Crack Reactions and Symptoms
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Ft Lauderdale Florida
Posts: 23
Crack Reactions and Symptoms
Can anyone tell me the reatons when someone smoking crack? Does it change from 1 minute to an hour after use? What does it affect? Does it affect men and women different? What is "bugging" Why does person want more and more often? What are the basic physical, psychological, affects???
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Posts: 1,714
Hi Distraught - smoking crack causes a very quick, intense initial high which dissipates quite quickly, unlike some other drugs where the affects last much longer. Most crack users don't stop with a single ingestion and crave repeated hits to maintain the high. Many users end up on binges that last from hours to days until they "crash". Users can become very agitated and paranoid on binges, but are generally okay once the binge is over and they have been able to sleep. As far as I know it affects men and women in the same way. Hope this helps, and I hope you are not in a dangerous situation tonight.
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Posts: 1,714
Hi again Distraught. Here is some further information from the Narcanon Southern California website:
Smoking cocaine combines the efficiency of intravenous administration with the relative ease of intranasal (in the nose). Facilitated by the large surface area of the lungs' air sacs, cocaine administered by inhalation is absorbed almost immediately into the bloodstream, taking only 19 seconds to reach the brain. However, only 30 to 60 percent of the available dose is absorbed due to incomplete inhalation of the cocaine-laden fumes and variations in the heating temperature.
Crack smokers achieve maximum physiological effects approximately two minutes after inhalation. Maximum psychotropic effects are attained approximately one minute after inhalation. Similar to intravenous administration, the physiological and psychotropic effects of inhaled cocaine are sustained for approximately 30 minutes after peak effects are attained.
Almost a quarter (22%) of the cocaine emergency department mentions in 2000 are attributed to crack cocaine. During this year, there were 39,266 crack mentions in hospital emergency departments around the U.S.
Early Use
* Magnification of pleasure, euphoria
* Alertness and in some cases - hyper-alertness
* Increased and sometimes a (grandiose) sense of well being
* Decreased anxiety
* Lower social inhibitions: more sociable and talkative
* Heightened energy, self-esteem, sexuality and emotions aroused by interpersonal experiences
* Appetite loss; weight loss
Compulsive Use
* Extreme euphoria - "mental orgasm"
* Uninhibited
* Impaired judgment
* Grandiosity
* Impulsivity
* Hyper sexuality
* Hyper vigilance
* Compulsivity
* Extreme psychomotor activation/agitation
* Anxiety; irritability; argumentative
* Transient panic
* Paranoia
* Terror of impending death
* Poor reality testing; delusions
* Extreme weight loss
Physical Effects
* chronic sore throat
* hoarseness
* shortness of breath
* bronchitis
* lung cancer
* emphysema and other lung damage
* respiratory problems such as congestion of the lungs, wheezing, and spitting up black phlegm
* burning of the lips, tongue, and throat
* slowed digestion
* weight loss
* high incidence of dependence
* blood vessel constriction
* increased blood pressure
* increased heart rate
* brain seizures that can result in suffocation
* dilated pupils
* sweating
* rise in blood sugar levels and body temperature
* disability from drug-induced health problems
* suppressed desire for food, sex, friends, family, and social contacts
* heart attack
* stroke
* death
Emotional/Psychological Effects
* sadness and depression
* loss of interest in appearance
* loss of household valuables or unexplained vanishing cash due to the expense of the drug
* sleeplessness
* extreme paranoia
* intense craving of the drug
* schizophrenic-like psychosis with delusions and hallucinations
Smoking cocaine combines the efficiency of intravenous administration with the relative ease of intranasal (in the nose). Facilitated by the large surface area of the lungs' air sacs, cocaine administered by inhalation is absorbed almost immediately into the bloodstream, taking only 19 seconds to reach the brain. However, only 30 to 60 percent of the available dose is absorbed due to incomplete inhalation of the cocaine-laden fumes and variations in the heating temperature.
Crack smokers achieve maximum physiological effects approximately two minutes after inhalation. Maximum psychotropic effects are attained approximately one minute after inhalation. Similar to intravenous administration, the physiological and psychotropic effects of inhaled cocaine are sustained for approximately 30 minutes after peak effects are attained.
Almost a quarter (22%) of the cocaine emergency department mentions in 2000 are attributed to crack cocaine. During this year, there were 39,266 crack mentions in hospital emergency departments around the U.S.
