Some side effects of using crack and cocaine would be your pupils be come dilated, dizzy spells, and nervousness. It is also possible for you to have a seizure, heart attack, or heavy addictions. Crack’s effects are intense but wear off within a few minutes to an hour, and people will repeatedly use the drug to prolong the effects, leading to addiction. Signs of crack addiction include burns on lips or hands, possession of small bags or pipes, picking or scratching skin, restlessness, insomnia, and paranoia.
Key Facts About Crack Abuse
What Is Crack?
What does crack look and smell like?
If you're worried that your teenager is doing crack, it's helpful to know what to look for. Shaped in irregular white chunks of varying sizes sometimes gives crack the nickname 'rock'. Though the drug itself doesn't carry a distinct smell, the method it's taken—typically smoked—produces a burning or smoke odor.
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Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine. Crack's popularity, in part, was due to its appeal for drug users seeking an inexpensive, ultra-potent, fast acting high.1,4 The name crack actually comes from the sound that is produced from burning the rock-shaped chunks.2 Other names for the substance include:3
- Nuggets.
- Jelly beans.
- Gravel.
- Dice.
- Candy.
- Rocks.
- Base.
- Cookies.
As a powerful stimulant, crack use can elicit a rapid, euphoric high.1 Its stimulant effect on the body means that it will speed up various mental and physical processes, serving to increase energy and give you a sense of control.2 As a smoked form of cocaine, crack cocaine use results in near-immediate effects because the drug is inhaled into the lungs, where it is then absorbed into the bloodstream quickly.4 The effects are quick to be felt, peak quickly, and then end after only 2-20 minutes.1 Because the high is so short-lived, users often abuse crack in a binges.1 The binge and crash cycle of use adds to the risk of tolerance, dependence, and addiction.
Why Do People Use Crack?
Those who use crack do so to achieve a “high” that includes:4,5
- An intense euphoric feeling.
- Inflated sense of self and increased self-importance.
- Increased alertness.
- Hyperstimulation.
- Decreased appetite.
As with other drugs, with persistent use, the desired effects quickly become replaced with negatives.
Signs and Symptoms
Crack is a very dangerous substance. It is very unlikely that someone can use crack cocaine in a casual or recreational way for any significant duration, due to its powerfully addictive nature.4 Any crack use must be taken seriously. Symptoms of crack abuse may be both physical and psychological.
Crack is addictive because it causes an intense euphoric rush that fades quickly, leaving the user wanting more.1 The brain's reward centers are activated by crack stimulation, reinforcing continued use of the drug.3,4
When the high wears off, the user feels a need to smoke more crack because he or she becomes agitated, restless, paranoid, or anxious.4,5
Parents or others close to a individual potentially addicted to crack may benefit from knowing what some of the warning signs or such an addiction are. Physical signs include:4,5
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- Dilated pupils.
- Reduced sleep.
- Increased heart rate.
- Hypertension (raised blood pressure).
- Suppressed appetite and weight loss.
- Fasciculations / twitching of the muscles.
- Nosebleeds.
Psychological signs may arise that may indicate a person is abusing crack cocaine. These signs may include the following:4,5,6
- Aggression and volatile mood swings.
- Psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and paranoia.
- Persistent thoughts about smoking crack/strong cravings.
- Inability to stop despite a strong desire to do so.
- Tendency to put a high priority on obtaining the drug.
- Smoking crack at the expense of your finances, your relationships, or other important aspects of your life.
Other Signs: Tolerance and Withdrawal
Addiction is likely present when someone will engage in risky, dangerous, or problematic behaviors to continue receiving and using the substance.
Someone who persistently engages in crack use can easily build a tolerance to the drug. Tolerance occurs when your body adapts to the crack in your system and requires greater amounts of it to have the same effect. If you are no longer satisfied with a small amount of crack and feel a need for larger and larger amounts, you have built a tolerance.4
Once tolerance has manifested, and increasing amounts of drug are used to overcome it, addiction to the substance may follow soon thereafter. Addiction is likely present when someone will engage in risky, dangerous, or problematic behaviors to continue receiving and using the substance.7
In the throes of an addiction, someone will be less rational and logical. It will likely be increasingly challenging to maintain a relationship due to the influence of the substance.
The phenomenon of withdrawal is another sign of crack abuse. As tolerance develops, a physical dependence may also develop, meaning the brain comes to rely on the drug. Without it, the person may experience withdrawal symptoms such as:5
- Depression.
- Increased anxiety.
- Being highly irritable and easily agitated.
- Intense cravings for more crack.
Risks of Crack Abuse
Oftentimes, those who abuse crack place themselves and others in harm's way because of dangerous compulsive drug seeking behaviors. Crack abusers tend to engage in the following behaviors:
- Risky sexual behaviors. Crack intensifies sexual desire and removes inhibitions. Those high on crack might be more likely to have sex with multiple partners and are also more likely to have unprotected sex. In addition to risky sexual behaviors while under the influence of crack, some people may choose exchange sex for the drug.7
- Increased tendencies towards violence. Crack cocaine intensifies emotional experiences, including anger and rage. People who are high on crack may be violent toward others. They may also harm themselves intentionally or unintentionally.4,8
- Getting into risky situations in order to obtain crack. Crack users often enter dangerous neighborhoods or agree to do risky things in order to obtain the substance. Crack addiction is a powerful motivator, and many individuals ensnared by it are willing to do almost anything in exchange for some more of the substance.
