To think I’ve been spiked?

[Flyovertherainbow]

Was out with 2 friends last night. Only had 1 drink and never left my drink alone either. Felt really wobbly after and had a banging headache and couldn’t see properly it was like the room was spinning and fainted and still feel terrible this morning. 1 drink is not a lot for me and I definitely never left that drink alone so don’t know how I’ve been spiked

Could you be pregnant? I once thought I was spiked. Was really ill after just one drink, luckily someone arranged for me to go straight home. A week later I found out I was pregnant.

I'm sorry that something happened to your daughter but having worked in healthcare and drug abuse settings, this is an urban myth. Anyone whose ever has to do an IV or take blood will know you can't do this without the patient awareness.

There are very few sedative narcotics that can be injected into muscle through clothes. And it would be virtually impossible unobserved and undetected. The only thing would be ketamine maybe. But again just not possible to randomly inject someone in public.

I'm not discounting that some random madman might stab people with a hypodermic but not administer a narcotic. Also that drugs have often been used to target specific victims in one on one or small group scenario

Drugs are expensive. Why would people randomly throw them around

Food poisoning, panic attacks etc are more likely explanations. Along with people under calculating their alcohol intake. Or been given more alcohol than expected or requested.

It's possible you have been spiked (although impossible for it to have been done with a needle - over a year after that social media urban legend panic first started there are still no proven cases and medically it's not possible)

It’s certainly medically possible. It’s difficult to prove 100% though even with the telltale signs of prick mark surrounded by a bruise.

Part of the problem is that hospitals don’t routinely test for all possible spike drugs - they often just run blood tests to check vital organs, infection etc. And they don’t always do a urine test which is what the police need. These tests need to be done with a a certain time window, but many people don’t get to A&E within that time, or if they do the long waits means they don’t get tested in time.

So relatively few proven cases are partly based on the facts that a. It’s hard to test for and b. There’s not necessarily joined up thinking between police and hospital.

I went out and had ONE drink. Perfectly fine until about 20-30 mins later went to next pub. Popped to the loo and the room started spinning. All i could see were ( kaleidoscope) moving images everywhere and the next thing I know there was the ( bar manager ,?) And others forcing the cubicle door ( my friend must've told them that I wasn't responding to her calling me and banging on the door ). I remember being in a St John's ambulance and going to hospital. The hospital just thought I was drunk. I wasn't in control of my speech ( I was laughing hysterically even at my own name) but in my head I was totally sober ( if that makes sense) - I just couldn't verbalise it. I ordered the drink but ( this is my theory) unless the barman spiked it ( unlikely), someone ordered an identical drink ( which was tampered with ) before me but left it and THAT drink was served to me. Only logical explanation as, the next day I felt groggy then no after effects. I did inform the police who told me they had NEVER had any issues in ( town I was in when it happened), and implied maybe I was drunk!! FFS

I think it's more likely one of the friends or someone else spiked it than a bar person working Christmas Day evening.

Presumably you’re aware of the different between the size of needles used to take blood and to insert cannulas - and micro needles. (Of the size used to inject insulin for example.) Ketamine is the obvious one but rohypnol and GHB can be injected intramuscularly.

It’s certainly medically possible. It’s difficult to prove 100% though even with the telltale signs of prick mark surrounded by a bruise.

It is only medically possible to inject someone with enough sedative to affect them quickly if your subject is compliant (or being restrained) and aware of what's happening, or if you are injecting intravenously, which is not what is being reported here for obvious reasons.

In order to inject someone intramuscularly with enough sedative to affect them quickly you would need a fucking huge needle (very painful) and for your subject to stay still for at least 30 seconds, and in any case there are very few drugs that can do this. Your average date rape drugs would not cut it.

So we need a subtle, fast, undetectable at the time intramuscular injection with a tiny needle on a moving, clothed, unwilling and unaware subject who is affected by the drug within minutes, and all in a dark and crowded environment with no-one witnessing it? Medically impossible.

They can but you need an awful lot more, which means a compliant subject, a long time window, and a big needle. GHB is an extremely poor candidate for this due to the sheer volume you would need to inject.

This happened to me years ago after a glass of cheap vodka and coke . I was convinced I'd been spiked. About four months later I had the same experience in a different pub but also with their unbranded vodka. Unlicensed booze can be dangerous.

First of all it doesn’t have to be super quick. Secondly, you’re assuming victims are becoming or intended to become sedated - some just become ill or disoriented. Thirdly the interface between drug/alcohol is an issue. Fourthly, alcohol levels explain the lack of awareness.

Medical opinion is actually divided on the subject between unlikely and quite possible. While rare, that is not to say it’s not happening.

Micro needles wouldn't be able to penetrate through clothes into muscle though. They would likely break or bend making them useless. And micro needles can only be used with certain types of meds and limit significantly the amount that can be given - if a solution is too viscous it just cant be injected through too narrow a needle, same if its over a certain volume.

There's no readily available narcotic that would be effective enough to physically impact an adult that comes in small enough doses to be given in a manner quick and painless enough to "spike" someone in a public area and them not be aware of it being done. I give injections on a daily basis - from 0.5ml doses to 4ml doses via subcut to IM routes - every single person has been aware they're being injected.

The most common way to 'spike' someone is just to add more clear alcohol to their drink, and unfortunately the most common perpetrators are the person's friends or companions who were "just having a laugh".

Also OP - are you on any other medications at the moment? Some meds, esp antibiotics can really effect how you tolerate alcohol, same with generic bugs and illnesses that can do the rounds.

Hope you feel better soon.

If people were being spiked with needles in pubs and clubs, there would be lot of people dieing from overdose or presenting to minor injuries with an broken needle in their arm.

Exactly. And also there would be witnesses and failed attempts.

I've never heard of ghb being taken via injection.

It definitely sounds like unlicensed or dodgy booze rather than anything else. What drink was it that you had?

No need to go through clothes - most common sites for the prick + bruise marks are hand, arm, leg - which are bare.

The people you’re injecting are not drunk. It’s not uncommon for drunk people to injure themselves and not feel pain/be aware until they’ve sobered up.

I agree that the most common form of spiking is adding alcohol. Even when a drug is used - it’s most commonly in drink. And some suspected spiking is simply too much alcohol or an untypical reaction to it. However there is evidence that small number of injection spikes are happening.

Got absolutely destroyed by 2 drinks before, I'm normally an accomplished drinker. A couple of days later a really heavy flu kicked in

Some drug abusers do inject GHB. It’s very dangerous. Nor is it likely to be used in the context we’re discussing, but it is possible.

Should I go to A&E? Don’t feel as bad now but still feel quite worse than normal

What do you expect A&E to do? Is it an accident or an emergency? You say you are starting to feel better.

Most drugs will be gone 12-72 hours. Ideally you would need to be tested within 12 hours.

And to OP - A and E is appropriate if you think you have been spiked. As soon as possible. Hope you are ok.

There are men who will offer bar staff bribes to spike drinks.

I've seen some scary videos showing how easy it is to spike a drink in plain view, anyone with good sleight of hand skills, anywhere near your drink, could have spiked it.

Why was my earlier post deleted? Unaware I had broken mumsnet guidelines…. Oh well, I rarely post anyway?!