When the liver attempts to eliminate this byproduct, the alcohol in the system slows down the process, leaving about 20% of the cocaethylene remaining in the system. With frequent, prolonged use of both substances, cocaethylene can begin to build up in the body, causing major strain on the essential organ systems of the body, in particular the cardiovascular system and the liver itself. On the other side of the issue, people who engage in heavy alcohol consumption may what does sponsor mean use cocaine to gain an energetic boost and avoid passing out. Because of their social nature and their reputation as “party drugs”, there are many situations and reasons why cocaine and alcohol may be used together. It is important to know that these two drugs can form a cocktail that may prove deadly for its user. It starts by providing the user with a rush of energy by flooding the brain with dopamine.
However, combining these substances can also increase the risk of cocaine and alcohol cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Cocaethylene has considerably greater potency than cocaine, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to increased risk of stroke, arrhythmia and heart attack. Some studies suggest a 20-fold increased risk of a heart attack when cocaine and alcohol are used together. Alcohol’s toxic products can also directly affect the heart, lowering blood pressure and causing an increase in heart rate. Our group has shown that binge drinking can increase the risk of a heart attack.
Unlike heroin and opioid drugs, there are no medications used to treat cocaine addiction. The treatment is focused on detoxification (also referred to as detox) and behavioral therapies. You might receive treatment with a pharmaceutical drug if you have a co-addiction that can be treated pharmacologically, such as an addiction to alcohol what is central nervous system depression or opioids. Stimulant use disorders are a subcategory of substance use disorder.
Mixing Cocaine and Alcohol
The greatest cocaethylene production would theoretically occur in a person who has a relatively high blood-alcohol level at the point in which they used cocaine [40]. In real-world clinical practice, it can be very difficult to predict cocaethylene concentrations in the blood, even when the exact amounts and timing of alcohol and cocaine use are known. The longer half-life of cocaethylene means that its measurable presence in the blood indicates that the person had used cocaine, even if cocaine is no longer detectable [3]. Using cocaine and alcohol together significantly increases the risk of an overdose. Without rapid treatment, overdose from cocaine or alcohol can be fatal. It is critical to seek emergency medical help immediately if someone is suffering from a suspected cocaine or alcohol overdose.
Mixing cocaine and alcohol can increase your risk for:
Researchers believe that cocaethylene is produced in the liver about 2 hours after the individual has used the two drugs. Researchers suggest that about 20% of the cocaine being metabolized by the liver is disrupted by alcohol, producing cocaethylene. Combining cocaine with alcohol and other substances also increases the risk of addiction. If people want to stop taking cocaine and alcohol, it is best to undergo a detox with medical supervision. Doing this can help prevent potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms.
Risks during pregnancy
This substance is very dangerous, but it is essentially a long-lasting form of cocaine. While it is dangerous to intentionally create cocaethylene, some people chasing a better high will do so to feed their cocaine addiction. Some doctors believe that when you mix the two the liver produces a substance called cocaethylene, which may temporarily enhance the high – but also increases blood pressure, poor judgement and violent thoughts. As cocaethylene blocks the reabsorption of dopamine in the brain, it produces higher euphoric effects for both cocaine and alcohol, which can create a vicious cycle of taking more of each drug.
This neuronal stimulation contributes to the powerful psychoactive effects reese witherspoon fetal alcohol syndrome of both cocaine and cocaethylene, producing feelings of energy, focus, and excitement. In terms of this central stimulatory effect, cocaine and cocaethylene appear to be equipotent [13], but cocaethylene’s longer half-life makes its effects more persistent [25]. This ability to prolong the cocaine high may help explain why many cocaine users drink alcohol while using cocaine, even if they are unaware of extending cocaine’s psychoactive effects by consuming ethanol [26]. Cocaine intoxication is frequently seen in emergency departments, but clinicians may treat cocaine-induced arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, or other adverse events and not ask about the concurrent use of cocaine and ethanol. A patient who admits to using cocaine but fails to mention alcohol consumption at the same time may be experiencing cocaine-like psychoactive effects long after the clinician would assume they had dissipated.
Both cocaine and cocaethylene increase the post-synaptic neuronal activity in an equipotent fashion although the effects of cocaethylene are more enduring [3]. In many ways, cocaethylene produces effects similar to those of cocaine. Compared to cocaine, cocaethylene had slower clearance, larger volume of distribution, and longer elimination half-life [10]. The rise of cocaethylene and cocaine increases heart and liver toxicity. The biggest danger of using both are sudden heart-related problems, such as a heart attack or change in heart rhythms. When a person is addicted to cocaine, they may begin to use it with methods that produce a more intense effect—such as smoking or injecting the drug instead of snorting it.
This is a very dangerous alcohol and cocaine interaction, as this metabolite increases the risk of sudden death by up to 25 times when compared to the use of cocaine on its own. Additionally, mixing cocaine and alcohol can cause a chemical reaction in your bloodstream that creates a chemical called cocaethylene. This chemical can be dangerous, as it increases your risk of medical problems. Alcohol is often used alongside other illicit substances, leading some people to wonder what happens when you mix alcohol and cocaine. Cocaine mixed with alcohol can lead to dangerous, even life-threatening consequences due to the formation of a toxic chemical called cocaethylene. For this reason, it is critical to avoid using alcohol and cocaine together.
When anyone under the age of 40 is admitted to a hospital emergency department complaining of chest pain, the doctor is likely to ask if the patient has taken cocaine. Cocaine use is a risk factor for heart attacks, but that risk is magnified when combined with alcohol. The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein.
Physical effects
Both cocaine and alcohol have negative long-term effects on the systems of the body. With repeated cocaine use, the brain begins to adapt to this new synthetic happiness by stopping the production of naturally occurring dopamine. Along with this, the neural circuits involved in stress become increasingly sensitive, leading to increased irritability and negative moods when not taking the drugs. When used on their own, both cocaine and alcohol can have devastating long-term and short-term consequences and can cause considerable damage to the brain and body. This can mean risking overdose in the short term and causing chronic health issues in the long term.
A person is also more likely to engage in risky and violent behaviour. Both cocaine addiction and alcohol addiction can increase impulsive and risky behavior. If you also factor in the memory-altering effects of alcohol, it can lead to the user having little or no recollection of any risky behavior that they engaged in. Alcohol addiction treatment at Serenity Lane can help towards reducing these risky behaviors. Due to the socially stimulating nature of both cocaine and alcohol, the two drugs often go hand in hand.
- It is assumed that cocaethylene develops in the liver as a result of the metabolism of cocaine being altered by the presence of alcohol.
- The short-lasting effects cause a user to repeat taking cocaine for the rewarding stimulus, which can result in a person eventually becoming addicted.
- Someone coming down from cocaine may sleep for many hours or even a day or more.
- That increases the risk of stroke and heart-related reactions for days to weeks.
- Some people who are trying to stop using cocaine may experience better outcomes from inpatient rehabilitation, especially because cocaine cravings can be intense during withdrawal, and relapse is common.
Heavy long-term alcohol use has also been linked to many types of cancers including throat, mouth, larynx, liver, colorectal, and esophageal cancer. With increased regular use, the user starts to develop a tolerance for both cocaine and alcohol. Because of this, the user must take both drugs in binges, using repeatedly and in higher doses. With increased doses and higher frequency of use, the risk factors of adverse psychological and physical issues increase.