Cocaine is a methyl ester of benzoylecgonine and belongs to the tropane alkaloids. This substance has a strong local anesthetic effect and also has a pronounced stimulating effect on the central nervous system, causing a feeling of euphoria. Cocaine was previously widely used in medicine as a pain reliever and local anesthetic. But, starting from the 20th century, it is not used for medical purposes, as it has a number of serious side effects, and the pharmaceutical industry has developed more advanced drugs.
Source: depositphotos.com
Currently, cocaine is used by drug addicts to achieve drug intoxication. That is why this substance was included by the UN in Schedule I of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and its circulation is strictly controlled by the authorities of all countries of the world.
The use of cocaine quickly leads to the formation of mental dependence. The initial doses that produce a feeling of euphoria cease to work, and the addicted person is forced to increase the dose to achieve the desired effect. This causes a cocaine overdose.
History of creation
The psychostimulating effect of coca leaves has been used long before our era. The discoverers were the Indians who inhabited South America 5,000 years ago. They chewed both fresh and dried leaves - this allowed them to feel a physical and emotional uplift, as well as reduce the feeling of hunger.
In the Middle Ages, the Incas began to specifically cultivate coca in order to use its psychoactive effects for esoteric and religious purposes. For a long time, the use of its leaves was the prerogative of priests - supposedly to establish connections with the invisible worlds, although, most likely, the esoteric and religious background were only an excuse for using coca for entertainment purposes. Over time, members of the nobility also became interested in the miraculous properties of this plant, and then the leaves began to be given to soldiers and messengers so that they could travel long distances without experiencing fatigue, thirst and hunger.
With the arrival of the Spanish colonialists in the first half of the 16th century, the use of coca leaves in South America became widespread. The Spaniards, who exploited indigenous people in mines and plantations, were interested in increasing labor productivity, and the psychostimulant in the form of coca was the cheapest solution, so millions of Indians began to chew its leaves in order to somehow endure the inhuman load.
In 1855, the German scientist F. Goedke was the first to isolate the coca alkaloid, which was called “erythroxyline”. Then the formula for isolating the alkaloid was improved by a number of European chemists, and already at the end of the 19th century, cocaine became widespread in the pharmacological industry. The famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud not only recommended cocaine to his patients suffering from neuroses, depression and alcoholism, but he himself regularly used it to study its clinical effects in depth.
Even the famous drink Coca Cola, which went on the market in 1885, originally contained not only caffeine, but also cocaine (hence the brand name). True, already in 1906 the US government adopted a resolution to remove the second component from the drink, since even then doctors began to pay attention to the unpleasant consequences of regular use of cocaine. Patients who took it to treat depression and neuroses, after short-term relief, felt an even greater deterioration in their condition. The number of fatal overdoses increased, and addiction to the powder pushed people to break the law.
As complaints from consumers grew, the need for an official ban on the substance became urgent - otherwise America could be overwhelmed by a wave of mental disorders and crime within a couple of decades. And in 1922, the production and use of cocaine in the United States of America was made illegal. It was from this time that the underground business associated with the illegal sale of this psychostimulant throughout the world began to actively develop.
Chemical properties
Cocaine is ecgonine methyl ester benzoate. The chemical formula of cocaine is C17H21NO4.
This drug is obtained by extracting the South American coca plant, the leaves of which are treated with kerosene and ground to a paste. After combining the paste with acid, obtaining a salt - cocaine hydrochloride. It is purified with potassium permanganate. Cocaine is then isolated from this paste.
- The first to discover the properties of the coca plant, the bushes of which grew along the Andes, were the ancient Incas in the 6th century. They called it divine for its euphoric effect, used it in rituals and constantly carried coca leaves with them to chew on occasion.
- Pure cocaine was isolated in 1859. Four years later, French chemist Angelo Mariani added the drug to fortified wine, calling the resulting drink “an energy stimulant for tired people.” This potion was sold legally in France. But the chemist didn’t stop there - cocaine tea, cigars, lollipops and even margarine appeared.
- Doctors at the end of the 19th century considered the drug a panacea for all diseases, from back pain to hysteria. Medicines based on it enjoyed unprecedented popularity.
