# Body load

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{{Short description|Physical sensations caused by psychoactive drugs}}
'''Body load''' is the specific physical or tactile sensations brought on by [psychoactive drug](/source/psychoactive_drug)s, especially [psychedelics](/source/psychedelics). Generally, body load is an unpleasant physical sensation that is difficult to describe objectively either in terms of other sensations or in its specific location. However, it could be likened to an instinct of the body sensing it is about to be placed under exceptional stress, a state of [pre-shock](/source/pre-shock). Common symptoms include stomach ache, [nausea](/source/nausea), dizziness, feelings of being over-stimulated or "wired," shivering, feelings of excessive tension in the torso, or, in more severe cases, shortness of breath or a feeling of [suffocation](/source/suffocation). Different drugs may cause different body load sensations which vary in intensity and duration.{{citation needed|date=December 2012}}

In contrast, many drug users, and particularly users of [cannabis](/source/cannabis), [entactogens](/source/Empathogen-entactogen) like [MDMA](/source/MDMA) or of certain synthetic [phenethylamine](/source/substituted_phenethylamine)s (most notably the popular [2C-B](/source/2C-B)) and [tryptamine](/source/substituted_tryptamine)s, also often report a "body high" or "body rush", which is similar to body load in many respects but is usually considered pleasant.{{citation needed|date=December 2012}}
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== Causes ==
The causes of the experience of body load are unknown.{{citation needed|date=December 2012}} However, one proposed mechanism is the stimulation of [serotonergic](/source/Serotonin) [5-HT receptor](/source/5-HT_receptor)s,<ref>{{citation |title=Pharmacology of serotonin and agents acting at serotonergic receptors |author=Goodman and Gilman |chapter=11 |pages=249–263}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Pharmacology of serotonin and agents acting at serotonergic receptors |author=Goodman and Gilman |chapter=38 |pages=928–934}}</ref> particularly those involved in tactile sensation and, equally importantly in many cases where nausea is experienced, those located along the lining of the digestive tract. [Serotonin](/source/Serotonin) is heavily involved in appetite control, and over-stimulation of serotonergic receptors has been shown to cause nausea in overdoses of [SSRI](/source/SSRI)s or [MDMA](/source/MDMA). Many psychedelics which can cause body load are partial serotonin [agonists](/source/agonists), which work by mimicking the structure of serotonin to varying degrees.{{cn|date=December 2021}}

== References ==
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{{Medicine}}

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Category:Symptoms and signs

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Body load](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_load) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_load?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.