Bath salts can cause a range of physical and psychological symptoms, including psychotic behavior, delusions, hallucinations, panic attacks, weight loss, and nausea. Their use can be highly addictive. Early intervention and treatment are key to preventing further harm.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse says people who abuse bath salts regularly may develop stimulant use disorder. Early intervention and treatment are key to preventing further harm.
What Are the Most Common Signs & Symptoms of Bath Salts Abuse?
Bath salts abuse can have a range of physical and psychological symptoms. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of bath salts abuse include the following:
Risky behavior is common after using bath salts.
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Chest pain
- Agitation and irritability
- Hallucinations and paranoia
- Psychotic behavior
- Delusions
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Nausea and vomiting
- Muscle tremors and seizures
- Insomnia
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Dental problems (from teeth grinding)
What Are the Dangers of Bath Salts?
Bath salts can cause various adverse effects that individuals should be aware of. With both physical effects, including increased heart rate, heightened blood pressure, chest pain leading up to potentially fatal seizures or kidney failure, and psychological effects, such as intense hallucinations resulting in paranoia accompanied by delusions or even suicidal ideation, using bath salts is an inherently risky decision.
Bath salts are also a broad type of synthetic drug whose composition fluctuates greatly from one product to another. Such uncertainty regarding their chemical makeup introduces substantial risks for adverse side effects beyond those typically associated with bath salts, which may be difficult to predict.
This is part of why many countries have criminalized possession and sale of these drugs, attempting to keep them out of circulation and mitigate the potential harms of individuals misusing these drugs. However, as a relatively new class of designer drugs emerges onto the market worldwide, government agencies often struggle to control their spread. It takes time for policy to properly regulate new substances. As soon as one substance is banned, another springs up in its place.
Despite attempts at regulation through various national laws or bans enacted globally against these substances’ distribution within communities worldwide, greater research into this relatively new health threat remains necessary. These drugs may also have occasional legitimate uses in research, even if they should not be considered safe for human consumption.
Short-Term & Long-Term Consequences of Bath Salts
Some common bath salt abuse symptoms stem from the health consequences these drugs can cause. When you know about the physical and mental damage someone might endure, you could feel more confident about encouraging them to get help.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says the following symptoms are common in people abusing the drug:
- Rapid heartbeat
- High blood pressure
- High body temperature
- Dilated pupils
- Tooth grinding
- Sweating
- Headaches
- Unusual heartbeat
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
Researchers say people who abuse bath salts can also experience severe consequences like liver failure and kidney damage.
Long-term users can experience issues like weight loss, in addition to the risks outlined above.
Breakdown of the Effects of Bath Salts
The effects of bath salts vary, as the term refers to a broad collection of compounds. These compounds usually undergo no human testing and are rarely meant for human consumption. Thus, their effects on humans remain poorly understood at best.
Researchers know that different compositions often lead to negative consequences for users who take these substances. Notably, bath salt use often has many of the stimulant effects attributed to other stimulant-like drugs, such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
Positive experiences shared by many bath salt users involve the euphoria and burst of energy these drugs are known to cause, which is one reason they are often abused. Not only do these psychoactive substances commonly induce sensations of increased energy and euphoria within users, but they have an addictive nature. Bath salt use is reinforced in the brain and potentially leads to physical dependence.
Risky behavior is common after using bath salts, including engaging in violence or self-harm, as well as risky sexual conduct. While under the effects of bath salts, a person may hallucinate and/or experience a break from reality, believing things that aren’t true.
The use of bath salts should be considered especially dangerous, even when compared to other illicit drugs that are also considered dangerous for human use.
Psychological Bath Salt Abuse Symptoms
The DEA explains that bath salts are synthetic substances designed to mimic stimulant drugs like MDMA. Understanding how stimulant addiction can change the mind could help you spot someone who needs your help.
People who have a stimulant addiction often have psychological symptoms, such as the following:
- Psychosis
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Suicidal thoughts
Someone showing psychological symptoms like this needs to quit using the drug as soon as possible. However, people may experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms that keep them using, even when they want to quit.
How to Recognize Bath Salts Addiction
Bath salt use has been associated with some signs that can be observed in abusers, such as these:
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Elevated blood pressure levels
- Rapid heartbeat, which results in chest pains
- Nausea
- Unexplained weight loss
Equally problematic are the array of behavioral changes experienced by those abusing bath salts, such as these:
- Irritability
- Distorted beliefs, often leading to unusual and even violent conduct
- Social withdrawal, which may then lead to the deterioration of relationships and being unable to engage in once enjoyed social activities
- Failure to stop using bath salts despite their harmful consequences
- Failed attempts at quitting use
Bath Salts Withdrawal Symptoms
Stimulant drugs like bath salts can cause withdrawal when chronic users quit abruptly. In the later stages of bath salt addiction, some people experience withdrawal symptoms between doses. These symptoms can be so distressing and severe that they keep people using drugs even when they want to quit.
The first stages of withdrawal typically last for a week. Common early withdrawal symptoms include the following:
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Psychosis
- Suicidal thoughts
Within about a week of quitting, the withdrawal symptoms shift. Common late withdrawal symptoms include the following:
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Increased appetite
- Intense drug cravings
- Hallucinations
Some people experience a protracted withdrawal syndrome that’s characterized by depression, fatigue, and a lack of energy. This stage can last for months.
What to Do if Someone Is Overdosing on Bath Salts
The DEA and many other experts have stated that bath salts have the potential to cause a dangerous overdose, potentially causing serious heart problems, seizures, severe breaks from reality, and more.
If you suspect someone is overdosing on bath salts, act quickly to get them medical help. Bath salt overdose can be life-threatening, and prompt treatment can help to prevent serious harm and death.
Here are the steps to take if someone is overdosing on bath salts:
- Call 911. Inform the operator about the situation, including how much bath salts were taken, if known.
- Stay with the person. Don’t leave them alone. Wait until medical help arrives.
- Talk gently to them. Providing moral support can ease the process for them both physically and mentally before medical assistance arrives.
- Monitor vital signs, especially their respiration and heart rate. If their heart or breathing dangerously slow or stop, begin CPR. The urgency operator may talk you through this.
- Do not attempt to induce vomiting or give the person liquids. These actions tend to worsen the situation.
Again, prompt professional intervention is essential when dealing with a bath salts overdose. Don’t delay in calling for help.
An overdose is a clear sign of a bath salts abuse problem, so addiction treatment for bath salts is recommended. In a comprehensive treatment program, you’ll learn how to manage substance abuse triggers, so you don’t return to bath salts abuse in the future. You’ll also build the foundation of a healthy and balanced life that supports recovery from substance abuse. Get started on the path to a better future today.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions we often hear about bath salts and addiction:
Bath salt abuse symptoms include unexplained paranoia, social withdrawal, depression, and time spent with others who use drugs.
Yes. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says bath salts can cause overdose symptoms that lead to death.
Some types of bath salts have been placed in Schedule I by the DEA. This means the drugs are tightly controlled by the authorities. Other types of bath salts aren’t subject to this kind of legislation at the federal level.
Bath salts are synthetic substances designed to mimic the effects of stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine. While every type of bath salt is different, most create an experience that’s similar to other stimulant drugs.
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