Alcohol Mephedrone Yellow Blue Discussion: Alcohol & Mephedrone

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Alcohol & Mephedrone​

Alcohol, specifically ethanol, affects the brain and body through various mechanisms, leading to its characteristic effects such as euphoria, impaired coordination, and, with excessive use, health issues.

Alcohol enhances the activity of GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. This results in sedative and anxiolytic effects, contributing to the calming and relaxing sensations associated with alcohol consumption.

Also alcohol inhibits the function of glutamate, the main excitatory neurotransmitter. This reduction in excitatory activity can impair cognitive functions and memory, leading to slurred speech, delayed reflexes, and poor decision-making.

Besides alcohol increases dopamine release in the brain's reward pathway, particularly in the nucleus accumbens. This release of dopamine produces feelings of pleasure and reinforcement, which can contribute to the development of addiction.

Finally alcohol can increase serotonin levels, influencing mood and potentially contributing to the feelings of well-being and sociability during alcohol consumption.


Mephedrone, also known as 4-methylmethcathinone or "meow meow," is a synthetic stimulant of the amphetamine and cathinone classes. It acts as a psychoactive substance with stimulant and empathogenic effects, similar to drugs like MDMA, amphetamines, and cocaine.

Mephedrone increases the release of dopamine and inhibits its reuptake, leading to elevated dopamine levels in the synaptic cleft. This action is responsible for the intense feelings of euphoria, increased energy, and reward that users experience.

Mephedrone also increases the release of serotonin and inhibits its reuptake, which contributes to its empathogenic effects, such as heightened sociability, emotional openness, and enhanced sensory perception.

Similar to its effects on dopamine and serotonin, mephedrone increases norepinephrine release and inhibits its reuptake. This leads to increased alertness, arousal, and cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Mephedrone acts on various receptors in the brain, including the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, which may contribute to its psychoactive effects. Its action on dopamine and serotonin transporters is a primary mechanism behind its stimulant and empathogenic properties.


Combining alcohol and mephedrone can produce a range of effects, significantly intensifying both the subjective and physiological responses compared to using either substance alone.

• Subjective and Behavioral Effects: Users report a more intense feeling of euphoria and well-being when combining these substances. Mephedrone reduces the sedative effects of alcohol, leading to increased alertness and potentially riskier behaviors due to reduced perception of intoxication. Enhanced sociability and empathy are noted, similar to the effects produced by MDMA, contributing to the drug's appeal in social settings.
• Neurocognitive and Neurological Effects: The co-administration of alcohol with mephedrone can lead to significant alterations in neuronal activity, with studies showing widespread deactivation in brain regions rich in dopamine and serotonin, such as the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens. This can potentially precipitate neurotoxic effects, particularly under stressful conditions like high ambient temperatures. Cognitive impairment is another concern, with combined use exacerbating difficulties in concentration and memory, potentially leading to long-term cognitive deficits with repeated use.
• Cardiovascular Impact: The combination of alcohol and mephedrone markedly increases cardiovascular effects, such as elevated heart rate and blood pressure. This heightened cardiovascular response can increase the risk of heart-related complications, including arrhythmias and potentially dangerous outcomes.
• Risk of Acute Toxicity: The combination increases the risk of acute intoxication, which can present with symptoms like severe agitation, anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations. The overstimulation of the cardiovascular system and central nervous system can lead to severe medical emergencies.
• Metabolic Interactions: Alcohol may alter the metabolism of mephedrone, potentially leading to unpredictable effects and higher toxicity. The metabolic interaction can affect the duration and intensity of the drug’s effects, complicating medical management in cases of overdose.

Two main scenarios of the combination

• Alcohol, then mephedrone. This also includes simultaneous intake of substances. In this scenario, alcohol acts as a base substance, and mephedrone allows you to achieve several goals:
  1. Remove the excess effect of alcohol - to sober up, clear your mind.
  2. Add strong euphoria and sensitivity to the effect of alcohol. Psychostimulating effects are not only enhanced, but also proven to last a little longer (3 hours instead of 1-2 hours in the experiment).
     
     In both variations, after starting to use mephedrone, it`s not worth continuing to drink alcohol. There is a possibility of accidental overdose. Mephedrone will reduce the subjective effects of alcohol, which we use to assess our condition. However, the physiological effect of alcohol will not go away.
     
     If, after alcohol intoxication, the effect of mephedrone is applied and you continue to drink alcohol, then after the end of the action of the euphostimulator (mephedrone has a two times shorter half-life than alcohol), the body will face massive amounts of ethanol and its processed products, which will lead to increased disinhibition, problems with movement control, depression of consciousness, breathing and other troubles. Therefore, it is important to remember that the feeling of sobriety after mephedrone does not give the green light to continue the party.
• Mephedrone, then alcohol. In this scenario, the sedative properties of small doses of alcohol can be used for a smoother exit from the mephedrone trip. Users note that small portions of alcohol at the end of the effects or after the end of the trip can help relieve anxiety, agitation and fall asleep. The main thing in this case is to use really small doses of alcohol, otherwise the risk of adverse reactions increases, and alcohol intoxication plus the hangover following it are sharply added to the loads and post-effects of mephedrone.
  
  If you go this way, you should focus on 1-2 small cans of beer, 1-2 glasses of wine, 1-2 shots of strong alcohol. The larger the portion and the stronger the alcohol, the higher the chances of experiencing tachycardia, high blood pressure, headache and mega hangover in the morning.

Pitfalls for both scenarios:

1. Mephedrone and alcohol often potentiate amnesia during the session. The entire session may fall out of memory. It`s difficult to do anything about these, except to avoid combinations if you have encountered palimpsests and this is unacceptable for you.
2. Both substances decently consume water reserves in the body, and their combination enhances this effect. Dehydration often leads to loss of electrolytes, general poor health, increases the risk of fainting and seizures. During the session, it`s worth taking water in small portions, preferably mineralized and without gas.
3. This combination in studies increased the pulse rate to a greater extent than a single dose of mephedrone.
4. Frequent combination of mephedrone and alcohol implies higher risks of abuse and combined dependence on substances than taking them separately.

Combining alcohol with mephedrone significantly enhances the stimulant and euphoric effects while reducing sedative sensations, leading to a potentially dangerous situation due to increased cardiovascular stress, neurocognitive impairment, and a higher risk of acute toxicity. However, with sufficient experience, compliance with adequate and minimally active dosages, as well as understanding and accepting risks, combining with the correct sequence and timing can solve certain tasks.

In light of these considerations, we strongly recommend a meaningful approach to this combination.