DOSE:

1 hit

inhaled

Inhalants

BODY WEIGHT:

178 lb

[Erowid Note: Our understanding of the literature is that there is no such thing as safe recreational use of volatile solvents, aerosols and other street inhalants : their psychoactive effects are inseparable from nerve and organ damage. We have chosen to include these reports to help document the real world use of inhalants, but their inclusion is not intended to imply that they are anything but dangerous.]
I have tried weed (most boring drug, imo), Datura (what a fucking nightmare, went sleepwalking), LSD (only once 'cause I'm always broke), alchohol (also kinda boring), Adderall (comedown from hell, not worth it), Gas huffing (super crazy, and bad for you), Benadryl(WTF? I see praying mantises on my door), and my favorite thus far, DXM.

I have always been super careful about drugs, though I've realized in light of recent events in my life - that will never be enough to keep me from harm in a world where drugs are unacceptable, and have to be hidden.

But I digress. Duster (and gas) has been my one exception to the above rule, and to my record of ever feeling at all 'addicted' to anything. That's not to say I've done it often, but I've never felt more compelled to repeat an experience as with duster. Before I get to my experiences, let me just warn readers that yes, duster can kill you, no matter how cautious you are. This applies to all inhalants except Nitrous and, with care, ether.

The Experience:

1. I take 1 hit. That's all it takes. The hit is as close to a full lung's worth as possible, and is held in until it becomes uncomfortable, like trying to get from one side of the pool to another with just one breath.

2. The effects begin long before the breath is released. The first effects are subtle and misleading. Some dizziness, slight visual distortions, and a feeling of normalcy/confidence, which I find often leads the subject into dangerous situations.

3. Effects escalate rapidly as breath is let out. There is a feeling of INTENSE euphoria, that I would describe as 'heroin in a wisp of air.

4. Depending on the size of the hit and how long it was held, the effects either taper off, or...

5. This is where I must use personal experiences to describe it. Sounds are warped. Peoples' voices sound like the teacher on Charlie Brown. 'WAH, WHA WAH WHA WHAAAAaaa..' Thought patterns are ridiculous. My thoughts become confused with my voice. I can't tell if I'm actually speaking, and my imagination is often projected as if the rest of the world doesn't exist. Upon coming out of this trance, I am sometimes very alarmed at how I've been behaving.

6. At the highest lung capacity, held for at least 25 seconds, my brain starts making up stories or will sometimes go into a full on dream state, for which I had better be laying down. Once, I snuck a huge hit in the bathroom while working at Wal-Mart. I walked out of the stall, with the can and straw concealed in my pocket, and my breath still held. I was only feeling the first effects at this point, so as I was exhaling, I looked into the mirror to make sure I didn't look crazy. It's a miracle I wasn't caught.

The next thing I knew, I had been standing there for about two minutes 'dreaming' that I was a secret agent for - oh god, this is stupid - McDonalds. When I came partially out of it, I saw that I was saluting the mirror. I suddenly realized where I was, and quickly walked out of the bathroom so I wouldn't be gone a suspiciously long time. But I was still severely messed up. I thought I heard one of the display TV's say '.. but they don't realize the Hamburglar is actually on our side'. Oh, shit. As I walked past two other employees who I hadn't met yet, I thought to myself *I think I'm confused*. I then realized a few seconds later that I had actually said it out loud.

Well, now you have some idea of the effects of this substance. Or rather, you now know that with any kind of inhalant, you might have no idea of what to expect. If I tried to elaborate on my experiences with gas, it would take forever and a half. Inhalants are messed up and can be addictive. However, I do not regret what I've done. My experiences were worth it for *me*, but this kind of trip is certainly not for everyone. Weirdos only. No exceptions.

Exp Year: 2008	ExpID: 72613
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: May 11, 2010	Views: 31,959
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Inhalants (29) : Workplace (51), Retrospective / Summary (11), General (1)