Methamphetamine - Cocaine Effect and Dopamine
Both are highly addictive stimulant drugs that are similar in many ways, although there are significant differences as well.
Cocaine and methamphetamine differ in that cocaine is processed out of the body much faster than is methamphetamine, so the effects, or high, of cocaine don’t last as long.
The effects of cocaine last for only 1 to 2 hours, whereas the effects of methamphetamine last 8 to 12 hours.
Withdrawal from methamphetamine also can last longer, and the symptoms of withdrawal may be more intense than those of cocaine withdrawal.
Dopamine
The effects of both meth and cocaine are caused by the drugs’ effects on dopamine, a chemical that is always present in the brain.
Dopamine plays an important role in:
- Motivation and reward Thinking
Dopamine also plays an important role in addiction to any drug.
Example of Dopamine’s Effect
When a person engages in natural activities like eating, drinking, and sex, dopamine is released by cells in the brain and creates immediate (though short-lasting)
feelings of pleasure by stimulating other cells in the brain.
These feelings reward the basic activities of eating, drinking, and sex and motivate people to repeat them, ensuring survival.
Dopamine Imbalance
When the natural balance of dopamine is upset (by a drug, for example), a person can experience negative effects:
Too much dopamine may produce nervousness, irritability, aggressiveness, fears that are not based on reality, and bizarre thoughts.
Too little dopamine is associated with low mood, fatigue, and the tremors and the inability to control movement that are part of Parkinson’s disease.
Dopamine and Stimulant Drugs
When a person uses meth or cocaine, too much dopamine becomes available in the brain.
Although each drug increases the amount of dopamine in the brain in a different way, many of the effects are the same.
When a person first starts taking meth or cocaine, he or she will experience primarily pleasurable effects but will also experience some negative effects that are caused by too much dopamine.
Dopamine and Stimulant Use Over Time
As a person continues to use meth or cocaine, the brain’s dopamine system becomes damaged.
As the damage increases, the person will continue to experience some pleasurable effects but also will experience substantial negative effects from meth or cocaine.
When the stimulant and euphoric effects of meth or cocaine wear off, dopamine levels may decrease to levels that are below normal, and the person experiences an abrupt drop in mood and energy levels.
Symptoms of fatigue and depression are common.
These negative feelings often create a strong desire (craving) in the person to take the drug again.
Over time (often, very little time), this use–depression–craving–use cycle leads to addiction.
Route of Administration
- How a drug is taken influences
- How quickly it produces an effect
- The strength of the drug’s effects, both positive and negative
The negative effects a person will experience
Both meth and cocaine are available in various forms that can be:
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Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is known on the street as
The 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimated that 12 million people ages 12 and older had used meth at least once in their lifetime.
Some evidence shows that meth use has stabilized. The number of people using meth and the number of people trying it for the first time remained constant in 2002,
2003, and 2004.
From 2002 to 2004, the average age of first use increased by more than 3 years, from 18.9 years to 22.1 years.
Who Uses Meth?
Although the overall rate of meth use may not be increasing, use remains a significant problem.2,3
The number of people dependent on meth more than doubled between 2002 and 2004.4
Once confined to certain areas of the country, particularly Hawaii and west coast cities, meth use has spread throughout the country and among different populations.
People who use meth have traditionally been Caucasian, male, blue-collar workers.
Meth use spread to the party and club scene (raves, etc.).
Meth use is increasing among Hispanics and young people who are homeless.
Use among women has increased.
More women use meth than use cocaine or heroin; near-equal numbers of men and women now use the drug.
Meth is used increasingly in the workplace; it has long been used by long-haul truck drivers, but use is spreading on construction sites and in manufacturing.
People in the entertainment, sales, retail, and legal professions also increasingly are using meth.
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Immediate Psychological Effects
The immediate psychological effects of methamphetamine include:
- Feelings of increased strength and renewed energy
- Feelings of invulnerability (feeling that nothing bad can happen to you)
- Feelings of increased confidence and competence
- Intensified feelings of sexual desire
- Decreased feelings of boredom, loneliness, and shyness
Immediate Physical Effects
The immediate physical effects of methamphetamine include:
Increased:
– Heart rate – Blood pressure
– Pupil size – Breathing rate
– Sensitivity to sound and stimulation – Body temperature
Decreased
– Appetite
– Sleep
– Reaction time
Toxic Effects
These effects may not sound bad, or they even may sound desirable.
However, meth can cause serious long-term psychological and physical damage (toxic effects).
Although many toxic effects go away in time, even after a person stops using meth, some effects can be permanent.
Most negative effects begin fairly soon with regular meth use.
Chronic Psychological Effects
Chronic psychological effects (“chronic” means that these effects may begin later in a person’s use cycle and last a long time) of meth use include increased
Confusion
Mood swings
Loss of ability to concentrate and
Irritability and anger organize information
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Loss of ability to feel pleasure without the drug
Paranoia (persistent feelings that one is being watched, is being followed, or is about to be harmed)
Insomnia and fatigue
Depression
Anxiety and panic disorder
Depression when not using meth, called “crashing”
Reckless, unprotected sexual behavior
Severe Psychological Effects
Particularly severe psychological effects can include
Tactile hallucinations (the person feels as if things are crawling on him or her) or auditory hallucinations (the person hears things that aren’t there)
Severe depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts or attempts
Episodes of sudden, violent behavior
Severe memory loss that may be permanent
Chronic Physical Effects
Chronic physical effects of use include
Tremor (shakiness)
Weakness
Dry mouth
Weight loss and malnutrition
Increased sweating
Oily skin
Sores caused by oily skin and by the person picking at his or her skin, a common effect of meth use
Headaches
Severe problems with teeth and gums caused by teeth grinding, decreased blood flow to the mouth, and decreased saliva
Severe Physical Effects
Particularly severe physical effects can include
Seizures
Damage to small blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to stroke
Damaged brain cells
Irregular heartbeat that can cause sudden death
Heart attack or chronic heart problems, including the breaking down of the heart muscle
Liver failure
“Tweaking,” movements that a person can’t control that are repeated regularly
Infected skin sores that can cause severe scarring
Meth Is Not Just Meth
Because meth is manufactured by amateur “cooks,” it is often full of impurities, such as lead ace- tate or mercury, which can lead to heavy metal poisoning, and
various acids created in the process.
In addition, meth is “cut,” or diluted, before it is sold to maximize profits.
The substances used to cut meth can cause problems of their own.
Meth purity tends to range from 40 to 70 percent, meaning 30 to 60 percent of what a person injects, snorts, or smokes is not meth.6
Injecting Meth
The ways in which a person can take meth create special problems as well. Injecting meth can cause
Blood clots
Heart inflammation
Skin abscesses
Pneumonia
HIV, tuberculosis, or hepatitis C virus
Kidney failure exposure from sharing needles and other works or from unprotected sex
Snorting Meth
Snorting meth can cause
Sinus infection
Hoarseness
Holes in the septum, the cartilage
Nosebleeds between nostrils
Smoking Meth
Smoking meth can cause
Throat problems
Severe coughing with black mucus
Burned lips
Chronic lung disease
Lung congestion
Meth Dose and Effects
The dose and frequency of meth use affect the level of toxic effects, as well.
The higher the dose and the more frequent the use, the higher the likelihood of toxic effects.
People who use meth tend to develop tolerance for the drug, meaning that it takes a higher dose to get the desired effect as people continue to use meth.
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