- Neglecting their other responsibilities. People in active crack addiction will prioritize drug use over responsibilities like paying their bills, attending work, maintaining relationships with family members, or even caring for their children.6
- Breaking the law. Many addicted to crack may steal to support their habit. They also may commit robberies or engage in other illegal activity to gain money to buy crack. In addition, crack possession itself is illegal, so some will face legal trouble for using it even if they don't engage in these behaviors.8
Credit: Howcast
Effects of Crack Abuse
In both the short- and long-term, crack abuse can give rise to a number of side effects that can drastically compromise your health.
Short-term health risks of crack abuse include:4,5
- Cardiovascular risks including higher heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
- Higher breathing rates.
- Nausea.
- Odd or bizarre behaviors.
- Delusional thinking.
- Paranoia.
- Anxiety and panic.
The above negative effects of the substance can occur after only one use at a high dose.
Crack's Long-Term Effects
Long-term effects can occur after days, weeks, months, and years of consistent abuse. They include:4,5,9
- Long-lasting cardiovascular issues that may include heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.
- Malnutrition due to significant weight loss.
- Marked cognitive decline.
- Confusion / delirium.
- Psychosis.
- Hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not present).
- Damage to the lips, mouth, and teeth.
- Major depression, anxiety, and irritability.
- Seizures.
Don't wait until crack use has caused numerous debilitating physical and mental health effects to pile up before beginning your recovery.
Crack Abuse Treatment
Treatment for crack abuse may begin with detoxification. This is a controlled withdrawal from crack cocaine that is usually performed at a detox center. Doctors are able to monitor patients for severe physical symptoms of crack withdrawal. Patients may experience intense psychological effects such as mood swings, agitation, depression, and anxiety during the withdrawal period.5 This period varies in duration based on the amount of use and the time the substance was abused. Withdrawal can be more severe if the patient has used crack at high doses for an extended duration. Some users may experience what is known as a post-acute withdrawal syndrome, in which symptoms can extend well past the acute detoxification phase.5
After finishing detox, many patients transition to a residential rehab center or other form of structured addiction treatment. Rehab programs are generally inpatient, which means patients live at the rehab center while getting treatment. Treatment focuses on the psychological aspects of addiction—patients receive individual and group therapy and may attend ongoing support groups (such as 12-step groups like Narcotics Anonymous). These residential programs may last anywhere from 30 days to 1 year.
An inpatient or residential rehab stay is typically followed by a period of ongoing aftercare, in which patients return to their daily lives but continue to visit the treatment center (or a pre-arranged aftercare clinic or clinician) on a regular basis to receive continuing therapy and other needed treatment. Some patients transition back to their normal lives by living in a halfway house or sober living facility. These facilities are run like regular apartments, but residents must follow house rules such as curfews and must submit to regular drug tests to prove they are clean.
Some people may elect to enroll in or undergo addiction treatment in an outpatient setting. In outpatient treatment, someone in recovery from crack might meet with a mental health or addiction therapist weekly on an ongoing basis. Someone in recovery will also benefit from community supports like sober activities and meetings and will be encouraged or required to participate in some sort of support group setting.
Sources:
- Drug Enforcement Administration. (2013). Cocaine.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Cocaine (Coke, Crack) Facts.
- Clinical Pain Advisor. (2017). Drug Slang Code Words.
- NYC.gov. (n.d.). Cocaine Abuse & Addiction.
- Center for Substance Abuse Research. (n.d.). Crack Cocaine.
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
- Harzke, A. J., Williams, M. L., & Bowen, A. M. (2009). Binge Use of Crack Cocaine and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among African-American, HIV-Positive Users. AIDS and Behavior, 13(6), 1106–1118.
- De Carvalho, H. B., & Seibel, S. D. (2009). Crack Cocaine Use and its Relationship with Violence and Hiv. Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 64(9), 857–866.
- Victoria State Government. (n.d.). Teeth and drug use.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2010). Protracted Withdrawal. Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory, 9(1).
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Crack cocaine, also called rock cocaine, is a drug commonly abused in the United States. In many cities, it is easy to access, and compared to powder cocaine, significantly easier to afford. But that does not mean that its use comes without a price; the side effects of crack cocaine are serious, life-changing, and even deadly.
When consuming the drug, crack effects can be noticed in all parts of the body, from the internal organs to the skin and eyes. Anyone who is using the drug should understand its negative impacts, and loved ones who suspect someone is abusing the drug must know the signs in order to spot the signs that someone has begun to smoke crack.