- Coca-Cola's original recipe included cocaine, along with soda water and kola nut extract. It was called a “health drink” that could cure impotence and relieve migraines.
- Sigmund Freud was addicted to cocaine. His first work is devoted specifically to this drug, and not to psychoanalysis. True, he overcame his bad habit in 1886.
- Cocaine has been used throughout the world as an anesthetic.
- They began to limit the circulation of the drug in America in the 30s and 40s of the 20th century, when its use reached unprecedented proportions: songs were written about it, actors acted in films under the influence of cocaine “tracks.”
Effect on the body
The effect of cocaine has not only physiological, but also psycho-emotional manifestations. Let's look at them in detail.
Physiological symptoms
First of all, we should highlight increased performance and decreased fatigue - under the influence of cocaine, a person exhibits unnatural activity. However, during the action of the drug, the body, figuratively speaking, lives on credit - later, both the nervous and cardiovascular systems have to bear the consequences of a short-term surge in performance. The most common accompanying physiological symptoms are:
- rapid breathing and heart rate;
- increased sweating;
- distortion of sensitivity, which in medicine is called “paresthesia” (for example, some cocaine addicts feel that small insects are running over their skin);
- skin itching;
- dilated pupils;
- increased blood pressure and associated headaches;
- decreased appetite.
Cocaine has a rather unpredictable effect on libido. For some consumers it enhances sexuality, while for others, on the contrary, it completely suppresses it.
Men face this especially often - even if the desire for sex is present on an emotional level, then on a physiological level everything can turn out to be much more complicated. The erection returns after the substance wears off.
Psycho-emotional symptoms
Cocaine gained its popularity due to its ability to cause short-term euphoria and a surge of energy. From a biochemical point of view, this is explained by its ability to increase the concentration of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for the feeling of pleasure.
Under the influence of a drug, a person becomes unnaturally sociable, and the desire to speak often outstrips the ability to adequately assess the semantic component of speech. People “high” communicate willingly, but are not always able to express their thoughts in a form accessible to others, constantly jumping from one topic to another or reasoning at the level of personal associations.
A characteristic feature of the effects of cocaine is an inadequate increase in self-esteem, which often results in aggression towards others. Cocaine addicts behave familiarly and cheekily, reacting painfully to any critical remarks from the outside. By the way, another characteristic feature of the drug’s action is the lack of self-criticism in the user. For example, statements that may seem brilliant to a drug addict are in fact usually a rambling stream of consciousness.
The euphoric state does not last long - only 40-50 minutes, after which the so-called “rollback” begins, which is manifested by depression, loss of strength and irritability. This encourages the person to take the dose again. Often such “marathons” end in an overdose.
Signs of a cocaine addict
If we talk about drug addicts who take cocaine for a long time on a regular basis, then one immediately notices their thinness, often bordering on exhaustion. The condition of teeth and skin deteriorates. The most characteristic signs:
- dilated pupils;
- dry skin with traces of scratching;
- reddened whites of the eyes;
- fussy movements;
- spontaneous nosebleeds.
Much also depends on the concentration of cocaine in the addict’s blood at the moment. Simply put, in a state of “arrival” (that is, at the peak of the activity of the active substance), a person is hyperactive, talkative to the point of obsessiveness, and self-confident. Unnatural complacency can often give way to fits of anger.
Once the effects of cocaine wear off, the addict becomes dejected and apathetic. Often such people are prone to self-flagellation. There is a clear desire to evoke compassion from the interlocutor (often explained by the desire to borrow money).
From $10 to $25 per crystal.
Crack is meant to be smoked.
Currently, cocaine comes in two main forms: powder and crystals. In crystalline form, it is known as crack and is intended primarily for smoking.
The average price from street dealers for a gram of pure cocaine in the States is between $80 and $100. The average price of crack is between $10 and $25 per crystal.
Composition of cocaine
Coca leaves are just one of many components of the finished product. To leach alkaloids from plant materials, manufacturers use highly toxic chemicals:
- sulfuric acid;
- cement;
- petrol;
- acetone.
