Is Mephedrone Crystal safe ?

What is mephedrone?

Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) is an empathogen–stimulant drug, which means it speeds up the messages travelling between the brain and body. Mephedrone also increases an individual’s feeling of empathy and kindness, and enhances feelings of being socially accepted and connected to others.¹

Mephedrone is a New/Novel Psychoactive Substance (NPS) – a drug that has been designed to produce effects similar to those of established illicit drugs.

What does mephedrone look like?

Mephedrone comes in different forms, including:

• white powder with a yellowish tinge
• crystals
• capsules
• pills.

Other names

Meph, meow, meow-meow, m-cat, plant food, drone, bubbles, kitty cat.

Other types of empathogens

• Ethylone
• MDA
• MDMA (ecstasy)
• PMA and PMMA

How is mephedrone crystals 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.

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.

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.

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.

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