Substances created by nature or people with completely innocuous goals - saving lives or anesthetizing during surgical interventions - are often used by asocial personalities with completely different intentions - getting euphoric and buzzing. Just for such purposes, addicts use diethyl ether.
Diethyl ether - what kind of substance?
According to its physical characteristics, ether is an absolutely transparent liquid, capable of easily flashing. The ether has a very sharp smell and a sharp burning taste. Ether quickly evaporates, saturating its neighbors with the surrounding space.
Diethyl ether has been used in medicine as a means for inhalation anesthesia in surgical operations. The first operation in Russia under ether anesthesia was made as far back as 1846.
In the surgical intervention, ether anesthesia has proven itself as a powerful analgesic and muscle relaxant. Anesthesia with ether is performed with short operations, since the period of its action is not very long and amounts to 20-40 minutes, after which the patient wakes up.
Mechanism of action
Diethyl ether is considered a low-risk substance for human health. However, when used for non-medical purposes, the drug causes deep depression of the nervous system.
There are 4 stages of the effect of ether per person:
- General anesthesia. The first stage of intoxication with ether is characterized by loss of pain sensitivity, consciousness is clear, physical indices are normal.
- Excitation. This stage is accompanied by loss of consciousness, nevertheless, patients are very excited, motor and speech activity increases, muscle tone is increased. The patient can strongly cough, up to the development of a vomitive reflex. Breathing becomes more frequent, the pulse and pressure increase.
- Stage of surgical anesthesia. At this stage, the nervous system is depressed, all manifestations of excitation disappear without a trace - muscle tone comes back to normal, the pressure stabilizes. This stage is divided into several forms of anesthesia - easy, medium, deep and super-deep anesthesia.
- Agonal stage. Occurs when overdose with ether. In this case, the patient is strongly depressed respiratory and vasomotor functions, breathing is superficial, the pulse is weak. The patient turns blue, his pupils are greatly expanded. The agonal stage ends with a lethal outcome as a result of cardiac arrest and respiratory depression.
Experienced anesthetists, knowing about undesirable manifestations of ethereal anesthesia, remove them with additional premedication. Addicts, using ether, do not know about such subtleties, therefore on a body unprepared the preparation can have a strong impact, expressed in violation of perception, the so-called dissociative action.
Effect of
As a rule, the inhalation of ether vapors brings a condition similar to a slight alcoholic intoxication - the toxicoman is pleasantly excited, becomes unnecessarily talkative, cheerful, his motor activity increases.
However, the ether can cause audible and visual hallucinations, it seems to the addict that everything that he sees and hears happens to him in real life. Intoxicated by the ether man tries to contact with the world only visible to him, therefore he needs control from other people. Drug intoxication from the action of the ether lasts no more than 15 minutes.
In case of prolonged and uncontrolled inhalation of ether, an overdose of narcotic substance occurs. Trip here is accompanied by a strong sense of fear, turning into a panic, a drug addict is very nervous, can chaotically move around the room. Gradually, suffocation occurs, convulsions begin, blood pressure drops. The patient needs medical assistance in this situation.
Dependence development
Drug dependence, in the sense in which we are accustomed to understand it, does not cause diethyl ether. That is, physical traction, coupled with a strong withdrawal, toxic addicts, long using ether, does not arise. However, the compulsive desire to breathe aether with steam for the purpose of relaxation, getting a light euphoria and easy immersion in a dream, undoubtedly takes place. There is a strong mental dependence on the use of narcotic substance.
Stop taking ether as a narcotic substance, a toxicoman can at any time, however, this will lead to increased irritability, sleep disorders, headaches, anger and suspicion. Symptoms can last about 5-6 days and disappear without a trace. Nevertheless, an uncontrollable attraction to the ether can persist for several years.
Consequences of the use of
Chronic poisoning of the body with ether pairs causes extremely negative consequences for the patient:
- permanent irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. As a consequence - permanent bronchitis, pneumonia, chronic diseases of the broncho-pulmonary system;
- memory loss, general personality degradation, paranoia;
- encephalopathy, neuropsychiatric diseases;
- toxic hepatitis, decreased kidney function.
It should be noted that substance abuse with ether pairs is quite a rare phenomenon and is observed mainly among those who by the nature of their activity have access to this drug.