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Table Of Contents:
Side Effects of Crack
The use of rock cocaine and other forms of cocaine is widespread, with approximately one million people taking up the use of the drug in the United States every year. This is on top of those already using the drug who have yet to detox from crack and stop use. As a result, there is a significant number of people experiencing the drug’s symptoms at any given time. Side effects of rock cocaine use are present from the first time the drug is taken. Some of these symptoms are the motivation for the user to take the drug.
General effects of crack use include:
- A feeling of euphoria or extreme happiness
- A significant increase in energy
- Mental alertness
- Hypersensitivity to sensory stimulation, such as light, sound, and touch
- Irritability
- Paranoia
These are all symptoms that are present every time someone uses the drug. The majority of these do not last long. However, with continued use of the drug, these symptoms can increase in severity and become long-lasting.
Additionally, the drug is known to quickly impact physical appearance. Skin crack cocaine effects can include visibly damaged blood vessels, abscesses, and even deep scratch marks due to the sensation of bugs crawling underneath the skin. Crack eyes can include changes in the pupils and even yellowing of the whites of the eyes once drug use begins to harm the internal organs. Together, these are often referred to as crack face—the appearance of an individual as impacted by their use of rock cocaine.
While these symptoms are nothing to look forward to, they are not the most severe side effects associated with rock cocaine use. The reason for using the drug can be so devastating is that the symptoms of it can cause everything from organ damage to death. As such, users should seek help to end their addiction before it is too late.
Short-Term Effects of Crack
Short-term effects of crack cocaine use include the general symptoms listed above, which every user will experience. However, they also include other, more severe symptoms, some of which can be life-threatening or contribute to the development of life-threatening conditions.
Some short-term effects include:
- Constricted blood vessels
- Dilated pupils
- Increased body temperature
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased respiration
- Tremors
- Vertigo
- Muscle twitches
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Disturbed sleep
- Bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior
- Restlessness, anxiety, panic, and paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Depression
- Overdose
- Death
While some of these results are permanent, such as death from overdose, because they come on suddenly and can occur from the very first use of rock cocaine, they are considered to be short-term effects. Some of these may seem benign. For example, temporary anxiety might sound like it is of no consequence.
However, anxiety can drive negative and dangerous behaviors that put the user at risk of physical harm. For example, crack and sexuality are often linked, with the drug causing emotional and physical responses in the user that cause them to make bad decisions. As a result, sexually transmitted infections often impact rock cocaine users. What does crack do? Even in the short term, it causes harm.
Long-Term Effects of Crack Use
Long-term effects of crack are those that do not show up immediately but build over time as the individual continues their drug use. As a result, stopping use of rock cocaine may prevent them from worsening, but it is not guaranteed to reverse the results. The longer use of the drug continues, the more permanent the results are likely to be.
Because of the drug impacts all parts of the body, the long-term effects are numerous. Those who use regularly or over an extended period of time can expect to experience at least a few of these symptoms.
Some of these crack cocaine side effects are:
- Tolerance to the drug, requiring higher and more frequent doses to achieve the same experience
- Tooth decay
- Increased psychological effects leading to full-blown psychosis
- Increased sensitivity to the rewarding effects of other drugs, encouraging polysubstance abuse
- Effects related to the method of administration, such as loss of smell from snorting and hoarseness from smoking
- Reduced blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract
- Bowel decay
- Malnourishment
- Chest pain mimicking heart attacks
- Increased risk of stroke
- Inflammation of the heart muscles
- Reduced ability for the heart to contract
- Aortic ruptures
- Intracerebral hemorrhage
- Movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease
- Decreased mental abilities
In addition to the long-term impact on the user, if the individual is pregnant, their child will suffer life-long results of use as well. These children, often called crack babies, can experience cognitive and physical impairments for the rest of their lives. Life before and after crack is vastly different.
Getting Medical Help for Crack Abuse
The only way to prevent these effects or stop them from worsening is to cease the use of rock cocaine. The effects of crack on the body are severe and even deadly. Ultimately, the high the drug delivers is not worth the lowered quality of life it guarantees.
While it can be difficult to realize while in the throes of addiction, there are numerous reasons to stop using the drug, including:
- A desire to improve mental health
- Life changes that are incompatible with drug use
- A want to avoid bad experiences with drugs
- Preservation of familial relationships and friendships
- Financial concerns
- A need to assert control over life
- Better physical health
- Less risk of incarceration and death
As quitting is the only way to eliminate or curtail the side effects of smoking crack, users should give themselves the best possible chance at success. The way to do this is through professional medical assisted rock cocaine detox and rehabilitation, learning how to make crack cocaine use a thing of the past. These programs are proven to be successful and can help those suffering from the effects of crack use to turn their lives around.
There are numerous rehabilitation centers located throughout the United States, guaranteeing there will be one that works for every user.
Crack Cocaine Effects Require Medical Intervention
While rock cocaine has many negative results, perhaps the worst of the crack effects is an addiction to the drug. Due to addiction, users find themselves unable to simply quit using the drug, causing them to suffer from other crack cocaine effects, up to and including death. However, there is hope in the form of drug detox and rehabilitation. With treatment, users can live better lives.
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