What is the drug of choice in your area?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Where I live, the drug of choice is almost exclusively heroin. I am well versed in the treatment of heroin overdoses and the resources for those who use, as we have several per day on average. I've never dealt with a patient on bath salts, meth, crack, etc. , at least to my knowledge. I'm getting ready to relocate to a different region and i'm realizing I may have to educate myself on other presentations for other substances!

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Depends on the time of year. Summer months we see a huge spike in Molly.

Truth! Summer festival/concert season will bring Molly, other forms of Esctasy, and Spice/synthetic hallucinogens.

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

West Side of Chicago, so TONS of heroin. Some EtOH and crack as well, with some occasional PCP.

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

There's a heroin epidemic in my part of the North-East/Atlantic. Sad thing is it's mostly kids/young adults. And they start out pretty innocent - back surgery after injury at work, prescribed Vicodin, then Percocet then.... eventually Doc cuts 'em off and then they start shooting heroin because withdrawal is just awful. It is truly depressing :(

Alcohol as well.

We also see a smattering of cocaine, weed (surprisingly given our location) and E. Haven't seen a PCP or Meth case ... yet (Dear God did I just jinx myself?! :eek:)

- Roy

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Lots of heroin, etoh of course, some spice, occasional mdma/"molly" and then your hodge podge of prescription/over the counters suicide attempts - benzos, allergy meds, SSRIs etc. We've recently been getting this "cheap" heroin that needs to be narcaned more often.

Mid east coast

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Midwest - ETOH (lots of it), fentanyl/heroin, heroin, benzos, meth, and weed.

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What is spice?

This coming from a former substance abuse nurse...

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Specializes in Emergency.

Spice is "synthetic" marijuana. What's in it? Not sure, causes symptoms much more pcp like than pot.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
What is spice?

This coming from a former substance abuse nurse...

Users smoke the drug. Remember the incense we used to burn in the 1970s, spice is sort of like that. Or alot of times Nutmeg in huge quantities that are soaked in chemicals are added in. Mostly comes from China and is sold in Smoke Shops in some states. The 'recipe' changes quite often to avoid law enforcement, so users have no idea what is in each batch and the effects can be varied.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

I've even heard of Salvia being used lately.

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Mojo. They come in extremely paranoid and very hypotensive. What's interesting is that we see a variety of ages with this. From the early 20s to late 60s!!!! Sigh. People stay away from the mojo!!!!!

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Mojo. They come in extremely paranoid and very hypotensive. What's interesting is that we see a variety of ages with this. From the early 20s to late 60s!!!! Sigh. People stay away from the mojo!!!!!

What is mojo??

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Synthetic marijuana. Makes them CRAZY!!! And quite scary

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