Q: My son (daughter), sister (brother), boyfriend (girlfriend) is cocaine, crack addicted. How can I help him (her)/ them?

  My greatest concern in this case that the addicts did not ask this question, you did. Only the person who wants to be helped can be helped. Therefore I suggest to ask this person if he or she wants to be helped. Also, may I suggest to read "Cocaine and Family" article on my site. If you want to find local treatment center in US, follow this link.
 

Q: I am cocaine--crack addicts, how you can help me?

    I can help you to find treatment centers, I can tell you what cocaine or crack is doing to your mind and your body, I can answer your questions, but I can not help you more, than you can help yourself. The choice is yours, and I'll be glad to help you make the right one. This site is giving helping hand, but it is not a panacea.
 

Q: What are warning signs of cocaine, crack addiction?

    Many of the following warning signs may accompany cocaine use. If you, a friend, or loved one exhibits one or more of the following patterns, professional help is strongly recommended.

• Sudden, inexplicable mood swings ranging from euphoria to depression.
• Erratic performance at work or at school.
• Frequent absenteeism from work or school (usually after payday or before or after the weekend).
• Continuous money problems.
• Disappearance of valuable goods from the home.
• Brief, frequent trips to a bathroom or private room to cover up usage.
• Opposite behavior (i.e. a reserved person who becomes overly gregarious and talkative, etc.)

Click Here, if you want to order easy to use Hair Test on line. Click Here, if you have questions about drug testing

There is a big difference between cocaine and adrenaline. Adrenaline is a natural mediator-hormone of Central Nervous System (CNS). After "adrenaline attack" the rest of the hormone will be utilized and CNS will return to homeostatic status. Cocaine blocks reuptake of dopamine, which produce "adrenaline attack" similar effects, but also it produce euphoria. Therefore, people are not addicted to adrenaline, except those, who are fanatics of rolocoaster ride *smile*.

The rest is from NIDA News Letter...

There are enormous medical complications associated with cocaine use. Some of the most frequent complications are cardiovascular effects, including disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks; such respiratory effects as chest pain and respiratory failure; neurological effects, including strokes, seizure, and headaches; and gastrointestinal complications, including abdominal pain and nausea.

Cocaine use has been linked to many types of heart disease. Cocaine has been found to trigger chaotic heart rhythms, called ventricular fibrillation; accelerate heartbeat and breathing; and increase blood pressure and body temperature. Physical symptoms may include chest pain, nausea, blurred vision, fever, muscle spasms, convulsions and coma.

Different routes of cocaine administration can produce different adverse effects. Regularly snorting cocaine, for example, can lead to loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing, hoarseness, and an overall irritation of the nasal septum, which can lead to a chronically inflamed, runny nose. Ingested cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene, due to reduced blood flow. And, persons who inject cocaine have puncture marks and "tracks," most commonly in their forearms. Intravenous cocaine users may also experience an allergic reaction, either to the drug, or to some additive in street cocaine, which can result, in severe cases, in death. Because cocaine has a tendency to decrease food intake, many chronic cocaine users lose their appetites and can experience significant weight loss and malnourishment. Research has revealed a potentially dangerous interaction between cocaine and alcohol. Taken in combination, the two drugs are converted by the body to cocaethylene. Cocaethylene has a longer duration of action in the brain and is more toxic than either drug alone. While more research needs to be done, it is noteworthy that the mixture of cocaine and alcohol is the most common two-drug combination that results in drug-related death.
 

Q: If cocaine is blocking reuptake of dopamine, why it can not be used in treatment of Parkinson Disease?

Cocaine is indirect agonist of dopamine, which blocks the reuptake process. The etiology of Parkinson Disease is include the deficit of dopamine. But this deficit is due to the low amount of dopamine produced cells; therefore, only direct agonist of dopamine will work in this situation.
 

