consuming by mouth: damage to intestines (between the stomach and anus) caused by reduced blood flow.smoking: cough, asthma, and lung damage.snorting: loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, nasal damage, and trouble swallowing.The long-term effects of cocaine depend, in part, on the method of use and include the following: decreased appetite and, over time, a loss of weight.higher blood pressure and faster heartbeat, leading to higher risk of heart attack or stroke.constricted blood vessels and dilated pupils.paranoia (feeling that people are out to get you).Here are some of the ways cocaine affects the body: How long and intense the effects are depends on the method of use. Cocaine’s short-term effects appear quickly and disappear within a few minutes to an hour.

And, check out how the brain responds to natural rewards and to drugs.Ĭocaine is a stimulant so it gives the body a feeling of stimulation and alertness, which can be both pleasurable and harmful. Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs. They also experience a strong craving to take cocaine again to try to feel better. If a person becomes addicted, they might take the drug just to feel “normal.”Īfter the 'high' of the cocaine wears off, many people experience a 'crash' and feel tired or sad for days. People will often develop tolerance, which means they must take more of the drug to get the desired effect. With repeated use, stimulants like cocaine can disrupt how the brain’s dopamine system works, reducing a person’s ability to feel pleasure from normal, everyday activities. The drug can cause a feeling of intense pleasure and increased energy. It is this flood of dopamine that reinforces taking cocaine, “training” the brain to repeat the behavior. Stimulants like cocaine prevent the dopamine from being recycled, causing a buildup of the neurotransmitter in the brain. Normally, dopamine gets recycled back into the cell that released it, thus shutting off the signal. There are many neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the main one that makes people feel good when they do something they enjoy, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or playing a video game.

(Learn more about how neurotransmitters work.) Drugs affect this signaling process. These neurotransmitters attach to molecules on neurons called receptors. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters. All drugs change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate.

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