How to Get High: Understanding Unusual Methods and the Path to Addiction

Many people search online for information about how to get high, whether out of curiosity, experimentation, or as part of ongoing substance use. While some searches reflect harmless curiosity, others signal the early stages of addiction or dangerous experimentation with household chemicals, inhalants, and over-the-counter substances. Understanding the risks, motivations, and consequences of these methods is critical, and recognizing when curiosity has become dependence can save lives.

At a Glance: Unusual and Dangerous Ways People Try to Get High

• Everyday substances can be misused: People seeking a high sometimes turn to over-the-counter medications or household products when traditional drugs are unavailable.
• Loperamide misuse is growing. This anti-diarrheal medication, nicknamed the “poor man’s methadone,” can cause dangerous heart problems and even cardiac arrest when taken in large doses.
• Common kitchen and household items pose serious risks: Substances like nutmeg, mothballs, and hand sanitizer can trigger hallucinations, alcohol poisoning, or severe neurological damage.
• Health consequences can be life-threatening (These unconventional highs often lead to vomiting, irregular heart rhythms, coma, or death.
• Professional help is available) Nova Recovery Center in Austin provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehab to help individuals safely recover from substance misuse and achieve long-term sobriety.

Many cases of drug abuse involve prescription medications or well-known street drugs like heroin or cocaine. While these might be the most common ways people attempt to get high, many other methods exist. You may have heard of a few of these unusual drug alternatives, but others might surprise you. In this article, we’ll look at some strange ways to get high and the dangers of these practices.

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Loperamide

Loperamide, the active ingredient in most over-the-counter diarrhea remedies, is safe and effective when taken as directed; however, some people are consuming massive doses of the drug in their quest for an easy high.

Known as the “poor man’s methadone“, loperamide is often used by people struggling with heroin or prescription painkiller addiction. When they can’t obtain their usual drug of choice, this inexpensive, readily available medication becomes an easy alternative. Taken in large doses, loperamide can have dangerous consequences, causing irregular heartbeat, fainting, vomiting, abdominal pain and even cardiac arrest.

For safe, supervised withdrawal support, consider our medical detox for opioid withdrawal.

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Nutmeg

In recipes, only a dash of nutmeg is needed to add flavor to apple pie or cookies, but the spice has mind-altering, hallucinogenic effects when taken in large doses. Some people eat the spice to get the LSD-like high, while others smoke or snort the substance.

Although a powerful nutmeg high can last up two days, most users don’t try to repeat the experience. Large amounts of nutmeg cause severe diarrhea and vomiting, and many users of the spice experience irregular heart rhythms.

Mothballs

It may sound too strange to be true, but some people are using mothballs for more than protecting their sweaters, they’re using them to get high. The practice isn’t widespread, and it’s usually seen among teens. Most people “huff” from a bag of mothballs to produce a high, but some people suck or chew on the mothballs to achieve the desired effects.

The active ingredient in mothballs, paradichlorobenzene (PDB), carries serious health risks. Emergency room doctors report seeing teens with rashes and severe neurological symptoms brought on by mothball abuse.

Hand Sanitizer

The high alcohol content of hand sanitizer makes it a powerful germ killer, but it also can be used to get dangerously drunk. Drinking an entire bottle of hand sanitizer is similar to consuming at least five shots of a hard liquor, the fruity scents added to many sanitizers makes the product taste good, and users quickly consume enough of it to bring on serious health consequences.

People who abuse this household product face the risk of severe alcohol poisoning, cardiac arrest, coma and even death. Unfortunately, this hazardous practice continues to grow in popularity; in fact, some poison control centers have seen a 400 percent increase in calls related to hand sanitizer since 2010.

If you or a loved one needs immediate support, our alcohol detox in Austin provides 24/7 medical oversight.

The Danger of Unconventional Methods

While many people know the risks of traditional drug use, less conventional routes (such as huffing household products, consuming over-the-counter medications in dangerous quantities, or combining substances) often feel safer but carry severe, sometimes fatal, consequences:

• Sudden sniffing deathInhalants can cause cardiac arrest in first-time users.
• Organ damageLiver, kidney, and brain damage from prolonged abuse of any substance.
• OverdoseUnpredictable purity and potency increase overdose risk.
• Behavioral addictionNon-substance methods (compulsive behaviors) create similar neurological pathways and withdrawal.

