Cocaine is a strong and addictive stimulant that is made from leaves of the coca plant. According to CocaineAbuse.us, about 1 million people in the United States alone try cocaine each year for the first time. For many of those people, one use is all that is necessary to form an addiction to the drug. Recognizing the medical signs of cocaine addiction can prevent continued addiction, dangerous health complications or, in some cases, death.
Changed Eating Patterns
Most cocaine users stop consuming their typical amount of food each day as the drug decreases appetite. This decreased caloric intake, coupled with the drug's powerful stimulant and metabolic effects, results in weight loss that can be rapid and severe. A user may appear anorexic and generally unhealthy due to vitamin deficiencies from inadequate food intake.
Insomnia and Hyper-insomnia
A cocaine user often develops insomnia as a result of the drug's stimulant effects. A user may not feel the need to sleep and will become very active. He may clean his home excessively. If lack of sleep continues, a user's body will switch into a hyper-insomnia mode, causing him to feel the need to sleep excessively. A common characteristic of this change in sleeping patterns will be "crashing" after days without sleep. A user might then sleep for long periods of time and at unusual hours during the day.
Runny Nose and Frequent Illness
Cocaine is commonly snorted as a powder up the nose. The drug is a harsh irritant to the nasal passageways in the respiratory tract, and inhalation causes damage to the insides of the nostrils, the sinuses and sometimes to the bronchial tubes and lungs. One common symptom of cocaine abuse is a constant runny nose and sniffling. This is due to damage induced upon the mucous membranes, which are no longer able to function appropriately. Destruction of the mucous membranes prevents protection to the multitude of capillaries found inside the nostrils. Therefore, capillaries are damaged and nosebleeds may occur frequently.
Inflammation and congestion can result from damaged mucous membranes, and a user may also permanently lose the sense of smell. Additionally, the drug's strong irritants can burn and destroy the hairs in the nose responsible for trapping and expelling germs. A user is then prone to excessive sinus infections, colds, bronchitis and pneumonia from decreased immune response in the respiratory tract.
Euphoria and Mood Swings
Cocaine causes the brain to release "feel good" neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and various endorphins. A flood of these chemicals occurs during a "high" and creates a sense of euphoria, or extreme pleasure. While under the influence, a user appears very happy, but euphoric feelings dissipate as the drug starts to wear off. Then, due to overproduction of these chemicals in the brain during the high, the user experiences a deficiency in these chemicals afterward and may suffer mood swings. While in deficit of these chemicals, a cocaine user may experience extreme bouts of sadness, anger and even temporary depression.
Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Damage
Cocaine significantly constricts blood vessels throughout the body, causing decreased blood flow to major organs. Because cocaine is a stimulant, the heart begins to beat rapidly yet does not receive adequate blood flow. Blood pressure significantly increases and applies additional stress to the heart. This often results in damage to cardiac tissue and cardiac tissue death, which produces a heart attack. A heart attack can further damage cardiac cells and tissue and result in permanent heart damage or death. With the decreased blood flow in the brain, strokes commonly occur, leaving the user paralyzed, unable to speak or walk or permanently disabled. Stroke may also lead to death.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Due to blood vessel constriction, the stomach, colon and small intestines do not receive proper nutrients and oxygen levels to function correctly. Severe abdominal pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting are common with cocaine use. After prolonged use of cocaine, permanent digestive issues usually result and the user will be plagued with bouts of constipation and diarrhea. Prolonged periods of decreased blood flow often result in gangrene of the small intestine, which can cause toxic and often fatal infections throughout the body. Portions of the small intestine may need to be removed followed by harsh rounds of very strong antibiotics, which can cause debilitating side effects and complications in and of themselves.
Poor Hygiene and Illness
Many cocaine users stop caring about personal hygiene. You may observe that a user goes long periods of time without bathing, changing clothes or underwear, shaving, washing hands or brushing teeth. This in itself increases the risk of acquiring infections due to exposure to bacteria and viruses coupled with decreased immune response from inadequate nutrition.
Social Withdrawal and Mental Illness
A cocaine user commonly loses interest in activities once viewed as important. She may develop a new group of friends and withdraw from family and old friends. She may stop going to school functions, PTA groups and church activities. Due to social withdrawal and effects of the drug on chemicals in the brain, depression and anxiety are also common. Depression and anxiety can often become severe, and a cocaine user may become suicidal.
