Salbutamol abuse!

[Nelli]

A few weeks ago I was watching an episode of 'Doctors' where this young girl was selling her 'blue' salbutamol inhalers (asthma drug) in pubs. This surprised me as I have never heard of Salbutamol abuse! Anyone else ever heard of it?

[rekstout]

It is possible to "abuse" salbutamol as a sportsman looking to improve their lung function. It is in fact a banned/controlled substance in athletics. As a former legitimate user, I can satte that there is no apparent "high" to be had.

[Nelli]

Thanks! My b/f uses Salbutamol too, and he can't work it out either. These were your stereotypical kids in the pub buying them. really strange, reckon I'll have to contact the programme makers ;-)

[Tizzy]

ey up ..... Rekstout is right! I work p/t as a dispenser and the strangest things are abused .... even sleeping tablets and cough medicines!

[PaulYukochan]

If you repeatedly fire your sabutamol with it in your mouth, whilst breathing in and out deeply for about thirty seconds it must do something - a guy used to do it at school and then sit looking spaced out.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Paul - are you sure he wasn't just hyperventilating!

[Kit]

May not be the salbutamol at all. Could be propellant abuse - smaller and looks more legit than sniffing hairspray.

[rekstout]

The propellants are CFC-141 or it's replacement HFA-227 - they both have no toxicological efects in themselves but I suppose you could get some sort of high through asphyxiation

[Eddie9489]

OK. Salbutamol, if taken in a high enough dose gives an effect very similar to Nitrous Oxide. Waves of numbness go across your body and you feel as though removed from your body for about 30 seconds. It can also increase heart rate to around 200bpm. This can be taken by puncturing or otherwise altering a dispenser to fire continuously. Or so I've heard...