Cocaine effects

There are many different effects from using crack and cocaine. Some are minor effects which will affect every user. Other more serious cocaine effects or reactions may be avoided by some but experienced by others. A cocaine user plays a game of 'Russian Roulette' when they take drugs; some cocaine effects can be severe:

Cocaine has been responsible for numerous deaths, particularly in and around Los Angeles, including celebrities such as John Belushi, Chris Farley (in Chicago), River Phoenix and Layne Staley (in Seattle).

It is associated with a lifetime risk of heart attack that is seven times that of non-users. In addition to irritability, mood disturbances, restlessness, paranoia, and auditory hallucinations, crack can cause several dangerous physical conditions. This can be experienced acutely as cocaine blues or feelings of depression, as a "crash" after the initial high.

Using charlie can also cause a wide array of kidney diseases and renal failure. Typically, only a third of an oral dose is absorbed, although absorption has been shown to reach 60% in controlled settings.

Its effects can last from 20 minutes to several hours, depending upon the dosage of cocaine taken, purity, and method of administration. The diagnostic criteria for cocaine withdrawal is characterized by a dysphonic mood, fatigue, unpleasant dreams, insomnia or hyper-somnia. Physiological and psychotropic effects from nasally insufflated cocaine are sustained for approximately 40 - 60 minutes after the peak effects are attained.

The experience of insatiable hunger, aches, insomnia/oversleeping, lethargy, and persistent runny nose are often described as very unpleasant. The risk[ of becoming cocaine-dependent within 2 years of first use (recent-onset) is 5-6%; after 10 years, it's 15-16%. Cocaine's effects appear almost immediately after a single dose, and disappear within a few minutes or hours. Taken in small amounts (up to 100 mg), cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, and mentally alert, especially to the sensations of sight, sound, and touch. It can also temporarily decrease the need for food and sleep. Some users find that the drug helps them to perform simple physical and intellectual tasks more quickly, while others can experience the opposite effect. It is most often used recreationally for this effect. A common but untrue belief is that the smoking of cocaine chemically breaks down tooth enamel and causes tooth decay.

Cocaine addiction is physical and psychological dependency on the regular use of cocaine.

How long does cocaine stay in your system?

Cocaine can stay in your system for up to 72 hours dependent upon a number of factors:

• such as the strength and quantity you consume;
  
• how often you use and what other drugs you use;
  
• your tolerance; and,
  
• your sex,
  
• age,
  
• health, and,
  
• metabolism.