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What is cocaine and why is it so addictive?

Cocaine is a stimulant drug manufactured into powder or a crystalized form by concentrating the leaves of the coca plant.

Refining the substance into cocaine hydrochloride crystal produces a drug with rapid onset and addictive capabilities.

Also known as crack, this substance blocks certain receptors in your brain, flooding it with dopamine leaving a euphoric feeling.

The more a user snorts or smokes, the more they will require next time to get the same high.

Constant increase in dose will inevitably lead to addiction. If you or someone you know might have a problem, it is important to be educated on everything you need to know about cocaine addiction.

But there's more you need to know.  The even worse reality is that only about 80% of the cocaine powder sold by drug dealers is cocaine. The coke is usually cut with other substances to help the seller make more profit or to enhance the effects of the high. What most drug users fail to realize is that many of these substances are very dangerous.

Below are three substances commonly cut with cocaine that could harm the user in addition to the cocaine itself:

Amphetamines

It is common for cocaine to be mixed with cheaper stimulant drugs. To keep the same look, usually so buyers are not aware, the sellers stay with white powdered substances like amphetamine. Mixing together the two substances to look like one of the same, the drug dealer can distribute less of the actual cocaine to more people at the same price of something pure.

Some drug users actually prefer the mixture of amphetamines and cocaine. The high one gets from snorting coke is immediate but does not usually last very long, causing the people who use it to need more every fifteen to thirty minutes.

An amphetamine high lasts much longer and hides the potential negative side effects from coming down off coke. The danger comes from the prolonged stimulant use. It can cause someone to be stuck in a negative emotional state or even develop seizures.

Levamisole

Chances are you have never heard of this drug and it's probably because it is not a medication for humans. It is also not something that is available in the United States.

Levamisole is commonly used in animals to rid them of parasitic worms. It is becoming a more popular additive to cocaine because of its ability to weigh down the powder, allowing a drug dealer to give out less of the actual stimulant drug.

This medication is potentially extremely dangerous to humans. There is no way to find out if you have taken it without a urine analysis. Levamisole can also suppress your body's production of white blood cells, creating extreme risk of infection.

Other side effects include vasculitis and seizures. There is no found cure for exposure to toxic levels of Levamisole.

Fentanyl

A seemingly random drug that can be cut into cocaine is fentanyl.

A totally different class of drug, this comes as a surprise to most people. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to a hundred times more potent than heroin. The strong pain medication combined with the numbing stimulant apparently provides a unique euphoria.

Fentanyl is the number one killer in the current opioid epidemic. It can be very dangerous to mix it with any drugs and with this opiate being so powerful, it is strongly discouraged to take it at all.

Even in a small amount - and you can never be sure how much you are ingesting - can cause the drug user to overdose.

Seek Help Immediately For Cocaine Addiction

It is imperative to get yourself or anyone you know help for drug use.

If cocaine use persists, it is only a matter of time before the wrong substance ends up being ingested. With the amount of life-threatening substances being cut into this already dangerous drug, taking it is something that must be avoided at all costs.  Do not harm yourself, get help today. 

If you or anyone you know is struggling with substance abuse today, call: 

In the US - SAMHSA's National Helpline – 1-800-662-HELP (4357) 

In the UK - Talk to Frank - 0300 123 66 00