 |
 |
 |
Cocaine Effects
Cocaine effects take place almost immediately after the user has ingested the drug. This drug produces intense, but short-lived, euphoria in those who use it and makes them feel more energetic. Research indicates that a psychological dependency may develop after just a single dose of high potency cocaine. As the person develops a tolerance to cocaine's effects, higher and higher doses are needed to produce the same level of euphoria.
You may wonder, "What's so great about being high on cocaine?" Users often describe the euphoric cocaine effects as:
- an increasing sense of energy and alertness
- an extremely elevated mood
- a feeling of supremacy
On the other hand, some people describe other feelings along with the high:
- irritability
- paranoia
- restlessness
- anxiety
The intensity and duration of cocaine's effects (which include increased energy, reduced fatigue, and mental alertness) depend on the route of drug administration. The faster cocaine is absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to the brain, the more intense the high. Injecting or smoking cocaine produces a quicker, stronger high than snorting. On the other hand, faster absorption usually means shorter duration of action: the high from snorting cocaine may last 15 to 30 minutes, but the high from smoking may last only 5 to 10 minutes. In order to sustain the high, a cocaine user has to administer the drug again. For this reason, cocaine is sometimes abused in binges; taken repeatedly within a relatively short period of time, at increasingly higher doses.
Cocaine effects are extremely detrimental on the body and the consequences related to cocaine effects can eventually lead to permanent damage, addiction, and death. While each person who uses this drug reacts to it differently, there are two distinct categories of cocaine effects: short-term effects and long-term effects. Even if a person has only used cocaine once, he/she can experience short-term cocaine effects. Long-term cocaine effects appear after increased periods of use and are dependent upon the duration of time and amount of cocaine that has been consumed.
Like caffeine, cocaine improves wakefulness and reduces hunger. Psychological effects include feelings of well-being and a grandiose sense of power and ability mixed with anxiety and restlessness. As the drug wears off, these temporary sensations of mastery are replaced by an intense depression and the drug abuser will then "crash." A cocaine crash involves becoming lethargic and typically results in sleeping for several days.
Short-term cocaine effects are noticeable immediately and although they are not always damaging, in some cases they have caused serious bodily damage and death. Deaths related to cocaine effects are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures and respiratory failure. Some of the short-term cocaine effects first time users experience includes increased energy, decreased appetite, and increased heart rate and blood pressure.
After it is introduced into the body, cocaine passes readily into the brain through the bloodstream. In the brain, it causes a buildup of dopamine by blocking the normal recycling process. These high levels of dopamine continuously stimulate nerve cells, creating the euphoria the user experiences. Cocaine effects are felt within seconds. During this time the cocaine user may appear very alert, confident, energetic, and stimulated. Physical cocaine effects include dilated pupils, a runny nose, and little or no appetite. The "high" they feel typically lasts for up to thirty minutes when cocaine is snorted or injected. However, when it is smoked it may last only five to ten minutes causing the user to use more cocaine, more often, to try and maintain that euphoric feeling. The high from cocaine is accompanied by profound depression, an intense desire for more cocaine, mental fatigue, restlessness, and irritability.
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, dependence, and addiction.
Cocaine is highly addictive. With just one use a person can develop an overwhelming urge to use cocaine again and again. Cocaine users report that they are never able to achieve the "high" they felt the first time they used the drug. This is because a tolerance to the cocaine effects develops and lessens their euphoric feelings. After time, their "high" is not as intense and does not last as long.
Long-tem cocaine effects are noticeable as cocaine abuse continues and tolerance builds. Since cocaine is a highly addictive drug, it can lead to major medical complications and health problems. Some of these complications include heart disease, heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, and gastrointestinal problems. Other physical symptoms include convulsions, nausea, blurred vision, chest pain, fever, muscle spasms, and coma.
Repeated cocaine use can cause the following health consequences:
- Abdominal pain and nausea
- Chest pain
- Heart attack
- Irregular heart beat
- Respiratory failure
- Seizures and headaches
- Stroke
- Chronic users of cocaine can become malnourished due to the drug's ability to decrease appetite
Smoking or injecting cocaine results in nearly instantaneous cocaine 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. Each method of taking cocaine can produce specific cocaine effects to one's health, including:
- Ingesting: Severe bowel gangrene due to a reduction in the flow of blood to the intestines.
- Injecting: Severe allergic reactions. Increased risk for contracting HIV, Hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases.
- Snorting: Chronically runny nose, nosebleeds, loss of smell, hoarseness, and problems swallowing.
- Smoking: Someone smoking crack-cocaine may have dilated pupils, sweat profusely and have burn marks on their lips or fingers from the pipes or cigarette butts. One minute they may have an extreme burst of energy and be talkative, and the next minute be irritable or quick to anger. Users may begin to sleep for long periods of time after having experienced insomnia, and to lose excessive weight due to a loss of appetite. Personal appearance will also decline due to poor personal hygiene.
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.
