Speedball (drug)
Encyclopedia
Speedball is a term commonly referring to the hazardous intravenous use of heroin or morphine
and cocaine
together in the same syringe. The speedball can also be taken by insufflation
. The original speedball used cocaine hydrochloride mixed with morphine sulfate, as opposed to heroin. The term can also be applied to use of pharmaceutical opioids, benzodiazepines or barbiturates along with amphetamines derivates. This cocktail of drugs can cause a strong physical dependence
and withdrawal symptoms.
Cocaine acts as a stimulant
, whereas heroin/morphine acts as a depressant
. Coadministration is meant to provide an intense rush
of euphoria
with a high that is supposed to combine the effects of both drugs, while hoping to reduce the negative effects, such as anxiety
and sedation
. In general, the joint use with cocaine is done to avoid the sedative effect of heroin. Mixing a depressant with a stimulant causes a state of general confusion, incoherence, blurred vision, stupor, and drowsiness. The combination can result in uncontrolled and uncoordinated motor skills, with the risk of excessive arousal and death
. There may be paranoid delusions, as well as intense depression
, and hallucinations.
The effects of cocaine wear off far more quickly than heroin or morphine. Fatal respiratory depression can occur when the cocaine wears off and the full effects of heroin or morphine are felt in isolation.
had a stroke after taking a speedball, leaving him with a permanent speech impediment.
Among celebrities who admitted using speedballs are Chet Baker
(in the documentary film Let's Get Lost
), Dave Mustaine
and David Ellefson
(in the documentary Behind The Music
), Nikki Sixx
(in The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star
and The Dirt
), Anthony Kiedis
(in his autobiography Scar Tissue
), David Crosby
(in his autobiography Long Time Gone) and Miles Davis
(on page 335 of his autobiography).
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
together in the same syringe. The speedball can also be taken by insufflation
Insufflation (medicine)
Insufflation is the practice of inhaling a substance. Insufflation has limited medical use, but is a common route of administration with many respiratory drugs used to treat conditions in the lungs and paranasal sinus .The technique is common for many recreational drugs and is also used for some...
. The original speedball used cocaine hydrochloride mixed with morphine sulfate, as opposed to heroin. The term can also be applied to use of pharmaceutical opioids, benzodiazepines or barbiturates along with amphetamines derivates. This cocktail of drugs can cause a strong physical dependence
Physical dependence
Physical dependence refers to a state resulting from chronic use of a drug that has produced tolerance and where negative physical symptoms of withdrawal result from abrupt discontinuation or dosage reduction...
and withdrawal symptoms.
Cocaine acts as a stimulant
Stimulant
Stimulants are psychoactive drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both. Examples of these kinds of effects may include enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion, among others...
, whereas heroin/morphine acts as a depressant
Depressant
A depressant, or central depressant, is a drug or endogenous compound that depresses the function or activity of a specific part of the brain...
. Coadministration is meant to provide an intense rush
Rush (psychology)
In psychology, a rush is an acute transcendent state of euphoria. Psychoactive drugs which enhance dopaminergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system are commonly capable of such an event....
of euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria is an emotional and mental state defined as a sense of great elation and well being.Euphoria may also refer to:* Euphoria , a genus of scarab beetles* Euphoria, a genus name previously used for the longan and other trees...
with a high that is supposed to combine the effects of both drugs, while hoping to reduce the negative effects, such as anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
and sedation
Sedation
Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...
. In general, the joint use with cocaine is done to avoid the sedative effect of heroin. Mixing a depressant with a stimulant causes a state of general confusion, incoherence, blurred vision, stupor, and drowsiness. The combination can result in uncontrolled and uncoordinated motor skills, with the risk of excessive arousal and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. There may be paranoid delusions, as well as intense depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, and hallucinations.
The effects of cocaine wear off far more quickly than heroin or morphine. Fatal respiratory depression can occur when the cocaine wears off and the full effects of heroin or morphine are felt in isolation.
Notable deaths attributed to speedball use
- Jean-Michel BasquiatJean-Michel BasquiatJean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist. His career in art began as a graffiti artist in New York City in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s produced Neo-expressionist painting.-Early life:...
, though some sources list his death as heroin overdose only. - John BelushiJohn BelushiJohn Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
- Ken CaminitiKen CaminitiKenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball and the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player. He was born in Hanford, California, and attended San Jose State University...
- Chris FarleyChris FarleyChristopher Crosby "Chris" Farley was an American comedian and actor. Farley was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995....
, died of cocaine and morphine sulfate overdose. - Zac Foley
- Lowell GeorgeLowell GeorgeLowell Thomas George was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who was the main guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Little Feat.- Early years :...
