Drug Information - Cocaine Crack Addiction
Health Hazards
Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that interferes with the
reabsorption process of dopamine, a chemical messenger associated with pleasure
and movement. The buildup of dopamine causes continuous stimulation of
"receiving" neurons, which is associated with the euphoria commonly reported by
cocaine abusers.
Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels, dilated
pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. The duration
of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects, which include hyperstimulation,
reduced fatigue, and mental clarity, depends on the route of administration.
The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. On the other hand, the
faster the absorption, the shorter the duration of action. The high from
snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10
minutes. Increased use can reduce the period of time a user feels high and
increases the risk of addiction.
Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and
anxiety. A tolerance to the "high" may develop-many addicts report that they
seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first
exposure. Some users will increase their doses to intensify and prolong the
euphoric effects. While tolerance to the high can occur, users can also become
more sensitive to cocaine's anesthetic and convulsant effects without
increasing the dose taken. This increased sensitivity may explain some deaths
occurring after apparently low doses of cocaine.
Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at
increasingly high doses, may lead to a state of increasing irritability,
restlessness, and paranoia. This can result in a period of full-blown paranoid
psychosis, in which the user loses touch with reality and experiences auditory
hallucinations
Brief Description:
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug. The powdered, hydrochloride
salt form of cocaine can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected. Crack
is cocaine that has not been neutralized by an acid to make the hydrochloride
salt. This form of cocaine comes in a rock crystal that can be heated and its
vapors smoked. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when it is
heated.
Street Names :
Coke, snow, flake, blow, and many others
Effects:
A powerfully addictive drug, cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric and
energetic. Common health effects include heart attacks, respiratory failure,
strokes, and seizures. Large amounts can cause bizarre and violent behavior. In
rare cases, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly
thereafter.
Statistics and Trends:
Adults 18 to 25 years old have the highest rate of current cocaine use,
compared to other age groups.
What Are the Short-term Effects of Cocaine Use?
Cocaine's effects appear almost immediately after a single dose, and disappear
within a few minutes or hours. Taken in small amounts (up to 100 mg), cocaine
usually makes the user feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, and mentally alert,
especially to the sensations of sight, sound, and touch. It can also
temporarily decrease the need for food and sleep. Some users find that the drug
helps them to perform simple physical and intellectual tasks more quickly,
while others can experience the opposite effect.
The duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects depends upon the route of
administration. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. Also, the
faster the absorption, the shorter the duration of action. The high from
snorting is relatively slow in onset, and may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that
from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes.
The short-term physiological effects of cocaine include constricted blood
vessels; dilated pupils; and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood
pressure. Large amounts (several hundred milligrams or more) intensify the
user's high, but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. These
users may experience tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia, or, with
repeated doses, a toxic reaction closely resembling amphetamine poisoning. Some
users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. In
rare instances, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or
unexpectedly thereafter. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac
arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.
What Are the Long-term Effects of Cocaine Use?
Once having tried cocaine, an individual may have difficulty predicting or
controlling the extent to which he or she will continue to use the drug.
Cocaine's stimulant and addictive effects are thought to be primarily a result
of its ability to inhibit the reabsorption of dopamine by nerve cells. Dopamine
is released as part of the brain's reward system, and is either directly or
indirectly involved in the addictive properties of every major drug of abuse.
An appreciable tolerance to cocaine's high may develop, with many addicts
reporting that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from
their first experience. Some users will frequently increase their doses to
intensify and prolong the euphoric effects. While tolerance to the high can
occur, users can also become more sensitive (sensitization) to cocaine's
anesthetic and convulsant effects, without increasing the dose taken. This
increased sensitivity may explain some deaths occurring after apparently low
doses of cocaine.
Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at
increasingly high doses, leads to a state of increasing irritability,
restlessness, and paranoia. This may result in a full-blown paranoid psychosis,
in which the individual loses touch with reality and experiences auditory
hallucinations.
What Are the Medical Complications of Cocaine Abuse?
There are enormous medical complications associated with cocaine use. Some of
the most frequent complications are cardiovascular effects, including
disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks; such respiratory effects as
chest pain and respiratory failure; neurological effects, including strokes,
seizure, and headaches; and gastrointestinal complications, including abdominal
pain and nausea.
Cocaine use has been linked to many types of heart disease. Cocaine has been
found to trigger chaotic heart rhythms, called ventricular fibrillation;
accelerate heartbeat and breathing; and increase blood pressure and body
temperature. Physical symptoms may include chest pain, nausea, blurred vision,
fever, muscle spasms, convulsions and coma.
Different routes of cocaine administration can produce different adverse
effects. Regularly snorting cocaine, for example, can lead to loss of sense of
smell, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing, hoarseness, and an overall
irritation of the nasal septum, which can lead to a chronically inflamed, runny
nose. Ingested cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene, due to reduced blood
flow. And, persons who inject cocaine have puncture marks and "tracks," most
commonly in their forearms. Intravenous cocaine users may also experience an
allergic reaction, either to the drug, or to some additive in street cocaine,
which can result, in severe cases, in death. Because cocaine has a tendency to
decrease food intake, many chronic cocaine users lose their appetites and can
experience significant weight loss and malnourishment.
Research has revealed a potentially dangerous interaction between cocaine and
alcohol. Taken in combination, the two drugs are converted by the body to
cocaethylene. Cocaethylene has a longer duration of action in the brain and is
more toxic than either drug alone. While more research needs to be done, it is
noteworthy that the mixture of cocaine and alcohol is the most common two-drug
combination that results in drug-related death.
Medical Consequences of Cocaine Abuse
Cardiovascular Effects
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Disturbances in heart rhythm
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Heart attacks
Respiratory Effects
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Chest pain
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Respiratory failure
Neurological Effects
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Strokes
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Seizures and headache
Gastrointestinal Complications
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