When you hear “speedball drugs” or “speedballing,” you might think of John Belushi, Chris Farley, or Philip Seymour Hoffman, just a few celebrities taken away by this dangerous combination of substances. As new substances such as Fentanyl and Xylazine spread across the United States and became easily accessible, the definition of speedballing expanded to include other combinations of stimulants and depressants, no longer limited exclusively to cocaine and heroin.
This brief article provides a complete guide to speedball drugs, including different types of combinations, how they increase the risk of overdose, and the short and long-term side effects of polydrug abuse.
What Are Speedball Drugs?
Speedball drugs are combinations of central nervous system stimulants and depressants, such as cocaine or methamphetamine and heroin or oxycodone. These deadly combinations produce more intense and longer-lasting highs than the substances do individually. This is why combining substances remains popular today as new drugs hit the streets, providing dangerously accessible varieties.
However, most stimulants and depressants come with extreme risks of addiction if abused, and none of them are ever prescribed to be taken together. Because if they are, the risk of addiction doubles. Most people who take or want to take speedball drugs are unaware that combining opposite substances does not cancel each other out or create “middle ground” effects. Stimulants and depressants can mask each other’s side effects, and users can fail to notice respiratory failure, heart attacks, strokes, and overdoses, both in themselves and those around them.
Read more: What Is Crossfading & How It Can Lead To Polysubstance Addiction
Other Names & Types Of Speedball Drugs
While the classic speedball combination involves mixing and injecting heroin powder with cocaine powder, some people mix their own combinations of:
- Crack cocaine and heroin
- Methamphetamine or amphetamines (Adderall, Ritalin, Methylin) and opioids
- Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, or other prescription opioids instead of heroin
- Fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine as “super speedballs”
Speedball drugs also have various street names and slang terms, including:
- Powerballs
- Goofballs (combinations of meth or amphetamines)
- H & C
- Belushi (coined after John Belushi)
- Bombita (Spanish word for light bulbs)
- Snowballs
- Screwballs
- Spaceballs
- Speedyballing
- Dynamite
How Speedball Drugs Increase Overdose Risk
Combining opposing drug types can significantly increase the risk of overdose for several reasons:
- Synergy between stimulant and depressant effects: When a person uses a stimulant like cocaine or methamphetamine, they experience heightened alertness, increased energy, and a rush of euphoria. Conversely, depressant drugs like heroin or fentanyl induce a sense of calm, relaxation, and sedation. When these two types of drugs are taken together, they create a synergistic effect, potentially masking some of the negative side effects of each drug.
- Reduced perception of intoxication: Due to the counteracting effects of stimulants and depressants, individuals who use speedballs may perceive themselves as less intoxicated than they truly are. This can lead to overconfidence and a belief that they can handle more or higher doses of drugs without adverse consequences.
- Unknown drug content: In the context of the opioid epidemic, the presence of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is extremely potent and can be lethal even in small amounts, has exacerbated the risk of overdose. Some individuals knowingly seek out fentanyl for its potent effects, but many are unaware that fentanyl is present in speedballs.
- Respiratory depression: Combining stimulants and depressants can disrupt the body’s ability to regulate breathing, leading to a potentially life-threatening condition known as respiratory depression. Because the effects of cocaine wear off faster than opioids, the body can become overwhelmed with the sudden intensity of heroin that cocaine was masking.
- Fatal speedball overdoses have also resulted from strokes, aneurysms, and heart attacks.