Early Use
* Magnification of pleasure, euphoria
* Alertness and in some cases - hyper-alertness
* Increased and sometimes a (grandiose) sense of well being
* Decreased anxiety
* Lower social inhibitions: more sociable and talkative
* Heightened energy, self-esteem, sexuality and emotions aroused by interpersonal experiences
* Appetite loss; weight loss
Compulsive Use
* Extreme euphoria - "mental orgasm"
* Uninhibited
* Impaired judgment
* Grandiosity
* Impulsivity
* Hyper sexuality
* Hyper vigilance
* Compulsivity
* Extreme psychomotor activation/agitation
* Anxiety; irritability; argumentative
* Transient panic
* Paranoia
* Terror of impending death
* Poor reality testing; delusions
* Extreme weight loss
Physical Effects
* chronic sore throat
* hoarseness
* shortness of breath
* bronchitis
* lung cancer
* emphysema and other lung damage
* respiratory problems such as congestion of the lungs, wheezing, and spitting up black phlegm
* burning of the lips, tongue, and throat
* slowed digestion
* weight loss
* high incidence of dependence
* blood vessel constriction
* increased blood pressure
* increased heart rate
* brain seizures that can result in suffocation
* dilated pupils
* sweating
* rise in blood sugar levels and body temperature
* disability from drug-induced health problems
* suppressed desire for food, sex, friends, family, and social contacts
* heart attack
* stroke
* death
Emotional/Psychological Effects
* sadness and depression
* loss of interest in appearance
* loss of household valuables or unexplained vanishing cash due to the expense of the drug
* sleeplessness
* extreme paranoia
* intense craving of the drug
* schizophrenic-like psychosis with delusions and hallucinations
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Ft Lauderdale Florida
Posts: 23
I really questions some of the like sexuality and emotions in relationships? hypersexuality and hyper vigilence???? What is compulsive use?? My recent ex started as far as I know because I was away Friday nights babysitting so one day a week then it became 2-3 and then almost daily. He also drinks a lot of alcohol. He got so erratic and more selfish contradicitons but I quess he knew enough to find a sugar mama I know that mean I just can't accept that I went through so muc and worked 30 years and can't get nothing and reall good straight up person and lucky him meets a widow 10 years younger than me, owns house, SSD income, Food Stamps and as he tellsa it if you have people come there to smoke they break off and feed the house so he has it all I sorry it was my birthday Friday and I didn't think we well I was angry but he didn'r remember my birthday . I have to sign off starting to cry
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Chicago IL
Posts: 67
Sorry this happened to you. Try not to think of him as "lucky". Things will probably get very bad for him, continuous crack use is a downward spiral, it starts off great but ends in misery.
The last time I smoked waas one of the worst experiences. I felt like I was having a stroke (probably from very high blood pressure), my vision was blurry, I was hearing things, I was not getting any pleasure from smoking, but the drug had such a hold that I could not stop. In fact, I smoked faster to try to get the euphoric feeling, but my brain was not capable of feeling good. The increased dosage just increased all of the other effects--high blood pressure, high temperature, etc. Whenever the thought of the euphoria that results from the first hit of a run comes into my mind, I try to immediately think of how I felt that morning. I thought I had done permanent damage.
Sorry again. If you haven't already, you should check out the family forums on this site.
The last time I smoked waas one of the worst experiences. I felt like I was having a stroke (probably from very high blood pressure), my vision was blurry, I was hearing things, I was not getting any pleasure from smoking, but the drug had such a hold that I could not stop. In fact, I smoked faster to try to get the euphoric feeling, but my brain was not capable of feeling good. The increased dosage just increased all of the other effects--high blood pressure, high temperature, etc. Whenever the thought of the euphoria that results from the first hit of a run comes into my mind, I try to immediately think of how I felt that morning. I thought I had done permanent damage.
Sorry again. If you haven't already, you should check out the family forums on this site.
Every day above ground is good
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 5
At the beginning of 8 months of daily heavy 1 hit would get me the feeling I was after,it would last a bit not very long..but after about 2 weeks I was smoking more and that was just to maintain,I'd get a very quick and short high,I just needed to get it into my system to stop feeling bad.
spending 100 to 1000 a day was the norm for me then...
smoking progressed to shooting..
and I was trying to get the high I used to get in the beginning.which I could'nt.
But I did try by smoking massive quanities and shooting at the same time.
due to the large quanities I had 3 cocaine seizures,
As far as the increased sexuality..I smoke I get horny as hell but I could'nt get an erection,Not fun..
I never used a needle before.and at 38 yrs old I did try it..then shooting crack,crack resin.cocaine became daily..
The feeling crack is no where close to the HELL it will put you through..
I feel gratefull to be alive,not in jail/prison like most of the group I was smoking with..
"and as he tellsa it if you have people come there to smoke they break off and feed the house so he has it all "
Just remember a crack head will due most anything for a rock..
I had a nice house,I opened to the people I was smoking with with and in no time between what I was selling and they were stealing all was gone..
crack is just NOT worth the pain it will cause
spending 100 to 1000 a day was the norm for me then...
smoking progressed to shooting..
and I was trying to get the high I used to get in the beginning.which I could'nt.