Is It Addiction or Experimentation?

The line between curiosity and addiction is use frequency, loss of control, and continued use despite harm. If someone repeatedly seeks ways to get high despite negative consequences (legal problems, health issues, damaged relationships) addiction is likely present and professional intervention is necessary.

Recovery from Substance Use Addiction

Whether addiction started with conventional drugs or unusual methods, recovery follows the same evidence-based path: medical detoxification to safely manage withdrawal, behavioral therapy to address underlying trauma and triggers, and ongoing support to rebuild life and relationships. Nova Recovery Center offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient treatment tailored to each person’s substance and circumstance.

Ready to break free? Call Nova Recovery Center today at (512) 605-2955 to speak with an addiction specialist and start your recovery journey.

Get help for addiction at Nova Recovery Center

There are many unexpected ways to get high. Whether a person uses hand sanitizer or a seemingly harmless sleep aid medication like Lunesta to get high, all of these methods can have dangerous consequences. We understand that breaking the cycle of drug abuse is difficult, whether you’re using a mainstream drug or a more unusual substance. Help is available.

At Nova Recovery Center, we can help you overcome your dependence and start a new life. At our Austin recovery center, we offer individualized treatment to help you achieve long-lasting recovery. Our residential and outpatient rehab in Austin, TX provides holistic and comprehensive care to address the underlying issues of your substance abuse and help you make positive changes in your life. After rehab, we can also assist you if you’re interested in sober living in Austin, TX. Call today to learn more.

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Medical Disclaimer

The information on this page is provided for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Misusing prescription or over-the-counter medications, household products, or other substances to get high can be extremely dangerous. Always follow the guidance of a licensed healthcare provider when using any medication. If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical emergency, poisoning, or severe side effects, call 911 immediately in the United States. For confidential mental health support, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day.

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By instituting a policy, we create a standardized approach to how we create, verify, and distribute all content and resources we produce. An editorial policy helps us ensure that any material our writing and clinical team create, both online and in print, meets or exceeds our standards of integrity and accuracy. Our goal is to demonstrate our commitment to education and patient support by creating valuable resources within our realm of expertise, verifying them for accuracy, and providing relevant, respectful, and insightful data to our clients and families.

References

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2016, June 7). FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA warns about serious heart problems with high doses of the antidiarrheal medicine loperamide (Imodium), including from abuse and misuse. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Retrieved October 5, 2025, from web.archive.org: FDA drug safety communication FDA warns about serious heart….
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2019, September 20). FDA limits packaging for anti-diarrhea medicine loperamide (Imodium) to encourage safe use. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Retrieved October 5, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-limits-packaging-anti-diarrhea-medicine-loperamide-imodium-encourage-safe-use. 
3. Santos, C., Kieszak, S., Wang, A., Law, R., Schier, J., & Wolkin, A. (2017). Reported adverse health effects in children from ingestion of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. United States, 2011–2014. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 66(8), 223–226. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 5, 2025, from CDC: Wr.
4. Yip, L., Bixler, D., Brooks, D. E., Clarke, K. R., Datta, S. D., Dudley, S., … Chang, A. (2020). Serious adverse health events, including death, associated with ingesting alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing methanol. Arizona and New Mexico, May–June 2020. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(32), 1070–1073. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 5, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932e1.htm.
5. National Pesticide Information Center. (2024, November 12). Health effects of mothballs. Oregon State University & U.S. EPA. Retrieved October 5, 2025, from npic.orst.edu: Mothball. 
6. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2024, September 18). Inhalants. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved October 5, 2025, from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/inhalants. 
7. Ehrenpreis, J. E., DesLauriers, C., Lank, P., Armstrong, P. K., & Leikin, J. B. (2014). Nutmeg poisonings: A retrospective review of 10 years’ experience from the Illinois Poison Center, 2001–2011. Journal of Medical Toxicology, 10(2), 148–151. National Library of Medicine (PMC). Retrieved October 5, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4057546/.