If the name is unknown, do not postpone help until you identify it. You can share what you know. When the person’s condition deteriorates, identifying a chemical must not take priority over urgent medical attention.
First things first: when to call 103 or 112
If any of the following appears after an unknown substance or a mixture, do not wait.
- The person cannot be woken and does not respond to voice or shaking;
- Breathing is slow, shallow, interrupted or has stopped; lips or nails have turned blue;
- A seizure;
- Severe chest pain or a very fast, irregular heartbeat;
- A sharp rise in body temperature, hot skin;
- Sudden agitation, confusion, hallucinations.
But identifying the substance is not your job.
Why the contents of a street product are unknown in advance
There are two reasons: new substances and substitution.
They are constantly altered in laboratories to get around bans. Synthetic cathinones turn up in mixtures and counterfeit tablets.
The conclusion is simple: "I got it from someone I trust" or "I always take the same thing" says nothing about what is inside. Two identical-looking tablets can be different.
Why combining several substances is especially dangerous
Doses that are "tolerable" on their own can produce unpredictable effects together. A few general examples.
- Returning to use after a break is dangerous too: tolerance has fallen by then.
- Stimulant + alcohol. Cocaine and ethanol form cocaethylene in the body, which may increase the toxic effects of both substances on the heart.
- Substances with opposite effects. Trying to "balance" a stimulant with an opioid or a sedative does not cancel either: the body is strained in two directions at once, the symptoms blur together, and a dangerous state becomes harder to notice.
"I don't know what it was" is not a barrier to help
Many people put off asking for help because they think, "I can't say exactly what it was, so how would I explain?" In fact, what a specialist needs is not the name of a substance but you. An assessment is usually built from the following: your current state and complaints; what, when, how much and how often was taken — as far as you know; what you felt at the time and afterwards; how long use has been going on; changes in health, mood and sleep; what has changed in your life. None of these questions requires a name.
What to tell the specialist
To make the conversation useful, recall or write down beforehand.
- Everything, including alcohol and medicines. Not just the "main" substance: beer, a sleeping pill, a painkiller, an energy drink — all of it matters, because the risk lies in the combination.
- Timing and amount, even roughly. "Last night, two tablets, and twice before that" is already useful information.
- What it looked like. Powder, tablet, liquid, plant material, vape; colour, markings, what it was called.
- Packaging or a photo. Bring the bag, the blister pack or a photo of the tablet — not to "identify the contents" but to make the conversation more precise.
- What you felt. How long the effect lasted, what was unexpected, how you felt afterwards.
- Existing conditions and prescribed medicines. Heart, liver, kidney or mental health conditions, and any regular medication.
Your next step with MMS and MIDAS
At a free initial rehabilitation consultation at MMS, explain uncertainty openly. Medical needs and suitability for MIDAS are assessed separately.
MIDAS residence · Admission and fees
Questions
Can I enquire without a chemical name?
Yes. Explain the concern using the information you have.
Can I rely on a friend’s name for it?
Report it as a name you heard, not as confirmation of contents.
What about unconsciousness or breathing problems?
Seek emergency medical help instead of waiting for rehabilitation consultation.