Emergency: Cocaine overdose is a medical emergency. Call emergency services (911 in the US, 999 in the UK, 000 in Australia, 112 in the EU) immediately. Do not wait to see if symptoms improve. Stay with the person until help arrives. Cocaine overdose symptoms are...
Cocaine and methamphetamine are both stimulants that increase synaptic dopamine, but through fundamentally different mechanisms with different clinical consequences. Cocaine blocks the dopamine transporter from outside the neuron, preventing reuptake. Methamphetamine...
Cocaine and ADHD share the same primary pharmacological target: the dopamine transporter (DAT). Cocaine blocks DAT, preventing dopamine reuptake and flooding the synapse. ADHD medications (methylphenidate, Adderall, Vyvanse) also target DAT, but more slowly and...
Cocaine addiction produces measurable changes in brain structure and function that explain why the transition from voluntary use to compulsive use occurs. Chronic cocaine use downregulates dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum, reducing sensitivity to natural rewards....
Crack and powder cocaine are pharmacologically identical: both deliver cocaine (benzoylmethylecgonine) to the brain, where it blocks the dopamine transporter (DAT) and produces euphoria by flooding the nucleus accumbens with dopamine. The critical difference is the...
When cocaine and alcohol are consumed together, the liver produces a unique metabolite called cocaethylene that extends the euphoric high but increases the risk of sudden cardiac death by 18 to 25 times compared to cocaine alone. Cocaethylene has a half-life three to...
