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Bad Reaction to Cocaine -- What was Happening?
by Winst, Dec 27, 2000 12:00AM
I'd like to get an understanding of a physical reaction I've had using cocaine. I'm not a frequent user, but have used it on a recreational basis the last couple of years, maybe once every 2-3 months. This happened after several hours of extended use. I'll be feeling the effects of the drug of course, but generally fine, and then suddenly I felt completely overcome by an intense physical reaction. The onset was very fast.
I first felt an intense heat radiating up my arms and legs and throughout my body. I then felt a tingling in m extremeties and a throbbing pressure in my head. Within a few minutes, my body felt almost completely, absolutely, unable to move. Even raising my head slightly felt challenging -- and gave rise to feeling nautious. Talking, too, felt like a challenge. I was quite lucid throughout, however, and except for the anxiety of what was happening to me physically, this felt completely physical, rather than a psychological,anxious, reaction. Of course, I stopped taking anything more, lay completely still (I didn't have a choice) and it all passed in about 2 hours, when I began feeling agency over my body again.
I'd like to know what medically was happening during this time. Was I in real physical danger or was this merely something transitory and unpleasant? I've thought a lot about what's happened and I have a hunch it may be related to elevated blood pressure -- but of course I don't have a lot to base that on.
Whatever insights you can give me about what was happening, I'd be really grateful. Thanks!
I first felt an intense heat radiating up my arms and legs and throughout my body. I then felt a tingling in m extremeties and a throbbing pressure in my head. Within a few minutes, my body felt almost completely, absolutely, unable to move. Even raising my head slightly felt challenging -- and gave rise to feeling nautious. Talking, too, felt like a challenge. I was quite lucid throughout, however, and except for the anxiety of what was happening to me physically, this felt completely physical, rather than a psychological,anxious, reaction. Of course, I stopped taking anything more, lay completely still (I didn't have a choice) and it all passed in about 2 hours, when I began feeling agency over my body again.
I'd like to know what medically was happening during this time. Was I in real physical danger or was this merely something transitory and unpleasant? I've thought a lot about what's happened and I have a hunch it may be related to elevated blood pressure -- but of course I don't have a lot to base that on.
Whatever insights you can give me about what was happening, I'd be really grateful. Thanks!
A few days ago I got to meet a 22 year old that suffered an anuerism(sp) in his brain after using cocaine. He's in for many months of relearning simple things like feeding himself. Stay away from cocaine!
It's clear that what happened is not a good thing, and this has certainly scared me. Do you know how coke causes a stroke or anuerism?
Thanks for your support
This probably just demonstrates a lack of knowledge on my part, but is it possible that I experienced a stroke and it passed in the space of a couple of hours? When I hear the word stroke, I assume a major health event with long-term effects requiring medical attention. Any info?
Thank you for the reply. You're confirming what I have suspected -- that coke has caused my blood pressure to shoot dangerously high. And I admit it's pretty alarming to see written down in black and white. A 'there but for the grace of god...' feeling.
I won't pretend it's easy to hear. Because I never felt a need to partake frequently, and it's never interfered with my day-to-day responsibilities, I've gotten away with seeing my use of cocaine as an occasional, recreational event -- as use, not abuse. But, as you point out, it only takes once for things to go very wrong and end up on the wrong side of risk.
Thanks again for clarifying the medical explanation -- it's sobering information, to be sure.
Tom,
Your cautions are so strongly worded (of course appropriately so) that I have to think you speak from some personal experience. Anything that you could share?
I remember there was not much I would not do or give up to get coke. My body had started breaking down muscle to supply protein, I went from 220 to 125 in a few months.Although I was injecting, you could smell it on my breath and I had physical difficulty swallowing even liquids. I can remember being pissed off after a big hit, cause I couldn't stand up without getting a headache and starting to fall over, that made another hit impossible to fix up.
Thankfully I got into treatment abut the same time as my money ran out. Even then, about 3 days into detox I got all the effects of a big hit, in the right order, while starting to do some calming exercises.That really brought the concept of cunning baffling and powerful home. That was back in March of '87, thanks to NA and the people I met there I have not chosen to return down that particular road. I really have to stress NA, cause my peers and most of the staff figured I would relapse within a week, with my temperament it was probably the best thing they could have told me. And, yes I was scared walking in to my first 'outside' NA meeting without any of my treatment buddies. The people there showed me how to cope and stay clean.
Currently, some of them are helping me make the right decisions about pain control,how to manage it safely and responsibly. I hope you are succesful in your endeavors Winst, remember you only have to go through withdrawal once if you make the right choices.
Dave
"Tom,
Your cautions are so strongly worded (of course appropriately so) that I have to think you speak from some
personal experience. Anything that you could share?"
This, Winst, I share, for what it's worth:
First of all, coke burns out your pleasure/reward center in your brain (documented with tomographic [heat] imaging studies), flooding your reward center with dopamine levels it was never meant to handle, and no matter how clean and sober you get, you never feel really, really good again. You drained your lifetime dopamine bank account with a single ATM withdrawal