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Chapter 11
Stimulants: Cocaine, Amphetamines,
and Caffeine
COCAINE
 NATURALLY OCCURRING DRUG WITH
LOCAL ANESTHETIC PROPERTIES
 COMES FROM THE LEAVES OF THE
COCA BUSH
 ADMINISTRATION: SNORTING
Cocaine: Historical Perspectives
 Chewing Coca leaves was popular
among Inca Civilizations
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Ancient Inca records indicate
that coca chewing was appreciated
for increased strength and stamina to
workers
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Coca was used to measure
time and distance (mouthfuls of coca
leaves)
Cocaine: Historical Perspectives
1859’s - German chemist, Alfred
Nieman isolated cocaine
1863 - Vin Mariani (wine with cocaine)
Cocaine: Historical Perspectives
1884 - Freud used cocaine to “cure”
morphine addiction - Freud himself
became dependent upon cocaine
1885 - John Pemberton took out alcohol
added soda water, syrup from kola
nut, and caffeine to produce Cocacola
Cocaine: Historical Perspectives
Late 1800’s negative public reaction to
cocaine
1914 Harrison Narcotic Act was enacted
and non-medical use of cocaine
drecreased
1970’s – recreational use of cocaine
again became popular
LOW DOSES
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INCREASED HEART RATE
INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE
DECREASE IN FATIGUE
INCREASE IN MENTAL ALERTNESS
INCREASED SOCIABILITY
HIGH DOSES
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NERVOUSNESS
DIZZINESS, BLURRED VISION
VOMITING, TREMORS
REPRESSION OF HEART ENZYMES
CONVULSIONS
DEATH
COCAINE EUPHORIA
 SHORT-LIVED EUPHORIA
 15-30 MINUTE “HIGH”
 “CRASHING”
LONG TERM USE
 INFECTIONS OF THE NASAL SEPTUM
 COCAINE PSYCHOSIS
 FORMICATION (COCAINE BUGS)
FREEBASE FORMS
 PURIFIED FORMS OF COCAINE
 “FREEBASING”
 CRACK
CRACK
 IMPURITIES FROM COCAINE
REMOVED
 SOLD IN TINY CHIPS AND SMOKED
 HAS 10 TIMES THE IMPACT OF
COCAINE
EFFECTS OF CRACK
 15-30 MINUTE HIGH WITHIN 10
SECONDS OF ADMINISTRATION
 CRASHING INCLUDES PROFOUND
DEPRESSION AND NAUSEA
 UP AND DOWN CYCLE REINFORCES
CRAVING
AMPHETAMINES
POWERFUL SYNTHETIC STIMULANT
FIRST SYNTHESIZED IN LATE 1800’s
USED MEDICALLY IN 1930’s for
RAISING BLOOD PRESSURE AND
ASTHMA
ALSO USED IN WW2 BY JAPAN AND
GERMANY
Amphetamines are similar to the
neurotransmitters norepinephrine and
dopamine
Effects
Psychological
-euphoria
-restlessness
-agitation
-confusion
-paranoia
-hallucinations
 Physical Effects
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Dry mouth
High blood pressure
Tremors
Tinnitus
Convulsions
Cardiac arrest
The physical and psychological effects of
amphetamines can last for hours and
the “crashing” can also last for hours
Medical Uses for Amphetamines
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Narcolepsy
Depression
Weight Loss
ADHD
Ritalin
 Americans consume over 90% of the
world’s Ritalin
 More than 4 million American children
take Ritalin
 Ritalin has a high safety record
Ritalin Dosage
 A low dosage of Ritalin helps the
child’s cognitive processing
 Enhances functioning of the RAS
Problems with Ritalin
 Adverse effects include
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Insomnia
Weight loss
Headahces
Irritability
Nausea
Dizziness
Diversion of Ritalin
 Ritalin is an amphetamine cogener so
it can produce a powerful stimulant
effect for someone using it
recreationally
 Ritalin is a popular stimulant that is
diverted from medical to recreational
use
Xanthines
XANTHINES ARE NATURALLY
OCCURRING STIMULANTS AND
INCLUDE
CAFFEINE
THEOPHYLLINE
THEOBROMINE
Coffee is the major source for caffeine
Tea is a the major source for
theophylline
Chocolate is the major source for
theobromine
Caffeine
 Caffeine is the world’s most
frequently consumed stimulant
 The effects at moderate levels are
cerebral stimulation, increased blood
pressure, increased body
temperature, and decreased appetite
 LONG-TERM EFFECTS
 NO SERIOUS EFFECTS
 CONTRAINDICATED WITH PREGNANCY,
HEADACHES, DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS,
PANIC DISORDERS
CAFFEINISM
DEFINED: ACUTE OR CHRONIC
OVERUSE OF CAFFEINE RESULTING
IN DEPENDENCE AND/OR STIMULANT
USE SYMPTOMS
CAFFEINISM SYMPTOMS
RESTLESSNESS
NERVOUSNESS
EXCITEMENT
INSOMNIA
EXCESSIVE DIURESIS
GI COMPLAINTS
CAFFEINISM SYMPTOMS
MUSCLE TWITCHING
RAMBLING FLOW OF THOUGHT/SPEECH
CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIA
Summary
 Cocaine is a naturally occurring drug
with local anesthetic properties
 High does of cocaine can result in
death
 Long term use of cocaine has
negative medical consequences
 Crack is a freebase form of cocaine
 Amphetamines are powerful
prescription stimulants, commonly
referred to as “speed”
 Ritalin is an amphetamine used in
treating ADHD
 Caffeine is a cerebral stimulant
 Caffeinism results from an overdose
of caffeine