Administering Drugs
Psychoactive substances are often insufflated nasally for the purpose of intranasal absorption through the mucous membrane, which is often more rapid, or more complete, than gastrointestinal absorption. For a substance to be effective when insufflated, it must be water soluble so it can be absorbed into the mucous membranes. This practice is commonly referred to as snorting, bumping, railing, or doozing.
Although the majority of a dose of insufflated drug is taken up through the mucous membranes, some enters other parts of the gastrointestinal tract where it may also be absorbed. This is because some of the dose drips down the throat and into the stomach. This effect is commonly referred to as the 'drip' and is often unpleasant to taste.
Commonly insufflated psychoactive substances (for non-medical use) include:
- Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) - a psychedelic tryptamine, commonly insufflated during South American rituals.
- Cocaine (benzoylmethylecgonine) - a strong stimulant that is highly addictive; most commonly associated with drug insufflation
- Opioids - a class of analgesic drugs (including heroin, morphine, oxycodone, buprenorphine, hydromorphone, oxymorphone and the synthetic meperidine and fentanyl).
- Amphetamines - another class of strong stimulants (including amphetamine, dextroamphetamine and methamphetamine) that are also highly addictive.
- Ritalin (methylphenidate) - another stimulant closely related to amphetamine, but often reported to have effects similar to that of cocaine when insufflated
- Ketamine - a dissociative anaesthetic, used recreationally for its euphoric, anaesthetic and hallucinatory effects
- Phencyclidine - a dissociative anaesthetic, commonly known as PCP or angel dust; no longer in common use because of reports of intensely negative experiences
- MDMA/Ecstasy - an entactogen that also possesses stimulant effects
- Zolpidem (Ambien) - a sedative hypnotic that can have various hallucinogenic effects with certain people and/or at high doses
- Tobacco snuff - contains nicotine, a mild stimulant that is highly addictive.
Various other drugs can be taken in intranasally for research purposes such as the neuropeptides MSH/ACTH, vasopressin and insulin.
Read more about this topic: Insufflation (medicine), Medical Uses
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