|
Cocaine
and Crack Side Effects
Crack and Cocaine
Addiction |
 |
Cocaine
is a powerfully addictive drug of abuse. Once having tried cocaine, an individual cannot
predict or control the extent to which he or she will continue to use the drug.
The major routes of administration of
cocaine are sniffing or snorting, injecting, and smoking (including free-base and crack
cocaine). Snorting is the process of inhaling cocaine powder through the nose where it is
absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Injecting is the act of using a
needle to release the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling
cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as
by injection.
| "Crack"
is the street name given to cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to
a free base for smoking. |
| Rather than requiring
the more volatile method of processing cocaine using ether, crack cocaine is processed
with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water and heated to remove the
hydrochloride, |
Crack, Rock Cocaine |
| thus
producing a form of cocaine that can be smoked. The term "crack" refers to the
crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked (heated), presumably from the sodium
bicarbonate. |
| There is
great risk whether cocaine is ingested by inhalation (snorting), injection, or smoking. It
appears that compulsive cocaine use may develop even more rapidly if the substance is
smoked rather than snorted. |
Powder Cocaine |
Smoking allows extremely
high doses of cocaine to reach the brain very quickly and brings an intense and immediate
high. The
injecting drug user is at risk for transmitting or acquiring HIV infection/AIDS if needles
or other injection equipment are shared. |
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. Dopamine is released as part of the
brain's reward system and is involved in the high that characterizes cocaine consumption.
Physical effects of cocaine use
include constricted peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature,
heart rate, and blood pressure. The duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects,
which include hyper-stimulation, 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 stimulation.
Some users of cocaine report feelings
of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. An appreciable tolerance to the high may be
developed, and many addicts report that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as
they did from their first exposure. Scientific evidence suggests that the powerful
neuropsychologic reinforcing property of cocaine is responsible for an individual's
continued use, despite harmful physical and social consequences. In rare instances, sudden
death can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly thereafter. However, there is
no way to determine who is prone to sudden death.
High doses of cocaine and/or
prolonged use can trigger paranoia. Smoking crack cocaine can produce a particularly
aggressive paranoid behavior in users. When addicted individuals stop using cocaine, they
often become depressed. This also may lead to further cocaine use to alleviate depression.
Prolonged cocaine snorting can result in ulceration of the mucous membrane of the nose and
can damage the nasal septum enough to cause it to collapse. Cocaine-related deaths are
often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.
Added Danger: Cocaethylene
When people mix cocaine and alcohol
consumption, they are compounding the danger each drug poses and unknowingly forming a
complex chemical experiment within their bodies. NIDA-funded researchers have found that
the human liver combines cocaine and alcohol and manufactures a third substance,
cocaethylene, that intensifies cocaine's euphoric effects, while possibly increasing the
risk of sudden death.
Treatment
The widespread abuse of cocaine has
stimulated extensive efforts to develop treatment programs for this type of drug abuse.
NIDA's top research priority is to
find a medication to block or greatly reduce the effects of cocaine, to be used as one
part of a comprehensive treatment program. NIDA-funded researchers are also looking at
medications that help alleviate the severe craving that people in treatment for cocaine
addiction often experience. Several medications are currently being investigated to test
their safety and efficacy in treating cocaine addiction.
In addition to treatment medications,
behavioral interventions, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, can be effective in
decreasing drug use by patients in treatment for cocaine abuse. Providing the optimal
combination of treatment services for each individual is critical to successful treatment
outcome.
Help for Cocaine Addiction is
available, Seek help today...
Tomorrow may be too late |
 |
|
