![]() ![]() Prolonged cocaine use can negatively affect mental health and psychological well-being. Irreversible internal nose damage a loss of blood supply to the septum can cause the bridge of the nose to eventually collapse."Coke bloat," when the face-particularly the cheeks-appear aged, bloated and puffy.Contraction of diseases due to risky sexual encounters (HIV, Hepatitis B or C).Constant runny nose or frequent sniffling.Needle marks on hands, forearms, legs and/or feet.Dilated pupils sensitive to light (it’s not uncommon for an individual using cocaine to wear sunglasses even when it’s not sunny).White powdery residue around the nose ("sugar spots").Rolled up dollar bills (used to snort lines of powder cocaine) and white residue found on flat surfaces such as hand-held mirrors, magazines or books can be other tell-tale signs. As a result, people take stronger and more frequent doses to feel the same high they did initially and to obtain relief from withdrawal." What are common signs of cocaine abuse or addiction?ĭrug paraphernalia-needles, pipes, spoons, small plastic bags and razor blades-indicate cocaine use. The reward circuit eventually adapts to the extra dopamine caused by the drug, becoming steadily less sensitive to it. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, "As with other drugs, repeated use of cocaine can cause long-term changes in the brain’s reward circuit and other brain systems, which may lead to addiction. Over time, the brain receptors may become desensitized to the manufactured rush of dopamine that cocaine causes. Cocaine is a serotonin/norepinephrine/dopamine reuptake inhibitor, which means the substance helps to release "feel-good" chemicals in the brain. ![]() After prolonged use, individuals can become tolerant to the effects and "binge"-taking more and more of the substance to keep the high going-for hours or even days. During this time, a person might feel depressed or suicidal, anxious, paranoid or psychotic, and crave more of the drug. When the high fades, a "crash" typically follows. The high comes on almost immediately and lasts 15 to 30 minutes. While high on cocaine, some individuals feel energetic, alert and talkative while others feel anxious and on-edge. Reactions to cocaine use are different for each person. What are the behavioral and physical effects of cocaine? The high comes on fast and produces intense reactions. Crack is the most potent and most addictive form of cocaine, according to the Manual of Substance Abuse Treatment. Crack is typically smoked in a pipe or sprinkled on marijuana or tobacco and smoked like a cigarette. When processed into yellow or pale pink rock crystals, the substance crack cocaine is formed, also referred to simply as crack or "rock." The drug-a cheaper alternative to powder cocaine-vaporizes at smoking temperatures (the substance is called "crack" because of the crackling sound it makes when heated). What’s the difference between crack and cocaine? Freebase and crack cocaine are usually smoked. The hydrochloride powder form is most commonly inhaled or snorted through the nose-although it can be rubbed on the gums, swallowed, or melted and dissolved in liquid, then injected with a needle directly into the vein. ![]() There are three forms of cocaine: cocaine hydrochloride (white crystalline powder often mixed or cut with other substances), freebase (a pure form, free of the hydrochloride additive) and crack cocaine (white or pinkish crystals extracted from the powder with baking soda and heat). As a Schedule II drug, possession is a felony.Ĭommon street names/nicknames for cocaine include: Drug Enforcement Administration categorized cocaine as a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act due to the high potential for abuse and other dangerous health ramifications. By the 1960s, people were taking the illicit drug as a "feel-good" stimulant in order to party all night-but not without unpleasant and harmful short- and long-term risks, including addiction and lethal heart attacks, seizures and strokes. medical community began using the substance as a local anesthetic and, eventually, as a treatment for depression. Pure cocaine is a flakey white powder derived from the coca plant of South America. ![]()
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