Cocaine

Cocaine is made from the following chemicals: crystalline tropane alkaloid and it is derived from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an hunger suppressant, creating what has been described as a joyful sense of happiness and increased vitality. Though most often abused recreationally for this effect, cocaine is also a current anesthetic that was used in eye, throat, and nose surgery in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Cocaine can be psychologically addictive, and its possession, cultivation, and allocation is unlawful for non-medicinal sanctioned purposes in virtually all parts of the planet.

Cocaine is an illicit drug derived from the leaf of the coca plant, a shrub whose arousing qualities were well-known to the ancient peoples of Peru. In Western countries, cocaine has been a feature of the counterculture for sufficiently-over a century; there is a long-tabulation of prominent intellectuals and artists who have used the drug   For many decades cocaine was a key ingredient in Coca-Cola.

Cocaine is a potent central nervous system stimulant. Its intoxication can last from 20 minutes to a few hours, equal to the dosage of cocaine taken, purity, and system of administration.  The first signs of stimulation are hyperactivity, shakes, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and euphoria. The ecstasy is occasionally followed by emotions of discomfort and depression and a craving to experience the drug again. Side effects can include twitching, paranoia, and incapacity to get an erection, which customarily develop with continuing usage.

Alongside excessive quantity the drug can produce hallucinations, paranoid delusions, tachycardia,and other unpleasant reactions to the drug.  Overdose causes tachyarrhythmias and a serious elevation of blood pressure. These can be life-threatening, notably if the addict has existing cardiac problems.

Cocaine use may lead to death from respiratory failure, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, or heart-failing. Cocaine is also highly pyrogenic, because the stimulation and increased muscle activity cause greater body warmth production. Warmth loss is inhibited by the intense vasoconstriction. Cocaine-induced hyperthermia may cause muscle cell destruction and myoglobinuria resulting in renal deficiency.

Cocaine's main pointed effect on brain chenistry is to elevate the total of dopamine and serotonin in the nucleus accumbens.   This result ceases, due to metabolism of cocaine to inactive compounds and particularly due to the depletion of the transmitter resources (tachyphylaxis). This can be experienced severely as feelings of depression, as a "crash" after the initial high. .

Cocaine has positive reinforcement effects, which refers to the outcome that certain stimuli possess on behavior. Satisfactory feelings become associated with the drug, causing a recurrent user to take the drug as a reaction to bad news or moderate depression. This activation strengthens the response that was just made. If the drug was taken by a fast acting route such as injection or inhalation, the reaction will be the act of taking additional cocaine, so the response will be reinforced. Powder cocaine, being a club drug is generally consumed in the evening and night hours. Because cocaine is a stimulant, a user will commonly drink huge amounts of alcohol during and after usage or smoke marijuana to dull "crash" effects and hasten slumber. Other drugs such as heroin and various pharmaceuticals are often used to augment reinforcement or to minimize such negative effects, further increasing addiction possibility and harmfulness.

 Related Sites:

Home