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http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/cocaine-use-and-its-effects
Cocaine -- a high-priced way of getting high -- has a mystique. Called "the caviar of street drugs,"
Cocaine is seen as the status-heavy drug of celebrities, fashion models, and Wall Street traders. Movies
like "Blow" and books like Killing Pablosensationalize the business and use of cocaine.
The reality of cocaine hits after the high. Cocaine has powerful negative effects on the heart, brain, and
emotions. Many cocaine users fall prey to addiction, with long-term and life threatening consequences.
Even occasional users run the risk of sudden death with cocaine use. Read on for the not-so-glamorous
truth about cocaine use and its effects.
Coca, Cocaine, and Crack
Cocaine is a purified extract from the leaves of the Erythroxylum coca bush. This plant grows in the
Andes region of South America. Different chemical processes produce the two main forms of cocaine:
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Powdered cocaine -- commonly known on the street as "coke" or "blow" -- dissolves in water. Users can
snort or inject powdered cocaine.
Crack cocaine -- commonly known on the street as "crack" or "rock" -- is made by a chemical process that
leaves it in its "freebase" form, which can be smoked.
About 14% of U.S. adults have tried cocaine. One in 40 adults has used it in the past year. Young men
aged 18 to 25 are the biggest cocaine users, with 8% using it in the previous 12 months.
Cocaine: Anatomy of a High
Smoking or injecting cocaine results in nearly instantaneous effects. Rapid absorption through nasal
tissues makes snorting cocaine nearly as fast-acting. Whatever the method of taking it in, cocaine quickly
enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain.
Deep in the brain, cocaine interferes with the chemical messengers -- neurotransmitters -- that nerves use
to communicate with each other. Cocaine blocks norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and other
neurotransmitters from being reabsorbed. The resulting chemical buildup between nerves causes
euphoria or feeling "high."
What's so great about being high on coke? Cocaine users often describe the euphoric feeling as:
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an increasing sense of energy and alertness
an extremely elevated mood
a feeling of supremacy
On the other hand, some people describe other feelings tagging along with the high:
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irritability
paranoia
restlessness
anxiety
Signs of using cocaine include:
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dilated pupils
high levels of energy and activity
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excited, exuberant speech
Cocaine's immediate effects wear off in 30 minutes to two hours. Smoking or injecting cocaine results in a
faster and shorter high, compared to snorting coke.
Physiological Effects of Cocaine
Cocaine produces its powerful high by acting on the brain. But as cocaine travels through the blood, it
affects the whole body.
Cocaine is responsible for more U.S. emergency room visits than any other illegal drug. Cocaine harms
the brain, heart, blood vessels, and lungs -- and can even cause sudden death. Here's what happens in
the body:
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Heart. Cocaine is bad for the heart. Cocaine increases heart rate and blood pressure while constricting
the arteries supplying blood to the heart. The result can be a heart attack, even in young people
without heart disease. Cocaine can also trigger a deadly abnormal heart rhythm called arrhythmia.
Brain. Cocaine can constrict blood vessels in the brain, causing strokes. This can happen even in young
people without other risk factors for strokes. Cocaine causes seizures and can lead to bizarre or violent
behavior.
Lungs and respiratory system. Snorting cocaine damages the nose and sinuses. Regular use can
cause nasal perforation. Smoking crack cocaine irritates the lungs and, in some people, causes
permanent lung damage.
Gastrointestinal tract. Cocaine constricts blood vessels supplying the gut. The resulting oxygen
starvation can cause ulcers, or even perforation of the stomach or intestines.
Kidneys. Cocaine can cause sudden, overwhelming kidney failure through a process called
rhabdomyolysis. In people with high blood pressure, regular cocaine use can accelerate the long-term
kidney damage caused by high blood pressure.
Sexual function. Although cocaine has a reputation as an aphrodisiac, it actually may make you less
able to finish what you start. Chronic cocaine use can impair sexual function in men and women. In men,
cocaine can cause delayed or impaired ejaculation.
Cocaine acts in the deep areas of the brain. These are the areas that reward us for "good behavior" -those activities that lead to food, sex, and healthy pleasure. Stimulating this brain area with cocaine feels
good. And it can create a powerful craving to use more cocaine. Repeated cocaine use leads to tolerance
(that is, increasingly higher doses are needed to attain the same effect), dependence, and addiction.
There is no "safe" frequency of use for cocaine. It's impossible to predict whether a person will become
physically or psychologically dependent on cocaine.
After using cocaine regularly for an extended period, dependence (addiction) develops. When
dependence is present, stopping cocaine suddenly leads to withdrawal. Symptoms of withdrawal from
cocaine are more psychological than physiological. Typically, cocaine withdrawal symptoms include:
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depression and anxiety
fatigue
difficulty concentrating
inability to feel pleasure
increased craving for cocaine
physical symptoms including aches, pains, tremors, and chills
Cocaine withdrawal is rarely medically serious. In certain people, withdrawal from cocaine may
cause suicidal thoughts. Typically, withdrawal symptoms from cocaine addiction resolve within one to two
weeks. However, intense craving for cocaine may return, even years after the last use.