But I did try by smoking massive quanities and shooting at the same time.
due to the large quanities I had 3 cocaine seizures,
As far as the increased sexuality..I smoke I get horny as hell but I could'nt get an erection,Not fun..
I never used a needle before.and at 38 yrs old I did try it..then shooting crack,crack resin.cocaine became daily..
The feeling crack is no where close to the HELL it will put you through..
I feel gratefull to be alive,not in jail/prison like most of the group I was smoking with..
"and as he tellsa it if you have people come there to smoke they break off and feed the house so he has it all "
Just remember a crack head will due most anything for a rock..
I had a nice house,I opened to the people I was smoking with with and in no time between what I was selling and they were stealing all was gone..
crack is just NOT worth the pain it will cause
Every day above ground is good
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 5
As arule of thumb, it is profoundly unwise to take crack-cocaine. The brain has evolved atruly vicious set of negative feedback mechanisms. Their functional effect is to stop us from being trulyhappy for long. Nature is cruelly parsimonious with pleasure. The initial short-lived euphoria of a reinforcer as uniquely powerful as crack will be followed by a "crash". This involves anxiety, depression, irritability, extreme fatigue and possibly paranoia. Physical health may deteriorate. An intense craving for more cocaine develops. In heavy users, stereotyped compulsive and repetitive patterns of behaviour may occur. So may tactile hallucinations of insects crawling underneath the skin ("formication"). Severe depressive conditions may follow; agitated delirium; and also a syndrome sometimes known as toxic paranoid psychosis. The neural aftereffects of chronic cocaine use include changes in monoamine metabolites and uptake transporters. There is down-regulation of dopamine D2 receptors to compensate for their drug-induced overstimulation. Thus the brain's capacity to experience pleasure is diminished.
The social consequences of heavy cocaine use can be equally unpleasant. Non-recreational users are likely eventually to alienate family and friends. They tend to become isolated and suspicious. Most of their money and time is spent thinking about how to get more of the drug. The compulsion may become utterly obsessive. The illusion of free-will is likely to disappear. During a "mission", essentially a 3-4 day crack-binge, users may consume up to 50 rocks a day. To obtain more, crack addicts will often lie, cheat, steal and commit crimes of violence. Once-loved partners and children may be callously cast aside. Whole communities can be disrupted by crack-abuse. Whereas "empathogens" such as MDMA / Ecstasy - which trigger the release of more serotonin than dopamine - will typically promote empathy, trust, compassionate love and sociability, "dopaminergic" drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines, if taken on their own and to excess, can easily have the reverse effect. This story has complications - cocaine's affinity for the serotonin transporter is actually greater than for the dopamine transporter. But simplistically, cocaine tends to be a "selfish" drug.
The social consequences of heavy cocaine use can be equally unpleasant. Non-recreational users are likely eventually to alienate family and friends. They tend to become isolated and suspicious. Most of their money and time is spent thinking about how to get more of the drug. The compulsion may become utterly obsessive. The illusion of free-will is likely to disappear. During a "mission", essentially a 3-4 day crack-binge, users may consume up to 50 rocks a day. To obtain more, crack addicts will often lie, cheat, steal and commit crimes of violence. Once-loved partners and children may be callously cast aside. Whole communities can be disrupted by crack-abuse. Whereas "empathogens" such as MDMA / Ecstasy - which trigger the release of more serotonin than dopamine - will typically promote empathy, trust, compassionate love and sociability, "dopaminergic" drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines, if taken on their own and to excess, can easily have the reverse effect. This story has complications - cocaine's affinity for the serotonin transporter is actually greater than for the dopamine transporter. But simplistically, cocaine tends to be a "selfish" drug.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Ft Lauderdale Florida
Posts: 23
Thanks for info
Even though he did hundred or more per day he was still social, functioning, work most days etc? But still able to communicate with people (except me it seems) some of those symptoms showed but because of what happened don't know if because he wanted me to leave or just because he wanted to be with her
Even though he did hundred or more per day he was still social, functioning, work most days etc? But still able to communicate with people (except me it seems) some of those symptoms showed but because of what happened don't know if because he wanted me to leave or just because he wanted to be with her
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Chicago IL
Posts: 67
I can only speak from my own experience. Each time I was using I was able to keep things together for few months -ie- function in a career that was very stressful and required a fair degree of intellectual ability - but then something would always happen that would make me lose it, such as an arrest or getting black mailed - which is when I would get into recovery. Over time the consequences of using became worse for me. The same thing will probably happen with him but maybe try not to focus on him. I really encourage you to try Al-Anon or Nar-Anon. I know, easy for me to say, but my ex-wife died of alcoholism. When we were married (which was before my drug use) I would try everthing to stop her from drinking - she was literally killing herself since she had late stage liver disease. Her drinking was absolutely driving me insane. Al-Anon helped me so much then - I think I would have lost my mind without it.
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