What Is a Speedball and Why Is It Dangerous?

A speedball is like the mixed cocktails of drugs, except the users don’t always know exactly what the ingredients entail. Suffice it to say, this mixture can be dangerous.

Speedballs are a potent mix that can lead to severe consequences for those who try it even once.¹ Mixing drugs in this way puts individuals at risk of experiencing not only the specific effects of each drug but the potentially dangerous side effects interaction of both. The result can be extreme mental and/or physical harm, overdose, or even death.

What Is a Speedball?

The term speedball is commonly applied to any combination of two different drug types: an opioid and a stimulant.² The classic “speedball” is specifically heroin and cocaine¹—both potent, illicit drugs that are risky on their own, let alone together.

Some people will concoct their own “speedballs” by substituting other drugs, with combinations that might include incorporate:^2,3

• Methamphetamine or amphetamine as the stimulant (sometimes called “goof balls”).
• Opioid painkillers in place of heroin.

In the case of a speedball, the heroin and cocaine are mixed together and injected in one shot, which results in a rapid onset of intense effects.⁴

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that people may take speedballs as a way to get an intense high that amplifies the euphoria and minimizes the negative side effects of each drug. In theory, the energizing action of the stimulant can counteract some of depressant, sedating effects of heroin, while the heroin can allay the agitating effects of the cocaine.¹ However, as with many drug risks, the reality doesn’t turn out to be quite that simple.

Effects of Speedballs

• While the combined subjective effects of heroin and cocaine may vary from one individual to the next, at the neurochemical level, the reinforcing effects of the combination are likely to be stronger than each drug taken alone.
• The combination involves both mu opioid receptor activation-related dopamine release and cocaine-directed increases in dopamine activity in key brain regions,⁵ resulting in an extremely strong reinforcing effect that compels people to injecting this drug combination over and over.
• This can be extremely dangerous as, for a number of reasons, even one speedball injection can be deadly. The risks of the heroin/cocaine combination are many and very significant.

Dangers & Risks of Using Speedballs

A person injecting a speedball may experience the negative side effects of both drugs, including:¹

• Anxiety.
• Panic.
• Paranoia.
• Confusion.
• Hypertension.
• Racing heartbeat.
• Trouble thinking or speaking clearly.
• Cognitive impairment.
• Stupor.

The combination may be fatal. Speedball users have died from:¹

• Stroke.
• Aneurysm.
• Heart attack.
• Fatal respiratory depression.*

*One of the biggest risks of using speedballs is related to the fact that the effects of cocaine wear off faster than heroin. As a result, if the person uses much more heroin than their system can handle, they may experience an opioid overdose and respiratory failure as the stimulant effects of cocaine subside.¹

What are the Long-Term Effects of Using Speedballs?

A major concern for those who continuously inject speedballs is the cumulative risk of overdose. However, other long-term potential consequences of injecting heroin and cocaine include, but are not limited to:^6,7,11

• Abscesses, cellulitis, and/or tissue necrosis from injection use.
• Contracting HIV or other bloodborne diseases through injection use.
• Vascular inflammation and clogging of the blood vessels from injected particles.
• Anorexia and malnourishment.
• Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.
• Other ischemic organ damage.
• Ulcerations in the GI tract.
• Kidney and liver injury.
• Heart muscle inflammation.
• Aortic ruptures.
• Heart attack.
• Seizures.
• Long-lasting cognitive impairments.
• Increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
• Problems with impulsivity.
• Addiction.

Getting Help for Addiction

According to a publication from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a challenge in the treatment of speedball abuse is that treatments for heroin addiction are only moderately effective in helping those who use speedballs. There is no FDA-approved medicine to treat cocaine addiction, and the medications targeted specifically for opioid addiction won’t address the addiction to cocaine.⁸

However, addiction treatment involves more than medication and, in fact, behavioral therapy is at the core of treatment, even when medication is prescribed. Therapies may include cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps you to uncover the reasons for using heroin and cocaine and help you to adjust harmful beliefs and learn new and better ways of coping.⁹ The Matrix Model is another therapeutic method that is geared toward the treatment of stimulant addiction and incorporates a number of different approaches, including relapse prevention, self-help program involvement, and drug abuse education.¹⁰

With the long list of dangers that injecting speedballs brings, those who are struggling with the abuse of this substance combination are in urgent need of addiction treatment. Reaching out for treatment could save your life or the life of someone you love.

Greenhouse Treatment Center has the experienced and licensed medical staff to help patients undergo treatment specific to their needs. If you find that you’re struggling with the misuse of heroin, cocaine, crystal meth, or prescription opioids, options are available. Together we can help you reach long-term sobriety one step at a time.

It’s never too late to reach out for help. Call us today at to learn more about drug rehab treatment in Dallas, Texas.