And this is just the basis of a “pure” product. As for cocaine entering the underground market, its composition is usually supplemented with ballast substances - powdered sugar, talcum powder and even washing powder. The longer a product travels from the manufacturer to the buyer, the more foreign impurities will appear in the powder - traders primarily think about their own profit.
Drug harm and consequences of long-term use
Regular use of cocaine entails a number of serious consequences on the nervous system and internal organs. The most common consequences:
- Acute poisoning of the body. As we already know, the drug contains, in addition to plant materials, all sorts of chemicals, the effects of which do not go unnoticed on the body. First of all, the organs that perform the cleansing function - the liver and kidneys - are affected.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system. One of the most common complications is coronary heart disease.
- Nosebleeds. In most cases, cocaine is inhaled through the nose, which does not leave its mark on small blood vessels - their walls become thinner and even with a slight pressure difference, bleeding can occur.
- Thinning of the nasal septum. Cocaine, when used regularly intranasally, also destroys the cartilage tissue of the nasal septum. This leads to its thinning and further destruction. To restore a sunken nose, plastic surgery is required.
- Psychotic disorders. They can manifest themselves as delusions of persecution, hallucinations, and distorted perception of physical, visual and auditory stimuli. Sudden mood swings, sleep disturbances and obsessions are also possible.
- Amnestic syndrome. In simple terms, cocaine addicts begin to experience memory disorders - both recent and distant events.
- Abstinence. It is manifested by the development of a stable need for regular drug use. We will talk about this condition separately later in the article.
Another unpleasant consequence of long-term cocaine use is a decrease in the user’s social responsibility. A person is not able to adequately assess his condition and maintain normal communication with people. The range of his interests is narrowed to a minimum, namely the next dose. For this, drug addicts are ready to commit the most serious violations of the law; they are unable to maintain companionship or family relationships with normal people.
Addiction treatment
Cocaine addiction is called cocaineism. There are no drugs with proven effectiveness for its treatment. The therapy is non-specific; the same techniques are used to get rid of addiction to other stimulants (amphetamine).
Healing begins with a person’s awareness of the fact of his addiction and the desire to get rid of it. It is impossible to cure a drug addict who does not want to stop taking cocaine.
The sooner the awareness of the problem and the desire to be treated comes, the higher the likelihood of returning to normal life. Therapy consists of several stages.
- The first stage is cessation of use and further abstinence from the drug. Stopping the intake of cocaine in the body causes withdrawal syndrome, or cocaine withdrawal. This causes muscle pain, joint aches, loss of appetite, and insomnia. Psychological disorders have the greatest impact on a person: depression, loss of self-control, increased craving for drugs. Doctors help to cope with these symptoms - with the help of medications you can improve sleep, relieve depression, improve the functioning of the digestive system and other body systems.
- The second step is getting rid of psychological dependence on cocaine, stopping the craving for use. It lasts 3–6 months, which the patient spends in the clinic. During this time, it is important to develop motivation for a healthy lifestyle, identify the factors that pushed a person to take drugs and eliminate them.
- The third stage is returning to society. Social service employees help you find work, communicate, and identify your range of interests.
Throughout the entire period of recovery, the addict needs the help of a psychologist and the moral support of loved ones. With consistent and professional treatment, the chances of success are very good, even in cases of severe and long-term addiction.
In conclusion, let's say that cocaine is a dangerous and difficult drug that quickly becomes addictive. A person cannot independently limit its use, as it becomes inadequate. Cocaine destroys the health, personality of the addict, his social connections and ultimately kills. But if the problem is recognized in a timely manner, the chances of getting rid of addiction are quite high. Be attentive to your loved ones and never believe that one dose is harmless.
Methods of use
Most often, cocaine is inhaled through the nostrils - this method of administration is called intranasal in medicine. This use of cocaine dries out the mucous membranes of the sinuses, leading to frequent runny noses or bleeding. It also makes a person more susceptible to sinus infections. As we already know, with frequent use, a hole can form in the nasal septum.
Cocaine is also smoked through special devices. Most often, the so-called “crack” is used for smoking - a mixture of cocaine with soda or other cheap fillers. This is an equally dangerous method of use. Inhaling any chemical is harsh on the lungs. The result of such use can be emphysema, respiratory infections, and throat or lung cancer.