Q: My son, passed away on July 25, 1999. The cause of death is: Drug abuse 110ng/ml Benzoylecgonine Pulmonary edema In the opinion of the pathologist per on the report he died of cocaine intoxication. How much is toxic? I know that this is a level that causes death. How much is considered to much? Just how toxic is this amount? What are different levels considered? The pulmonary edema was the frothy fluid and blood in his lungs. Does cocaine cause the lining of the lungs to bleed?

    Cocaine is a potent central nervous system stimulant. Its effects last 20 minutes to several hours, depending on drug content and purity. The initial signs of stimulation are increased motor activity, restlessness, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, and euphoria. The euphoria is quickly followed by feelings of discomfort and depression and a craving to re-experience the drug. With excessive dosage the drug can produce hallucinations, paranoid delusions, itching, and cocaine "bugs" (sensation of insects crawling on or under the skin). Overdoses cause tachyarrhythmias and a marked elevation of blood pressure. These can be life threatening, especially if the user has underlying cardiac disease. Toxicity results in seizures, followed by respiratory and circulatory depression of medullar origin. Cocaine is also highly pyrogenic because the stimulation and increased muscular activity causes greater heat production. Heat loss is inhibited by the intense vasoconstriction. Cocaine induced hypothermia may cause muscle cell destruction and myoglobinuria resulting in renal failure.
Fatality
Excessive cocaine use increases the risk of toxic overdose. The LD50 (fatal to 50% of users) is believed to be about 500 mg. Most death have been found to be due to cardiovascular or respiratory collapse immediately following intravenous injection. Some studies have shown that ingestion or inhalation may result in a symptom free period as long as an hour which is then followed by a generalized seizure and death. In many deaths attributed to cocaine overdose, two or more drugs are often found, including alcohol, barbiturates, amphetamines, heroin, and methadone.
Cardiopulmonary Concerns
Loss of protective airway reflexes The ability to protect the airway correlates with the level of consciousness. An unconscious individual may hyperventilate because of loss of upper airway muscle tone. This allows the tongue to fall back and obstruct the airway.
Aspiration pneumonitis Loss of motor tone and flaccidly of the upper airway allow gastric secretions to enter the airway. The low pH of gastric secretions results in a serious pneumonitis.
Disturbance of central respiratory drive Possible head injury and cerebral edema secondary to anoxic insult can increase intracranial pressure. This can, in turn, affect the respiratory centers in the brain stem. Patients may hyperventilate or hyperventilate, depending on the severity of the insult. Adequate alveolar ventilation must be assured by the imposition of a mechanical ventilator.
Hypoxemiarelated intracranial pressure increase Hyperemia secondary to anoxic insult causes dilation of the cerebral blood vessels resulting in edema and increased intracranial pressure.
Hypercarbiarelated intracranial pressure increase. Hyperventilation from airway obstruction or central dysfunction results in hypercarbia. The increased pace causes dilation of the cerebral vessels and increased increased intracranial pressure.
Hypervolemia Hypervolemia will result in pulmonary edema.ung compliance is reduced with pulmonary edema and results in higher ventilating pressures which may have detrimental effects on the lungs. Hypovolemia increases the susceptibility of a patient to cardiovascular complications of positive pressure ventilation such as decreased blood pressure and cardiac output.
Immobilization Immobility results from the loss of consciousness. Secretions tend to pool in the dependent areas of the lungs. This promotes the development of atelectasis and pneumonia.
Myocardial infarction The vasoconstriction associated with cocaine use may result in coronary artery spasm, myocardial schema, and arrhythmia's.
Neurologic complications
Manifestations of cocaine toxicity include tremors, muscle twitching, seizures, stroke, and cerebral hemorrhage. Neuralgic dysfunction's affect the ability to synchronize the patient/ventilator interface, and to deliver adequate ventilation with frequent activation's of the pressure limiting mechanisms of the ventilator.
Hyperthermia The increased body temperature associated with the intense muscle contractions that occur with cocaine overdose, increases oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. This must be taken into account when determining the set minute volume for mechanical ventilation. Appropriate adjustments in FOIL and ventilation can be made by monitoring serial arterial blood gases.