The drug Superman: characteristics and effects

The use of the drug Superman is spreading throughout the world. What characteristics does this drug have and what are its dangerous effects?

In the world in which we live, the consumption of substances for recreational purposes is a relatively frequent phenomenon, seeking new experiences for those who take them. sensory and cognitive, escape from the problems of daily life, activate, relax or experience a temporary enhancement of a mood expansive.

All these reasons mean that for some people the world of drugs seen in a recreational way is a business of the to profit, which means that new versions of substances with effects are constantly being created. psychoactive. One of these substances whose appearance is relatively recent is paramethoxymethamphetamine or Superman drug.

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The Superman or Superhero pill

The superman drug, paramethoxymethamphetamine or PMMA is a dangerous psychoactive substance that falls under the designer drug classification.

This type of substance is classified as psychodysleptic., since as a general rule they produce alterations in perception and a variation of the habitual psychic activity.

Derived from the amphetamine family, if we analyze the composition of the drug Superman we can find a combination of methamphetamine and ecstasy, this combination having a potency far greater than that of either part by separate. This potency makes PMMA a very dangerous drug, which together with the relatively little knowledge of its characteristics by those who consume it makes some authors consider even more worrisome than cocaine. It is generally sold and bought as if it were ecstasy, the consumer not knowing the type of potency or risks that what they are taking has.

Characteristics

Visually, this substance usually has a typical presentation, being generally red, pink, orange or yellow, diamond-shaped and with the iconic S of Superman on both sides.

The origin of this substance can be found in the countries of northern Europe, being a synthetic drug elaborated by means of chemical products in a laboratory with the purpose of emulating the characteristics of the drugs of origin natural. It is a relatively recent substance that began to be regulated within our borders in 2002, although its appearance is earlier. Its consumption is not yet common in our borders, but despite this, its popularity has increased in recent years, with some cases of individuals dying from its consumption appearing. Thus it is necessary to increase caution and social alert before its presence in our territory.

What effects does this substance produce?

Taking into account that it is a psychodysleptic whose composition mainly includes ecstasy and methamphetamines, The type of effects that the Superman drug has is easily guessable based on those produced by the substances that use it. make up.

Paramethoxymethamphetamine primarily has an excitatory effect, causing increased nerve activation in the brain.. Such activation produces social disinhibition and feelings of euphoria and well-being, similar to (although more intense) than other drugs in the amphetamine family. This causes your consumers to feel more sociable, happy and capable. It generates an increase in activity and affects both emotional, physical, cognitive and perceptual levels. It can increase the level of perception of the environment or even cause the presence of delusional ideas (generally of greatness) and even hallucinations. Despite the latter, its main effect is stimulating and not hallucinatory.

At a physiological level, the consumption of the drug Superman causes an acceleration of metabolism and cardiorespiratory activity, increasing the consumption of oxygen and nutrients from the body and thereby inducing an increase in body temperature and the sensation of greater strength and physical power and sexual. Heart rate and blood pressure greatly increase, which can lead to serious health problems. Due to the increase in energy, it usually causes the consumer to increase the level of physical activity they perform, reaching worrying extremes. It has a diuretic effect, causing the need to urinate frequently.

How does it act on a neurochemical level?

The drug Superman exerts its effect through the inhibition of the reuptake of monoamines, especially dopamine and norepinephrine. Likewise, it also causes an increase in their release while, in turn, temporarily inhibits the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO), which degrades the serotonin. All this makes the level of neurotransmitters that act in the brain is very high at a general level, being able to cause different effects in those who consume the drug.

PMMA acts by joining the membranes of neurons to gradually release the drug inside (reason for which its effect takes time to be noticed) in such a way that it can alter the ability of neurons to fire impulses. In fact, this causes the effect of this drug to last between thirty minutes and an hour after its consumption, being such relatively delayed effects (it is common for them to begin to be noticed approximately three quarters of an hour after the consumption). Its permanence in the nervous system is long and it takes time to be eliminated, being able to cause serious neuronal problems due to an accumulation of this substance.

A substance that poses serious health risks

The drug Superman or PMMA has a very high toxicity, as the doses that cause an effect on the body and those that produce harmful effects on health are very close. In fact, a single PMMA pellet can be powerful enough to kill. It is considered that from fifty milligrams this substance produces intoxication, while in one dose they can be from fifty to three hundred.

The adverse effects produced by this substance include a spectacular and harmful increase in body temperature, being able to reach very high fevers in a short time. It is common that the elevation of heart rate and blood pressure produced by PMMA ends up generating arrhythmias, angina pectoris and even myocardial infarctions. Breathing difficulties, dizziness, dehydration and seizures are other symptoms of poisoning.

Necrosis and risk of death

Many muscle fibers tend to break due to the high level of agitation and physical activation, and the increase in diuresis associated with this causes rapid loss of fluids. The kidney and liver can also be seriously damaged, generating tissue necrosis.. In general, the effects produced by a drug intoxication superman or PMMA can cause the multi-organ failure of multiple body systems, this being a frequent cause of death from overdose

In addition, the fact that the drug Superman has a delayed effect, since it takes between thirty minutes and an hour to start taking effect, can cause the consumption of more than one dose when the consumer considers that the substance has not had an effect, or the added consumption of other substances drugs. Taking into account that a single pill is already powerful enough to cause poisoning and even death, the risk involved increases exponentially.

Bibliographic references:

• Becker, J.; Neis, P.; Rohrich, J. & Zörntlein, S. (2003). A fatal paramethoxymethamphetamine intoxication. Legal Medicine, 5. Suppl. 1: 138–41.
• Young, R.; Dukat, M.; Malmusi, L. & Glennon, R. TO. (1999). Stimulus properties of PMMA: effect of optical isomers and conformational restriction. Pharmacology and Biochemistry of Behavior, 64, 449–453.