Sometimes cocaine is rubbed into the gums and other mucous membranes (for example, rectally or vaginally). This method of application has a bad effect on the capillaries and leads to their thinning.
In rare cases, cocaine is dissolved in water for intravenous injection, but this method of use carries a high risk of overdose. Most consumers prefer inhaling the powder to injections, since with this method of application there are no traces of injections.
Overdose
Like any drug, cocaine is dangerous in the development of an overdose. A cocaine overdose causes too much stimulation of a person's central nervous system. As the central nervous system becomes overloaded, blood pressure, respiration, heart rate and temperature increase. Also noted:
- agitation
- anxiety
- confusion
- enlarged pupils that do not respond to direct light
- fever and sweating
- increased blood pressure and heart rate
- muscle tremors, especially in the face and fingers
- nausea and vomiting
- pale complexion
- rambling speech
- anxiety
- in the most severe cases, loss of consciousness and coma, which can result in respiratory arrest.
Main reasons
The risk of overdose increases in hot weather due to the dehydration that accompanies cocaine use. But the most common reason is the desire to “catch up” with a new dose. Because the effects of cocaine are short-lived, the user has a strong desire to prolong the pleasure, which encourages him to take another line. However, the body cannot absorb the drug quickly enough. This causes cocaine to accumulate to toxic and lethal levels.
An overdose can also occur when cocaine is used together with other psychoactive substances (for example, heroin, marijuana or alcohol).
First aid
It is important to understand that patients with cocaine overdose can be aggressive and disoriented. They often experience delusions of persecution and hallucinations. Caution should be exercised as such a person becomes somewhat dangerous to others. If possible, physical restraints should be avoided due to the risk of a critical increase in temperature. In any case, you should call an ambulance.
If a person begins to lose consciousness, try to maintain contact with them to prevent them from falling into a coma. Place the patient on their side to prevent choking if they vomit, and provide fresh air.
Health care
The ambulance team arriving at the scene assesses the patient’s condition, based on which they prescribe a set of emergency measures. When respiratory function is depressed, artificial ventilation is used, and for cardiac arrhythmia, magnesium sulfate or anaprilin can be prescribed. Doctors also carry out measures aimed at detoxifying the body (droppers with glucose or saline solution, plasmapheresis).
Elimination rate
Compared to other drugs, cocaine leaves the body fairly quickly. Laboratory blood tests do not detect it two days after the last dose. Residues of the drug can be detected in the urine after three to four days. The saliva test stops giving a positive answer after six days. When examining the hair structure, experts can detect coke even after three months.
The rate of elimination largely depends on the individual characteristics of the human body, the condition of the kidneys and liver.
Lethal dose
In many ways, the volume of the lethal dose depends on the degree of purity of cocaine and the experience of use of an individual person. If he tries “coke” for the first time, then 15-30 mg of powder (statistically average in terms of purity) will be enough for a full “arrival”. A dose of approximately 300-500 mg will be highly toxic and will lead to severe overdose. A lethal dose for an untrained user would be 1 gram of the substance.
It should be noted that deaths have been reported among untrained users even after using 20 mg of the substance, that is, the standard dosage.
As for experienced users, they develop tolerance (addiction) to the psychostimulant, and therefore the lethal dose can be 20-30% higher.
The cardiovascular system
The drug provokes spasms of the heart arteries and disrupts the electrical activity of the myocardium. Thus, a heart attack or stroke can be diagnosed in young, non-risk patients.
Medical practice describes a unique case of death of a cocaine addict with 10 years of experience. An autopsy was performed and the heart was removed. After the actual death of the person, the muscle contracted for another 20 minutes. Myocardial cells adapted to the drug. Systematic narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain and the work of the muscle at the limit of its capabilities led to a significant increase in the frequency of heart contractions. This helped him acquire resistance to oxygen starvation and adapt to ischemia. This is how it was able to work without oxygen for so long.