- Trevor GoddardTrevor GoddardTrevor Goddard was an English actor. He played Kano in the first Mortal Kombat movie and Lieutenant Commander Mic Brumby on JAG.-Career:Goddard was born in Croydon, Surrey, England, in 1962...
- Mitch HedbergMitch HedbergMitchell Lee "Mitch" Hedberg was an American stand-up comedian known for his surreal humor and unconventional comedic delivery. His comedy typically featured short, sometimes one-line jokes, mixed with absurd elements and non sequiturs...
- Sebastian HorsleySebastian HorsleySebastian Horsley was a London artist best known for having undergone a voluntary crucifixion. Horsley's writing often revolved around his dysfunctional family, his drug addictions, sex, and his reliance on prostitutes.-Background:Horsley was born in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
- Brent MydlandBrent MydlandBrent Mydland was the fourth keyboardist to play for the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He was with the band for eleven years, longer than any other keyboardist.- Early life :...
- River PhoenixRiver PhoenixRiver Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
- Eric ShowEric ShowEric Vaughn Show was a Major League Baseball player who played for most of his career with the San Diego Padres. On September 11, 1985, Show gave up Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit...
- Judee SillJudee SillJudee Sill was an American singer and songwriter. The first artist signed to David Geffen's Asylum label, she released two albums, then worked briefly as a cartoonist before dying of drug abuse in 1979.Her eponymous debut album was released in late 1971 and was followed around eighteen months...
- Hillel SlovakHillel SlovakHillel Slovak was an Israeli-American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of the Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
- Joey StefanoJoey StefanoJoey Stefano was an American pornographic actor who appeared in gay adult films.-Early life and career:...
, died of cocaine, morphine, heroin and ketamine overdose. - George V of the United KingdomGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, euthanasiaEuthanasiaEuthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
via a speedball of cocaine and morphine. - Layne StaleyLayne StaleyLayne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
Notable users
Circa 1900, Harry Kendall Thaw was an early user of speedball. In 1996 Dave Gahan, suffered a heart attack following a speedball overdose, but survived. Steven AdlerSteven Adler
Steven Adler is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s...
had a stroke after taking a speedball, leaving him with a permanent speech impediment.
Among celebrities who admitted using speedballs are Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
(in the documentary film Let's Get Lost
Let's Get Lost
Let's Get Lost may refer to:* Let's Get Lost , a 1988 Oscar-nominated documentary about jazz trumpeter Chet Baker.* Let's Get Lost , a dramatic film directed by Jonas Elmer...
), Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
and David Ellefson
David Ellefson
David Warren "Dave" Ellefson is a bassist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Megadeth. He also goes by "Junior." He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona...
(in the documentary Behind The Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
), Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx is an American musician, songwriter, author, fashion designer, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder and bassist of the band Mötley Crüe. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister band mate Lizzie Grey...
(in The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star
The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star
The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star is a book co-written by Nikki Sixx, bassist of the rock band Mötley Crüe, and Ian Gittins. Additional reflections on the period from Sixx and others are interspersed throughout the book. The book also includes many black-and-white...
and The Dirt
The Dirt
The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band is a collaborative autobiography written by Mötley Crüe, Neil Strauss, and the "Mötley" managers, where they write about the members of Mötley Crüe. First published in 2001, it chronicles the formation of the band, their rise to fame...
), Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis is an American vocalist/lyricist, and occasional actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his 12th birthday, to Hollywood,...
(in his autobiography Scar Tissue
Scar Tissue (book)
Scar Tissue is the autobiography of Red Hot Chili Peppers vocalist Anthony Kiedis. It was released in 2004 by Hyperion and authored by Kiedis with Larry Sloman, who compiled information and interviewed various parties associated with the plot line. The story follows Kiedis from his birth in 1962 to...
), David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
(in his autobiography Long Time Gone) and Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
(on page 335 of his autobiography).
See also
- Drug abuseDrug abuseSubstance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
- Poly drug usePoly drug usePolydrug use refers to the use of two or more psychoactive drugs in combination to achieve a particular effect. In many cases one drug is used as a base or primary drug, with additional drugs to leaven or compensate for the side effects of the primary drug and make the experience more enjoyable...
- List of drug-related deaths
- Combined drug intoxicationCombined drug intoxicationCombined drug intoxication , also known as multiple drug intake or lethal polydrug/polypharmacy intoxication, is an unnatural cause of human death...
- List of street names of drug combinations
External links
- U.S. Office of National Drug Policy, National Trends in Drug Abuse Summer 1998, Special Section: Speedballing