocaine is a popular one and has claimed many lives, including celebrities such as the actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman and River Phoenix, the brother of Joaquin Phoenix.

You need to be aware of what speedballing is, its risks, and what help is out there for you or someone you know.

Understanding Speedballing: What Does it Mean?

Speedballing is the mixture of a depressant drug and a stimulant. Most commonly, this combination is cocaine and heroin – though, in recent years, fentanyl has become part of this equation. Normally, this combination is taken by injection via a needle, but sometimes the substances can be snorted together.

Depressants, such as heroin and alcohol, reduce stimulation in your body and slow down messages between the brain and body. These types of substances make people feel more relaxed and feel comfortable and euphoric.

Stimulants, such as speed and cocaine, are the opposite. They bring you up, increasing your heart rate and making you feel more energetic.

It might seem odd to mix opposing substances. Rather than cancelling the effects out, the cocaine and heroin mix especially can offer a more intense high.

Why Do People Engage in Speedballing?

Despite the risks of mixing stimulants and depressants, many people engage in speedballing. There are plenty of reasons why people make this choice.

A More Intense High

Taken alone, cocaine and heroin bring their own experience. For something entirely different and more intense, speedballing provides the right answer for some people. The conflicting effects of euphoria from cocaine with the calming effect of heroin create something more intense and longer lasting.

Impacting the Side Effects

People take speedballs to either amplify the expected high or mitigate the side effects of either drug. A depressant can slow down the effects of a stimulant, whilst on the other side, cocaine can keep you more with it after taking heroin.

Addiction

If you are addicted to substances, taking a speedball can become preferable as your tolerance increases, and you can make your drug stash last longer. People also may combine drugs as they think the less addictive substance is helping them wean themselves off the more dangerous drug.

How Does Speedballing Affect the Body and Brain

Depressants cause depression in the central nervous system, slowing down messages in the brain to create calm and numb discomfort. In the body, this causes a slowing heart rate and a slower breathing rate.

Stimulants have the opposite effect, releasing dopamine in the brain to give you more excitement and motivation. To the body, this gives you more energy and can cause sweating and increased blood pressure.

The effects of speedballing and down to the push-pull effect that this combination of drugs creates. It is dangerous, though, as your body doesn’t know how to cope, causing heart strain and respiratory failure. Also, the stimulants wear off quicker and so initially can mask symptoms of an opioid depressant overdose. This makes it more difficult to determine how much your body can take and what a “safe” dose is.

The Risks and Dangers of Speedballing

There are many speedballing dangers. The most concerning is suffering an overdose. Another is sudden death due to unknown substances being in the speedball. Fentanyl is a common synthetic opioid and can turn up in speedballs whilst being 50 times more potent than heroin.

Other dangers and risks of speedballing include:

• Increased risk of seizures
• Respiratory failure
• Long-term damage to the heart, brain and central nervous system
• Severe mental health issues
• Damage to the liver, kidneys and immune system
• Bloodborne diseases due to needle use
• Malnourishment

There are so many more risks, and many of them are present for people who are not persistent users. Also, seasoned users with higher tolerances can suffer these serious consequences due to how speedballs affect you and the unknowability of what substances are in them.

Signs of Speedball Overdose

One of the most serious speedballing dangers is suffering an overdose. A speedball overdose has a high fatality risk and is a large contributing factor to the fourth wave of the opioid crisis in the USA.

It is, therefore, essential to be aware of the signs of a speedball overdose. Symptoms include:

• Irregular heartbeat
• Difficulty breathing
• Extreme confusion
• Loss of consciousness
• Pale or clammy skin
• Vomiting
• Blue-tinged fingernails or lips
• Slurred speech
• Gurgling sounds

If you or someone you know starts to display these symptoms, then you should get immediate medical assistance. Once help has been administered, serious conversations about professional help and drug rehab need to be had. Without help, persistent speedballing will result in more overdoses.

How to Help Someone Battling Speedballing Addiction

The impact of a speedballing addiction will be felt by everyone. If you are a loved one or friend of someone going through addiction, it may feel difficult to know how you can help them. There are things to focus on so you can help someone you know.

Compassionate Communication

It’s important to emphasise to the person that you are coming from a place of care. You need to empathise with them, despite their actions, and learn more about addiction so that they can see you are coming from a place of compassion. You need to acknowledge what they are saying without validating it and be clear in what you are saying.

Non-judgmental Support

You need to show them support without judgement. Effective recovery is about getting better in the now to build something healthier for the future and better understand the past. They may not like themselves and you need to show you do care and are willing to support them through it.

Encouraging Professional Help

Some things can’t be fixed at home. Accessing addiction treatments such as detox and therapies is the best way to effectively achieve long-term recovery. You need to stress the importance of reaching out for help from people who know how to help.

Where to Find Help for Substance Abuse in the UK

There are many resources out there for people struggling with substance abuse. Addiction Advocates is one of those. We can help you find the perfect facility for your situation, whether it be cocaine rehab or another substance, and quickly get you into treatment.

Other support organisations include:

• Change Grow Live
• Narcotics Anonymous – 0300 999 1212
• We Are With You
• Addiction Family Support – 0300 888 3853

If you or someone you know is in danger due to substance use, get in touch with Addiction Advocates or any of these other organisations.

Get Support Today

The risks of mixing stimulants and depressants are many. Speedballing can have fatal consequences, and even dabbling can result in serious outcomes.

Addiction Advocates can help you or someone you know get the support they need. To learn more about us and begin the recovery journey, call now at 0800 0126 088 or text HELP to 83222.