Amyl Nitrite - Reactions with Other Drugs or Substances

Reactions with Other Drugs or Substances

Sniffing amyl nitrite is dangerous. Combining amyl nitrite use with other drugs or alcohol can be deadly. The effects of nitrites are intensified by substances such as aspirin, high blood pressure medication, and alcohol. Drug users frequently use nitrites to enhance the high brought on by the other illicit drugs they take—marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines, and hallucinogens, among others. Doing so increases the risk of harmful reactions. According to various British sources, a majority of young people at dance clubs and raves in the early 2000s regularly used more than one drug at a time, with amyl nitrite often part of the mix.

"A Feeling … of Bursting of the Head"

According to the Medsafe Web site of New Zealand, "inhaled doses of 5 to 10 drops of amyl nitrite may cause violent flushing of the face, accompanied by a feeling of imminent bursting of the head and very excessive heart action. The inhalation of larger amounts may produce a feeling of suffocation and muscular weakness."

Amyl nitrite is particularly dangerous when combined with the prescription drug Viagra, used to help men who have problems with their sexual performance. Tobias Jones reported in the London Independent Sunday that "Viagra can have a lethal effect if mixed with amyl nitrite 'poppers."' Since both act to dilate blood vessels, a mixture of the two can cause blood pressure to drop to dangerously low levels. This can lead to a heart attack, strokeA loss of feeling, consciousness, or movement caused by the breaking or blocking of a blood vessel in the brain., coma, or death.