Mephedrone

How is mephedrone used?

Mephedrone powder is usually sniffed/snorted or swallowed.²

Swallowing is the most common way of taking the drug. It is usually mixed with liquid to drink or wrapped in a cigarette paper (known as ‘bombing’).²

There are also reports of people injecting the drug.⁴

Effects of mephedrone

The use of any drug can have risks. It’s important to be careful when taking any type of drug.

Mephedrone can affect everyone differently, based on:

• size, weight and health
• whether the person is used to taking it
• whether other drugs are taken around the same time
• the amount taken
• the strength of the drug (varies from batch to batch)
• the environment (where the drug is taken).

Onset and duration of effects

How fast a drug takes effect and how long it lasts can vary depending on how it's taken - for example, whether it's snorted, swallowed, or injected.⁵

• If swallowed: effects are usually felt within 15 – 45 minutes and last for about 3 – 6 hours. 
• If snorted: effects are usually felt within 10 minutes and last about 1.5 – 3 hours.⁶

Effects

Effects can include:

• rush of intense pleasure
• feeling happy, energetic and wanting to talk more
• intense connection with music
• anxiety
• paranoia
• restless sleep
• muscle tension (face and jaw)
• blurred vision
• light-headedness, dizziness
• distorted sense of time
• memory loss
• nose bleeds from sniffing/snorting the drug
• enlarged (dilated) pupils, blurred vision
• dry mouth, thirst
• sweating
• reduced appetite
• stomach pains, nausea, vomiting
• skin rashes
• fast or irregular heartbeat
• high blood pressure and hot flushes
• strong urge to re-dose
• chest pain
• tremors, convulsions.^{1, 7, 8}

Impact of mood and environment

Drugs that affect a person’s mental state (psychoactive drugs) can also have varied effects depending on a person’s mood (often called the ‘set’) or the environment they are in (the ‘setting’): 

• Set: a person’s state of mind, previous encounters with the drug, and expectations of what’s going to happen. For example, feelings of stress or anxiety before using mephedrone may result in an unpleasant experience and make those feelings worse.
• Setting: the physical and social environment where you take mephedrone – whether it’s known and familiar, who you're with, if you're indoors or outdoors, the type of music or sounds, and lighting. The ideal setting to take mephedrone will vary based on the individual and drug they’re using.⁹

Being in a good state of mind, with trusted friends and a safe environment before taking mephedrone reduces the risk of having a bad experience.⁹

Overdose

If you take a large amount of mephedrone or use a strong batch, you could overdose. 

Your risk of overdose can also increase if you mix mephedrone with alcohol or other drugs, including medications.

Mephedrone overdose can cause death.⁶

Call triple zero (000) and request an ambulance if you or someone else has any of the following symptoms (emergency services are there to help and can provide more instructions).

Signs of stimulant overdose can include:

• unconscious or non-responsive
• spasms or seizures
• feeling tired or fatigued
• heart attack symptoms such as:
• difficulty breathing
• sharp pain/discomfort in chest, arm, shoulder, back, neck, or jaw
• severe agitation, confusion, or panic
• racing heartbeat
• hot, flushed (red), or sweaty skin
• very large pupils.^10-12

Learn more on overdose and drug-related emergencies.

Mixing with other drugs

Mixing mephedrone with other drugs can have unpredictable effects and increase the risk of harm.

Mixing includes using more than one drug (including alcohol or medications) at the same time, or one after another. You should also consider what drugs you’ve taken in the last 24 hours.

• Mephedrone and ice, speed, or ecstasy: increased risk of harms, including death
• Mephedrone and alcohol, cannabis: nausea and vomiting.
• Mephedrone and MAOIs (antidepressants): reports that this combination can increase risk of seizures and heart issues.^{1, 13, 14}

Using more than one drug or type of drug at the same time is called polydrug use.¹⁰

Reducing harm

There are ways you can reduce the risk of harm when using mephedrone.

• Avoid taking other drugs with mephedrone particularly other stimulants such as cocaine or amphetamine. 
• Mephedrone can cause the body to overheat. If you are dancing you may become dehydrated, so take regular breaks and drink moderate amounts of water.
• Avoid injecting mephedrone as it can cause soft tissue and vascular damage. 
• Snorting mephedrone is very damaging to the nasal passages, the least harmful option is to take it orally. 
• Avoid driving or operating machinery. 
• Try to avoid the urge to re-dose as it can place enormous stress on the body and heart.

Coming down

In the days after mephedrone use, the following may be experienced:

• restless sleep
• tiredness
• dizziness
• low mood
• wounds, sores taking longer to heal
• memory loss.^2,3

Read more about drug comedowns.

Long-term effects

Long-term effects can vary depending on how much, how often and how mephedrone is consumed. Regular use may eventually contribute to:

• difficulty sleeping
• muscle spasms
• seeing and hearing things that aren’t there
• needing to use more mephedrone to get the same effect
• dependence.

Mephedrone and mental health

There is very little research on the effects of mephedrone and other synthetic cathinones on mental health.

Some research suggests that the mental health impacts of mephedrone may include:

• anxiety, paranoia, confusion, and difficulty sleeping. 
• some people may experience psychosis, hallucinations, or delusions, particularly at higher doses.
• people may also feel low or depressed after using mephedrone.^{2, 3, 15}

Tolerance

Regularly taking mephedrone can lead to developing a tolerance, which means you need to take larger amounts to get the same effects.⁶

Dependence

People who regularly use mephedrone may become dependent. They may feel they need to use mephedrone to go about usual activities like working, studying and socialising, or just to get through the day.⁶

Withdrawal

Withdrawal refers to the symptoms that can occur when someone who is dependent on a drug, or who has been using it regularly over time, stops or reduces their use.¹⁶

Withdrawal can include physical symptoms (such as headaches, or nausea) and psychological symptoms (such as anxiety, or depressed mood).¹⁶

Reducing, or stopping using mephedrone after a period of regular use can lead to withdrawal symptoms, including:

• cravings
• increased appetite
• stuffy nose
• tiredness
• feeling anxious
• feeling depressed, emotional, tearful
• irritability
• difficulty concentrating.¹⁷

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

There is very little research on the effects of mephedrone and other novel psychoactive substances (NPS) on pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Some studies on mice have shown that mephedrone use during pregnancy can increase the risk of stillbirth, low-birth weight, and reduced brain development in the baby.¹⁸

There is also evidence in mice that mephedrone can pass through the placenta and reach the baby’s brain.¹⁹

It is recommended to avoid using mephedrone at any stage relating to pregnancy – if you’re trying to get pregnant, if you are pregnant, or after you’ve had your baby (especially if you’re wanting to breastfeed).

Getting help

If your use of mephedrone is affecting your health, family, relationships, work, school, financial or other life situations, or you’re concerned about someone, there is help and support. 

• Call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 for free and confidential advice, information and counselling about alcohol and other drugs. 
• Search our Help and Support directory to find your preferred support, by adding your location or postcode and filtering by service type.