Bad Effects of Cocaine, From the Heart to Death

Cocaine is a type of strong stimulant drug class. This substance is used in some countries medically as a local anesthetic. But not only that, cocaine is also widely abused by certain circles as drugs. Cocaine is made from the leaves of the extracted and purified Erythroxylum coca plant. However, these drugs are often misused. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia includes cocaine in narcotics (narcotics, psychotropics, and other addictive substances) class I and is only used for scientific purposes. Cocaine is not allowed to be used as a therapy and has a very high potential to cause dependence. Misused cocaine consists of two forms, namely:

• Free base

Pure cocaine without other additives which are made into crystalline forms. This type of cocaine is usually used by heating, then the smoke from the cocaine crystal is inhaled.

• Cocaine hydrochloride

Cocaine in the form of white crystalline powder, feels a little bitter, and dissolves more easily when compared to free base cocaine. Its use is sucked / inhaled through the nose, injected into blood vessels, consumed through the mouth, or rubbed into the gums.

What happens when you use cocaine

For a short time, cocaine can make the wearer feel happy, energetic, talkative, loss of appetite, increase self-confidence, mood swings, and relieve pain and fatigue. This is what makes the addict so difficult to stop. However, the effect of cocaine only lasts about 30 minutes to three hours. If used frequently, cocaine will make the wearer begin to experience paranoia, hallucinations, panic, irritability, violence, weight loss, anxiety, fatigue, and doing strange and repetitive actions.

As a result of cocaine abuse

Cocaine as a drug has various effects that can harm the body. The bad effects of cocaine can interfere with physical and mental health, such as:

• Brain

Cocaine affects the disruption of brain chemicals, one of which is dopamine. This effect causes a sensation of euphoria when cocaine is used, but other side effects of cocaine in the brain are increasing the risk of stroke, convulsions, and abnormal body movements such as tremors. In high doses, cocaine can cause coma.

• Mental disorders

Cocaine is one type of drug that can cause drug dependence (addiction). When this effect occurs, the body will continue to feel like using cocaine. When cocaine stops being used, a drug withdrawal effect can occur, this effect can cause mental disorders such as depression, mood changes, psychosis, behavioral changes that sometimes lead to violence, sleeplessness, sexual disorders, and anxiety.

• Heart

Cocaine increases heart rate and blood pressure, narrows blood vessels that supply blood to the heart, thereby reducing blood flow to the heart muscle. Cocaine abuse often causes heart attacks and chaotic heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias).

• Digestive tract

Cocaine narrows blood vessels to the intestine, making the intestine lack of oxygen, causing ulcers (sores) and finally leakage in the stomach or intestine. The end result is the death of intestinal tissue or gastrointestinal tract.

• Lungs and respiratory system

Inhalation of cocaine with the nose can make the nose and middle wall that separates the right and left nostrils and damaged sinus cavities, prolonged runny nose, loss of sense of smell, and nosebleeds. Inhaling cocaine can also make a hoarse sound. Meanwhile, smoking cocaine can make the lungs become irritated, susceptible to infection, and even permanently damaged.

• Kidney

Cocaine can cause kidney failure suddenly. Hypertension sufferers who are also cocaine users will experience accelerated long-term kidney damage, because cocaine makes blood pressure higher.

• Baby

Pregnant women who use cocaine can make their babies not grow and develop properly, limbs are not formed properly (born defective), there are abnormalities in the development of the brain and central nervous system, died at birth, born prematurely, and attachment to the placenta in the uterine wall is released suddenly before labor.

• Causing other diseases

Cocaine use is also closely related to serious infections such as HIV and hepatitis. The risk of contracting this disease will be higher in cocaine users who use needles and other turns with other users.

• Decreased appetite

Cocaine users can lose their appetite which makes the weight drop dramatically and cause malnutrition.

• Dead

Sudden death can sometimes occur due to heart attacks, seizures, stopping breathing, and coma, especially for addicts who use cocaine together with alcohol. This effect is also a risk due to overdose.

According to Article 54 of the Republic of Indonesia Law No. 35/2009 concerning Narcotics, "Narcotics addicts and victims of narcotics abuse must undergo medical rehabilitation and social rehabilitation". If you, your family, or your friends suffer from cocaine addiction, immediately seek help from a doctor or visit a special hospital that has a drug dependency rehabilitation facility.