Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that increases signals to the brain's pleasure centers. Long-term cocaine use can alter the brain's physiology and lead to addiction. As cocaine use continues, a tolerance to the drug develops, and the user must...
Cocaine, an illegal drug, stimulates the central nervous system, which increases the levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine triggers the portion of the brain associated with pleasure and movement. Over the long term, cocaine use may lead to...
Cocaine is an addictive illegal drug that causes tolerance, withdrawal, preoccupation with the drug, unsuccessful attempts to stop use, severe cravings, and continued use despite severe consequences. It can also cause sudden death.
Cocaine addiction affects the user physically, socially, emotionally and environmentally. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) indicates that treatment is hopeful for a cocaine addict and that many options are available for help. However,...
When cocaine is processed with ammonia, then heated, a smokable form of the drug known as freebase cocaine is formed. This inhaled form of the drug makes a crackling sound when burned, hence its street name, "crack." The blood vessels in the...
A cocaine addiction can be particularly hard for individuals to conquer. Offering a quick high and a stable street price, cocaine is considered an attractive drug of choice. Those interested in leaving cocaine behind also find that treatment...
Drug treatment for cocaine addiction is a controversial topic. According to Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated there is no known drug treatment recognized for treatment of cocaine addiction. However,...
Cocaine addiction affects about 1.6 million Americans and accounts for about a third of all emergency room admissions for drug abuse, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Office of National Drug Control Policy cites cocaine as...
Cocaine and alcohol are two commonly abused substances with opposing effects. Cocaine is a powerful stimulant, increasing energy and speeding up thoughts; alcohol depresses the brain. Both drugs can activate the pleasure sensors in the brain,...
Infants who have been exposed to smoked cocaine, or crack, during pregnancy typically show a wide spectrum of symptoms after birth, although it is not uncommon for some infants to be asymptomatic, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse. At...
Because of the euphoria created by cocaine, it is a difficult drug to quit. Typically, cocaine addicts are experiencing detrimental health effects, ruined finances and broken relationships before they begin to look for ways to learn how to quit...
Cocaine withdrawal, which occurs when a cocaine user stops ingesting the drug, affects the sufferer by producing severe feelings of craving, irritability, delayed depression, hallucinations and other symptoms. Those trying to wean themselves off...
During pregnancy, all substances that the mother consumes, either beneficial and dangerous, are passed on to the child. If a pregnant woman consumes cocaine during her pregnancy, the child may not develop properly. Consulting a doctor is the ideal...
Cocaine, a crystalline drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant, is a commonly abused central nervous system stimulant. It exerts its effects on the brain by interfering with the flow of neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, such as...
Cocaine addiction produces both short- and long-term effects, making it a complex addiction to treat and cure. The addiction not only creates biological changes in the brain but involves a number of family, social and environmental factors as...
Benzocaine is a local anesthetic that causes topical pain relief. The idea of adding it to candy was that the taste buds would be numbed, resulting in loss of appetite. Several candies and gums were marketed that contained benzocaine. Two...
Cocaine is an addictive stimulant of the central nervous system that impacts over one million Americans in a given month, according to the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration. The propensity for cocaine use turning into a...
A variation of cocaine, crack became popular in the mid-1980s, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. To make crack cocaine, dealers mix the cocaine with another substance, such as baking soda or ammonia. People can smoke, snort...
Cocaine is commonly used for recreational purposes. The drug can induce powerful physiological effects by inhibiting the re-uptake of the brain neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain cells. Since dopamine plays a major role in behavior by...
The National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health reported that 5.3 million Americans 12 or older abused cocaine at some point in 2008. Cocaine produces an immediate pleasurable effect that makes the user energized for a brief time. Cocaine causes a...
The withdrawal symptoms that occur when abruptly stopping cocaine can be unpleasant and difficult, so much so that many people give up and resume taking the drug. In order to successfully quit using cocaine, people should familiarize themselves...
Chemical dependency is a complex condition. The reasons for addiction may have to do with neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly dopamine, that produce feelings of arousal, satisfaction and reward. Experiencing these feelings encourages...
Crack cocaine is a form of cocaine that is reduced to a freebase state through processing, most commonly with baking soda and water. The result is a brittle compound referred to as "crack rock," which can be either snorted or smoked. Regardless of...
Methamphetamines are a class of drugs that are potent central nervous system stimulants. Although these drugs have some therapeutic uses, particularly in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactive disorder, they can also be abused due to their...
Methadone is a synthetic analgesic that causes sedation and relaxation. Methadone generally is used in the aid of treating narcotic addiction, including heroin, morphine, hydrocodone, fentanyl, vicodin, oxycodone, codeine and benzodiazepines....
DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a naturally occurring, or endogenous, hormone that is secreted by the adrenal gland. It is a precursor to the male and female sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, respectively. It is available as a supplement...
The American Cancer Society does not recognize acupuncture as a proven means to quit smoking and drinking. However, it may be used to alleviate secondary symptoms of withdrawal such as headaches and nausea. Acupuncture is effective in treating...
The National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates that cocaine is a central nervous stimulant that increases the brain chemical dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and reward. Repeated use of cocaine alters the way the reward system functions...
Short-term memory is the ability to store sensory information for relatively short times, ranging from a few minutes to a few days. The main site for storing short-term memories is the hippocampus, a region in the brain's limbic system. In order...
