Effects of cocaine on the body are loss of consciousness that can be caused by not breathing or bleeding in the brain, severe headache, seizures, stroke, hyperthermia (increased body temperature), coma, loss of vital support functions (such as low blood pressure, slow heart rate, slow respiration’s) and death.
Brain effects
Cocaine changes the responsiveness of the brain to various chemicals. The chemicals or neurotransmitters are responsible for the complications of cocaine use. These are nor-epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and acetylcholine. Smoking cocaine can also have an effect on children by second hand smoke which can cause seizures.
Central nervous system and psychiatric effects
When using cocaine people can experience varying degrees of euphoria. These can include excitement, increased energy, decreased sensation of physical pain, feeling of power or physical and mental strength and a false sense of importance, known as cocainomania. Other effects include emotional instability, dilated pupils, restlessness or inability to sit still, sweats, muscle twitching (fingers, feet and face), vertigo or the feeling of the surrounding area spinning. Cocaine can also induce vomiting, teeth grinding and hallucinations that may include voices, smells and visual hallucinations. Cocaine psychosis also exists. This resembles schizophrenia which can bring on paranoia and psychosis.
Cardiovascular (heart, blood vessels)
The effects of cocaine include increased heart rate, angina or chest pains. These are felt with decreased blood supply to the heart, high blood pressure and heart attack. Chest pain associated with cocaine is very common in up to two fifths of users, with around a fifth complaining of palpitations or the sensation that their hearts are racing or going fast.
The major effect of cocaine is to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for the “fight or flight response” and is controlled primarily by adrenaline or-epinephrine.
Chronic use of cocaine leads to accelerated hardening and subsequent narrowing of the coronary arteries. Therefore, angina and heart attacks and cardiac deaths have occurred to young users from ages 19-44 years.
Other cardiovascular problems include rapid heart rate or abnormal heart rhythms, cardiomyopathy or disease of the heart muscle, or aortic rupture or dissection where there is weakening of the walls of the aorta.
The over stimulation of the sympathetic system with the rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, and vasospasm also cause the abnormal rhythms. Those rhythms may be ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia and may cause sudden death.
These symptoms can occur irrespective of the amount of cocaine used or the route taken.
Ear, nose, and throat effects
Snorting cocaine through the nose causes a variety of nasal and sinus diseases. These include recurrent nosebleeds, nasal stuffiness, nasal irritation, nasal crusting, sinusitis (facial pain) and hoarseness.
Cocaine damages the nasal membrane on both sides of the septum (the cartilage separating the nostrils). Continued nose picking, crusting and the nasal tissue becoming dry can result in the septum developing a hole or perforation. A nasal whistle can also develop in users whilst they are breathing through their nose.
Treatment
A rehabilitation treatment centre or drug rehab is an effective treatment for chronic cocaine or drug addiction where a person can undergo a detox and 12 step rehabilitation program and learn to change old patterns of behaviour and thinking.
The Haynes Clinic is an alcohol rehab and alcohol addiction treatment centre which not only successfully teaches people how to stop drinking but also offers drug rehabilitation treatment.
Please also see our general page on cocaine addiction.
Call now for a free a free assessment 01462 851414.
