Your partner says it’s just a jolt of energy to help them focus and get through the day. They say their cocaine use isn’t a problem, it’s a tool. If they have a drink from time to time, who doesn’t? They need to relax after a day at the office, or maybe loosen up at a party. And if they have a bump of cocaine along with a few shots, it’s not a problem, right?
Wrong.
An estimated 74% of people who use cocaine take it along with alcohol. Despite how common it is, this behavior can have dangerous and deadly consequences.
At Tranquil Shores, we believe in treating the individual, not just the substance use. Education is a huge part of our approach, involving both the individual and family. So today, we’re going to talk about the combination of alcohol and cocaine. What really happens when they mix the two? Should you be worried?
What is Polysubstance Use?
Polysubstance use occurs when an individual takes multiple substances at the same time, either intentionally or unintentionally. While this can happen for a variety of reasons, the goal is typically either to intensify the overall effects of the substances or to use one substance to counteract the negative effects of another. Unfortunately, this counteractive effect is often only a myth, and many substances frequently contribute to and worsen one another’s side effects.
Polysubstance use can involve legal substances, such as the combination of caffeine and creatine, or illicit substances, as in the combination of alcohol and cocaine. Each of these substances has its own individual effects, but when combined can lead to a wide variety of outcomes.
How Alcohol Affects the Body and Mind
Alcohol is a depressant that floods the brain with the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). This chemical works as an inhibitor, limiting and reducing brain and neuron function, leading to alcohol’s relaxing and calming effects. These are combined with increased levels of dopamine and serotonin, boosting feelings of positivity and well-being. Mild euphoria and decreased inhibitions are common.
These positive side effects are generally short-term and come with serious drawbacks. As alcohol inhibits brain activity, coordination and reaction time are both impaired. This can lead to accidents or injury. Judgment is impaired, with the parts of the brain that manage risks slowed down and unable to work at their best. The sense of balance may leave, as alcohol impacts the inner ear.
As the dosage increases, more serious side effects begin to appear. Vomiting, nausea, and mood swings are common. Difficulties breathing, decreased heart rate, and even memory loss or stroke can occur. In the long run, liver disease, heart problems, and nutritional or musculoskeletal issues may develop. Psychological disorders such as anxiety, cognitive decline, and depression are heavily linked with long-term alcohol use.
How Cocaine Affects the Body and Mind
Cocaine, by contrast, is a stimulant. It works largely by causing dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels to spike, preventing the brain from reabsorbing these chemicals. This surge of dopamine leads to cocaine’s euphoric feeling, while serotonin boosts mood even further. Norepinephrine plays a role in the body’s “fight or flight” response and leads to many of cocaine’s other symptoms, such as heightened energy and a feeling of wakefulness.
Similar to alcohol, these positives are counterbalanced by significant negative side effects. Cocaine causes the body’s temperature to rise, increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Blood vessels may constrict, putting further pressure on the heart. Decision-making is impaired, and anxiety, paranoia, or erratic behavior are common. Seizures, heart attacks, and psychosis are possible, especially at higher doses.
In the long term, cocaine use can lead to serious health problems. Repeated cardiovascular stress can lead to heart disease and even stroke. Permanently high blood pressure, chest pain, and even muscle death are possible. There may be respiratory problems, depending on the delivery method. Cocaine is strongly linked with depression, anxiety, and impaired memory, focus, and cognition.
What Is Cocaethylene?
When cocaine and alcohol are taken together, they mix with liver enzymes to form a compound known as cocaethylene. It is the only known instance of a new psychoactive compound being formed entirely by the human body, though only a portion of alcohol and cocaine will be converted to cocaethylene. Cocaethylene produces an intense high, similar to cocaine but much longer lasting. However, this comes with significantly increased risks, far more than either alcohol or cocaine in isolation.
The Dangers of Mixing Cocaine and Alcohol
Many believe that since alcohol is a depressant, and cocaine is a stimulant, the negative symptoms will cancel each other out. This is not the case. Often, these symptoms build on one another, frequently in unpredictable and dangerous ways.
Short-Term Dangers
Alcohol lowers inhibitions, while cocaine boosts aggressive behaviors, leading to increased risk-taking and potentially violent outbursts. The temporary boost of energy and alertness from cocaine may lead your partner to drink more heavily, unable to judge their level of intoxication, and increasing the risk of alcohol poisoning. Injuries taken due to alcohol’s impact on motor skills can be more serious than they seem, as cocaine can slow the healing process.
When cocaethylene is formed, it can carry up to 25 times the risk of immediate death than either alcohol or cocaine alone. Several factors contribute to this. Cocaethylene is significantly toxic and damaging, with some research suggesting that it is more than 10 times as toxic to the heart as cocaine alone.
Worse, this higher level of toxicity lasts far longer than cocaine by itself. While the more damaging elements of cocaine use may dissipate after only a few minutes, this specific compound can last for nearly five times as long, greatly increasing the amount of damage done.
Long-Term Dangers
Both cocaine and alcohol have serious negative long-term effects. When taken together over long periods of time, these effects can be cumulative. Alcohol already is damaging to the liver, and when cocaethylene forms, it is significantly more toxic, increasing the risk of liver disease and permanent cirrhosis. Cocaine’s damage and stress on the cardiovascular system is often exacerbated by any heart disease linked to alcohol consumption, and only worsened by the long-term presence of cocaethylene, which is particularly toxic to heart tissue.
Cognitive impairment from long-term substance use is worsened by both cocaine and alcohol, with memory and attention both taking a hit. Cocaethylene penetrates the blood-brain barrier more easily than cocaine alone, causing neurological damage in a shorter amount of time. Psychological disorders can form, with both alcohol and cocaine often leading to or increasing depression. Anxiety can worsen with persistent cocaine use, and psychosis or other mental health disorders may develop.
Getting Help for Cocaine Use in Madeira Beach, Florida
The combination of cocaine and alcohol is one that at first seems innocuous. Your partner might argue that both are well-known substances, and both have been taken by people for thousands of years. One is a stimulant, the other is a depressant – they cancel out, right?
They don’t. In combination, they only serve to worsen one another’s more serious consequences. Their already considerable risks become amplified. Heart attacks, liver damage, cognitive decline, and psychosis – these are only a few of the symptoms that long-term consumption of alcohol and cocaine can lead to.
If your partner takes cocaine and alcohol consistently, they may find it difficult to stop. Due to the often social elements of cocaine and alcohol use, as well as the increased potency of cocaethylene when the two are mixed, it can seem like an impossible task to break free. But know that they don’t have to do it alone. Effective alcohol rehab as well as cocaine addiction rehab services are available today.
We understand the difficulties that can come when on the path to recovery. Life doesn’t stop while your loved one is getting treatment. That’s why at Tranquil Shores, we provide our clients internet access while they receive treatment at our beachfront facilities, enabling your partner to stay in touch with their family and take care of any work that might arise. Connect with us today at 727-591-4119 to learn more about our world-class treatment options. We are here to provide the peaceful and private treatment you deserve.
