You and your partner closed on a big account and decided to celebrate with cocaine. This has been a normal part of your celebration ritual, and neither of you ever had a problem with it. However, this time something feels different, like you can’t think straight. The room seemed to spin and waves of euphoria and dizziness kept rolling over you. Your partner felt it too, asking you if this was cocaine or something else entirely. What was in this batch that made you both react this way?
In 2020, 304,000 people in Florida used cocaine. Those living with a cocaine use disorder are the most likely to experience cocaine cut with other substances. Still, anyone who uses cocaine has the potential to experience a reaction to another added substance. At Tranquil Shores, our private facility has a 3:1 client-counselor ratio that allows us to focus on your needs. We also like to use this blog to inform you of different topics to help keep you safe. Today, we are going to discuss the question, what is cocaine cut with?
Cutting Additives Often Found in Cocaine
Cocaine-cutting agents are either diluents or adulterants. Diluents increase the supply of cocaine, but they carry few adverse effects. Examples of diluents might include baking powder or sugar. Adulterants increase cocaine’s physiological effects. These substances might include fentanyl or benzocaine.
The Difference Between Cutting and Lacing Cocaine
Cutting and lacing are similar but often mean different things. Both terms mean the addition of something to the cocaine, but the purpose behind them can be various. Typically, when someone cuts a substance with other substances, someone is using things to increase the supplies. This can be to increase profit or increase the effectiveness of the substance. People who cut cocaine will often use diluents or adulterants. However, lacing cocaine typically only refers to the addition of adulterants.
Reasons Some People Might Cut Cocaine
Illicit substances, such as cocaine, are unregulated. Nobody is monitoring what goes into a specific batch of cocaine at any point in the process of distribution. The lack of monitoring allows people to cut cocaine with other substances to either dilute cocaine to increase supply and increase the profit with products or add physiological effects with substances. For example, people might add caffeine to decrease the costs of cocaine and increase the impact since they are both stimulants.
Understanding the Difference Between Pure Cocaine and Cut Cocaine
Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. It typically comes in a water-soluble hydrochloride salt and a water-insoluble freebase. Pure cocaine means that no substances have been added to it. People will often inject, snort, or smoke the substance. Surgeons may sometimes use pure cocaine as local anesthesia for some surgeries. Most of the time, though, people use it illicitly.
However, sometimes dealers will cut cocaine as a way to increase their profits. This process may happen anytime during the substance’s journey to your hands. Common substances used in cocaine include cornstarch, flour, and baking soda. Sometimes, dealers may also use substances to increase the potency of cocaine by combining it with benzocaine, amphetamine, or heroin. Cut cocaine is often more dangerous than pure cocaine due to the unpredictable nature of combining two or more substances. Many times, cut cocaine uses additives that look similar to the consistency of cocaine, so it can be challenging to know if it is pure or has additives.
Recognizing Common Cutting Agents and Additives Found in Cocaine
There are several things people may cut cocaine with, such as heroin, baking soda, or benzocaine. These things may serve different end goals and vary from batch to batch. Below are some of the common substances found in cocaine.
Fentanyl and Cocaine
Fentanyl and cocaine are a dangerous combination. The addition of fentanyl, when mixed with cocaine, can lead to someone experiencing an cocaine overdose more quickly than if they had taken only fentanyl. Often, this combination increases the effects of the substances. Some common symptoms of an overdose resulting from this combination might include:
- Small pupils
- Dizziness
- Difficulty breathing
- High blood pressure
- Confusion
- Seizures
If someone is experiencing a cocaine overdose, remain calm, stay with the person, and call 911 immediately. Getting them help as soon as possible can save their life. If you have naloxone available, administering it can help reverse the effects of fentanyl. While it can’t reverse the effects of cocaine, reversing the effects of one of the substances can still be beneficial while you wait for first responders to arrive.
Levamisole and Cocaine
Initially, levamisole treated inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and colorectal cancer in humans. However, in 2000, it stopped being used for humans due to side effects and was only marketed towards animals by veterinarians, such as horses or cattle. Since then, it has been used illicitly as a cutting agent for cocaine. The substance is 100-300 times less potent than cocaine but has a longer half-life than cocaine, which means it stays in the body longer. Its longer half-life allows the effects of cocaine to last longer, even if cocaine is no longer giving those effects directly. Like with fentanyl, mixing levamisole with cocaine can be unpredictable and come with side effects. These side effects might include nausea, skin rashes, fever, fatigue, diarrhea, and necrosis of extremities, nose, and cheeks.
Benzocaine and Cocaine
On its own, benzocaine has a low risk of resulting in life-threatening side effects. However, it can result in side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, and edema. The medication is a local anesthetic and relieves pain and reduces anxiety. When combined with cocaine, it can be unpredictable and, like other substances, increase the risks of overdose or other side effects.
Lidocaine and Cocaine
Like benzocaine, lidocaine is also an anesthetic. Medically, it treats pain, minor burns, and insect bites. It might include side effects of breathing concerns, drowsiness, irregular heartbeat, and nausea. All substances, when combined with cocaine, can become unpredictable, and that includes lidocaine. If someone has mixed lidocaine with cocaine, it can increase the chance you will experience a cocaine overdose.
Exploring the Impact of Cocaine Additives on the Body
Adding anything to cocaine can have serious consequences when consumed. Batches of cocaine can vary every time as there are no set standards in place to monitor what goes into cocaine. While some substances, such as flour or baking soda, may not have as severe consequences, others, like fentanyl and levamisole, can be very dangerous and potentially life-threatening. These substances can increase your chances of developing an overdose, heart attack, and weakened immune systems.
Recognizing Signs of Cut Cocaine
It can be challenging to know if someone has cut cocaine with different substances. However, there are some ways to get a better idea. Fentanyl test strips, for example, can be used to test to see if fentanyl is in your batch of cocaine. In Florida, you can buy fentanyl test strips online. Some substances may discolor cocaine when it is mixed. Pure cocaine is either a white, crystalline powder or small, irregularly shaped white rocks. If the cocaine you have looks different than pure cocaine, then you face a higher risk that someone had cut it with another substance. However, it is still important to take caution when using cocaine that matches the looks of pure cocaine, as some additives resemble the look of pure cocaine.
Find Cocaine Use Disorder Treatment in Madeira Beach, FL
Ultimately, the best way to keep yourself safe from cut cocaine is to stop using it. However, this can seem more easily said than done for those living with a cocaine use disorder. You may feel like you are drowning in the waves of cocaine use, Unable to swim out of the pull cocaine has over your life. The good news is that help is available to you. Cocaine rehab can be the life preserver that allows you to stand tall on a firm foundation as you achieve the skills necessary to accomplish your goals with recovery.
Located in Madeira Beach, FL, Tranquil Shores brings you the peaceful and private treatment you deserve. We understand that your business and work continue even if you are receiving treatment for a cocaine use disorder. With this in mind, we allow you to keep and use your laptops and phones while you stay with us so you can continue to work while healing your body and mind. If you are ready to start treatment for a cocaine use disorder or you have any concerns or questions, please reach out by calling us at 727-391-7001 today.