How to terminate
Trying to stop the effects of cocaine on your own will be ineffective. If a person is conscious, then you can drink more pure water so that cocaine metabolites are released through the kidneys, but at home this will have a weak effect. The use of laxatives can bring some relief, but it is important not to overdo it with the dosage so as not to lose a critical amount of potassium - the heart is already working at an increased rate. Sorbents are practically useless, since they prevent the absorption of the substance primarily in the gastrointestinal tract, and cocaine is already in the human bloodstream.
If the victim has lost consciousness, there is only one option - calling an ambulance. If the condition is relatively stable, then you just need to wait until the effect of the substance ends - this is about half an hour. Self-administration of medications (for example, barbiturates) is strictly contraindicated - this can only worsen the condition.
Summarize
Cocaine addiction often becomes the basis for an overdose.
An experienced drug addict gradually increases the dose, as the desired feeling of euphoria is increasingly difficult to obtain. There is no specific critical dose; this indicator is individual. Most often, undesirable consequences occur as a result of half a gram of powder entering the body.
The influence of a prohibited substance will cause a number of physiological changes in the body. The addict's blood pressure rises and he may lose consciousness.
Timely assistance will protect the drug addict from heart attack, stroke, pneumonia and other diseases. It is possible to cure cocaine addiction; patients are required to undergo a full recovery course.
How to get away (antidote)
There is no direct antidote for cocaine. Indirectly, this can be called aminostigmine, a functional antagonist of cocaine. However, it is important to understand that this is not a panacea, since the use of this substance may be associated with the risk of seizures. Experts give preference to benzodiazepine drugs (for example, diazepam), and the correct selection of the dosage of the drugs is a fundamentally important point.
The popular opioid receptor antagonist Naloxone is not only useless for cocaine poisoning, but also dangerous - it can only worsen the condition of the victim, even to the point of coma. Antipsychotics (clozapine, chlorpromazine) are used with caution. To decide on the advisability of their use, the doctor should assess the general condition of the drug addict, assess respiratory function and perform an ECG. Otherwise, there is a high risk of sudden collapse and cardiac arrhythmia.
Post-effects (“recovery”)
As the effects of cocaine wear off, the euphoria not only fades away, but also smoothly turns first into apathy and then into depression. The nervous system, which, under the influence of a psychostimulant, produces dopamine and serotonin in increased concentration, is forced to take a short time out, since its resources are also not unlimited. Of course, a sharp drop in the level of these mediators does not go unnoticed for the consumer - after a few hours, such a strong feeling of depression comes over him that thoughts of suicide arise. And, it should be noted that often these thoughts push a person to action.
The so-called “recovery” is not limited to psychoneurological manifestations. The person experiences physical weakness and drowsiness, but cannot fall asleep for a long time. Discomfort often occurs in the chest area - this heart reminds that such loads were not originally intended for it by nature.
Another common cocaine after-effect is diarrhea. This phenomenon is explained quite simply - being a highly toxic substance, cocaine has an extremely negative effect on the liver, which is not only responsible for filtering harmful compounds, but also takes an active part in the digestive processes. By the way, in people suffering from even minor liver pathologies, diarrhea often begins already during the “arrival”, thereby significantly blurring all the pleasure from taking the drug.
Routes of administration
The drug can be used in different ways:
taken orally or inhaled - from 20 to 40% of the toxic substance is absorbed;- smoking - affects from 6 to 30%;
- administered as a prepared solution into a vein - absorption is 100%.
The effects of cocaine on the body can be observed a few minutes after administration. To make it as pronounced as possible, drug addicts often resort to additional consumption of alcoholic beverages, which is very dangerous.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal syndrome, colloquially known as “withdrawal,” in cocaine addicts is manifested primarily by the inability to maintain a normal rhythm of life without a new dose of the drug. In a state of withdrawal, the drug addict experiences weakness and apathy, cannot concentrate even on a simple action, and also notes a decrease in cognitive functions (in other words, it is harder for him to think).
Mainly withdrawal symptoms in cocaine addicts are manifested by strong psychological dependence. However, cases of physiological manifestations of withdrawal syndrome, as opposed to opioid dependence, are rare. They can manifest as nausea, vomiting, and pain in the joints and muscles.
