How To Know If You Were Roofied? 4 Signs & Symptoms of Being Roofied

Spiking a drink, like any other form of abuse, is about asserting power and control over another person. That means that how to tell if someone has been roofied however it happened, you can expect to feel a wide range of complicated emotions. If you suspect that you or a friend have been dosed with a date rape drug, it’s critical that you don’t attempt to drive. It’s equally dangerous to leave your location on foot or via public transportation.

Do I Need to Go to Hospital if I Think I’ve Been Spiked?

The attacker may also use force, threats, or take advantage of the victim’s impaired state to commit the assault. If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at

This is why it is so essential to pay close attention to drinks and to never let a stranger have access to the drink for even short periods of time. It is also important to note that a substance can be slipped into a drink almost instantly, especially if it is in powder form. It can be helpful to watch for signs of being roofied like loss of consciousness, dizziness, difficulty moving, or nausea and vomiting. If someone seems extremely intoxicated, especially if they have only had a couple of drinks, make sure to get them somewhere safe and get help if they need it. A roofie attack is when a perpetrator spikes a drink of an intended victim in order to take advantage of them. These effects can make it more difficult for victims to escape dangerous situations.

Psychological and Emotional Support for Survivors

The drugs commonly used to spike drinks, particularly benzodiazepines like Rohypnol, carry a significant risk of overdose. When these drugs are combined with alcohol or other sedatives, the risk increases dramatically. It is extremely common to experience memory lapses and be unable to remember specific events or periods of time after being drugged. Many people only realize they have been roofied after they regain consciousness several hours later. Ketamine is a dissociative drug that can create a sense of detachment from reality, hallucinogenic effects, amnesia, and loss of consciousness, depending on the strength of the dose.

The effects of a roofie can last for several hours, during which the individual may experience memory loss and be vulnerable to dangerous situations. Roofies have become so synonymous with rape that the act of drugging someone’s drink with any substance is collectively called “roofying”. Other substances that are often used in date rape offenses include Ketamine (K, Special K) and Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) as they have similar effects to roofies.

Prevention and Safety Tips

Sunlight Recovery’s experts can help you deal with roofied symptoms by providing individual and group therapy sessions. It’s good practice only to drink something you’ve made or opened yourself. If you’re at a bar, keep an eye on the person preparing your drink, remembering that expert predators need less than a second to spike your drink. Nobody seeks to get roofied, and when it happens, it’s important to remember that it’s not your fault.

If you have been roofied, it is important to remember that it is not your fault. Talk to someone, whether it is a friend, family member, healthcare provider, therapist, or anyone else you trust. Benzos and other drugs can be extremely dangerous, especially when mixed with other substances or given to someone when they are unaware of it. Being roofied can make a person really sick, especially when they are given a drug in combination with alcohol, or they are taking prescription drugs already. When a person is roofied, the effects commonly begin within 10 to 20 minutes.

Common Drugs Used as Roofies

The mental and physical health consequences of being roofied can be serious. By taking the above preventative measures and knowing the signs, you can better protect yourself. If you’re struggling to recover from the trauma, FHE Health may be able to help. Seeking immediate medical attention also helps if the victim decides to pursue legal recourse. If the person has been sexually assaulted, they’ll need to go to a hospital so the facility’s sexual assault team can collect forensic evidence. If you suspect someone’s been roofied, the first thing you should do is have them drink as much water as possible.

• This amnesia can be partial or total, but it’s a key indicator that someone may have been drugged.
• This documentation can serve as evidence and support your case if needed.
• The pair of friends went back to their table, where Hansen texted her boyfriend and told him she was headed home soon.
• Drugs like Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine are the most commonly used date-rape drugs, but it’s hard to know exactly how commonly they are used because many cases go unreported.

At Greater Boston Addiction Centers, we aim to raise awareness about the dangers of being roofied and provide comprehensive support for recovery. Survivors of drug-facilitated sexual assault often face significant emotional challenges. It’s important to seek out mental health treatment as part of the healing process.

However, it will likely need to involve both physical and mental care. Getting medical attention is essential to make sure that the drugs are safely leaving the body and to check for any underlying injuries or interactions. Being roofied is more common than many people realize, especially in social settings like parties, bars, and clubs. Research shows that 1 in 13 college students have reported being drugged without their consent. According to some reports, nearly 80% of those who have been roofied are women, and many of these incidents lead to sexual assault. If you suspect that you may have been roofied, it is important to take immediate action to ensure your safety and well-being.

Create a buddy system to prevent one person from getting separated from the group and, if necessary, take your drink to the bathroom with you. Because of the powerful effects of these drugs, many people don’t realize they’ve been roofied until the next day. It’s not uncommon for those who’ve been slipped drugs to never really know what actually happened to them. Research gleaned from three large universities suggests that as many as one in 13 college students has been slipped drugs without their knowledge or consent. Seventy-nine percent of those who reported being drugged were women, and women were more likely to experience sexual assault after being drugged. Many patients don’t realize the toxicity of prolonged alcohol abuse and how it affects the body.

Yet only a small percentage of people being tested immediately suspected foul play. The central nervous system (CNS) is responsible for processing information and controlling most functions of the body and mind. If you’d like to learn more about healthcare, check out our in-depth interview with Ian Kroes, MD.

The symptoms of being roofied affect both your body and mind, often worsening as the drug takes effect. Understanding these symptoms can help you identify if you or someone else has been drugged. It’s a liquid that has no color or smell, making it easy to slip into a drink without being noticed. Let us continue to spread awareness about this issue and educate others about the risks involved.

• Common roofied symptoms include memory loss, slurred speech, loss of muscle control, confusion, dizziness, and sometimes loss of consciousness.
• If you found this information helpful, please share this blog post to raise awareness.
• They may suddenly feel more amorous and sexual and respond emotionally to others in ways that are not characteristic of them.

The pair of friends went back to their table, where Hansen texted her boyfriend and told him she was headed home soon. But within 20 or 30 minutes of ingesting her drink, she was fully unconscious. Hansen and her colleagues would each nurse a few drinks over the course of the evening. It was around an hour after the second drink that she and one of her friends went up to the bar to get their third.