How Drugs Can Affect Your Health
These drugs can also have serious — even fatal — consequences that might be surprising:- Suicide. Canadian researchers gave questionnaires to more than 1,200 people who used injection drugs. At the start of the study, nearly 6% said they had recently attempted suicide. This is substantially higher than the general rate of suicide attempts in the general population.
- Parkinson’s disease. That same month, researchers in Utah reported a worrisome link between meth and other amphetamines and Parkinson’s disease. The researchers examined medical records from Utah residents, which included information on their past drug use. Those who had used meth or other amphetamine-type stimulants were nearly three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
- Blood vessel damage. Cocaine fuels a lot of trips to the emergency room. In one recent year, it was involved in nearly one-quarter of all ER visits related to drug misuse or abuse. People who’ve been using cocaine often seek emergency treatment because of chest pain or other possible heart-related symptoms.
Cocaine Addiction
But cocaine can also play a role in blood vessel-related problems. One of these is aortic dissection. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood out through your aorta, which is a large artery. An aortic dissection occurs when this artery becomes damaged and allows blood to flow between the layers of tissue inside the artery wall. This condition is often fatal, especially without prompt medical care. Two studies, which were conducted in areas where cocaine use was relatively common, found that cocaine appeared related to aortic dissections in 28% and 37% of patients. Cocaine may also double your risk of having a stroke. More often, these are the kind of strokes that involves a ruptured blood vessel rather than a blocked vessel. High blood pressure related to cocaine use may play a role in both aortic dissection and this type of stroke. Cocaine may also lead to another health problem related to blood-vessel damage, although it affects the quality of life rather than the length of it: Some research has found erectile dysfunction in more than half of men who abuse cocaine.- Complications from contaminants. A medication called levamisole is now mostly used as a veterinary drug to help rid animals of worms. But in recent years, it’s become an increasingly common additive in cocaine. Drug suppliers may add it to cocaine in hopes of making the high last longer.
- Rhabdomyolysis. This condition can develop when muscle tissue breaks down, releasing substances into the bloodstream that can damage the kidneys. Situations that can trigger it include certain types of injuries, exercising too hard and overheating. Drug use can also cause it.
