Cocaine Drug Type: Is Cocaine A Stimulant Or Depressant?

Cocaine is a white powder that is derived from the coca leaves of the coca plant. It is a powerful stimulant of the central nervous system (CNS) and is highly addictive.

The effects of cocaine increase alertness, feelings of well-being and euphoria, and energy and decreases appetite.

The use of cocaine and other illicit stimulant drugs can result in drug abuse due to their potential for addiction.

Cocaine abuse can be dangerous and can cause potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms if ceasing drug use after a long period of use.

Why Is Cocaine A Stimulant?

Cocaine is a stimulant because it increases the activity of the CNS. It also increases the levels of dopamine in the brain, which leads to feelings of pleasure and euphoria.

Both cocaine powder, called freebase cocaine, and crack cocaine — a crystallized form of the drug —  are highly addictive and can have serious side effects, including heart attacks and strokes.

What Is The Difference Between Stimulant Drugs And Depressant Drugs?

Illegal stimulant drugs, such as amphetamines and cocaine, are often abused for their effects.

Stimulants are drugs that increase alertness and energy. This is why stimulant medications can be used to treat disorders like ADHD and narcolepsy.

Depressants, such as alcohol, decrease brain activity.

Substance use disorders (SUD) from both stimulants and depressants can be extremely dangerous, as they can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.

They can be used to treat disorders like anxiety and insomnia, but can also be abused. Common side effects of depressants include drowsiness, dizziness, and impaired coordination.

How Stimulant Drugs Affect The Body

Stimulant drugs are drugs that can help to increase alertness, attention, and energy.

However, stimulant drugs can be addictive. They can also lead to side effects like anxiety, irritability, and insomnia.

Stimulant drugs, such as cocaine, often come in powder form —meaning that snorting the drug can cause nosebleeds and chest pain from the drug entering into the nasal cavities and lungs.

Snorting cocaine can also cause runny noses and septum holes, which arise as a result of repeatedly snorting the substance.

These drugs can also cause short-term deviations from regular heart rhythms, as it causes blood vessels to be constricted.

Following this, a high dose of cocaine, also called flake, can cause cardiac arrest. Injecting cocaine into the bloodstream is extremely dangerous, and can result in the contraction of hepatitis.

How Depressant Drugs Affect The Body

Depressants are substances that slow down brain activity, leading to feelings of calm and relaxation.

Depressants can also be abused to produce a drunk-like state, which can be dangerous since they slow your heart rate and breathing rate. Ultimately, extreme cases of depressant abuse can be fatal.

Overdosing on large amounts of depressants is easy to do, especially if you mix them with alcohol. Depressants can also be addictive, and serious withdrawal can cause sudden death in some cases.

How Stimulants Like Cocaine Lead To Addiction

Cocaine has high addiction potential, since the high from cocaine is intense but short-lived, leading people to keep using it to chase that initial feeling.

Stimulants such as cocaine, opioids, and methamphetamines can cause serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke. It can also lead to mental health problems, such as psychosis.

Other health problems caused by cocaine use are:

• paranoia
• irritability
• dizziness
• tremors
• elevated body temperature

What Are The Treatment Options For Cocaine Abuse?

There are a number of treatment options available from healthcare facilities designed to treat people seeking to overcome cocaine addictions.

Some of these treatment programs and services are:

• inpatient and outpatient programs
• detox
• individual and group therapy
• evidence-based therapies

Find An Addiction Recovery Center Today

If you or a loved one is seeking addiction treatment for a substance use disorder, give our free helpline a call to discuss obtaining a referral to a rehabilitation facility near you.