Psychotropic effects
cocaine inhibits the reuptake of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that controls the pleasure centers in the central nervous system CNS, causing a sense of euphoria, heightened sexuality, decreased anxiety and social inhibitions.
Rapid routes of administration and higher doses produce "euphoric experiences that create long term psychological memories that form the basis of the subsequent craving of the drug". However psychoses and hallucinations reported with increased doses include foraging and skin picking - where the person believes that there are bugs crawling on their skin.
Cocaine use causes craving for other drugs such as alcohol which leads to polydrug misuse. When taken in combination cocaine and alcohol are the most common cause of death as they are converted to cocaethylene, which is more toxic than either of the drugs and has a long duration of action in the brain.
Effects depend on quantity quality past drug experience and route of administration
The good - euphoria, energetic talk and mentally alert
intermediate no need for food or sleep
Routes of administration
regular snorting causes the loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds problems swallowing, hoarseness, overall irritation of nasal septum leading to a chronically inflamed runny nose, chronic snorting leads to the formation of eczema around nostrils and ulceration of the nasal septum
ingested cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene due to reduced blood flow
long term effects
restlessness extreme excitability , insomnia paranoia hallucinations and delusions -clinically identical to amphetamine psychosis- schizophrenia - my uncle- mood swings loss of weight and loss of interest in sex
large amounts greater than may 100mg