Q&A: How exactly does smoking crack cause someone to have a heart attack?
July 26, 2010 - 1:01 pm
Question by Simon says: How exactly does smoking crack cause someone to have a heart attack?
My friend had a major heart attack(she’s 39 yrs old)-and actually “died” 3 x -she had been smoking crack the night before-she is an addict trying to stay clean thru NA ( like me -only Ive been clean 5 yrs and never did use crack) I dont know a whole lot about how crack affects the body.What would happen if she were to relapse again?
Best answer:
Answer by NICOLENE
She won’t be the same again. Good luck and just be a good friend to her!!
Add your own answer in the comments!
July 26th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Crack is simply cocaine in liquid form that’s been solidified, “iced” so to speak. It’s what makes it cheap and very addictive.
If you’ve ever tired cocaine you can understand its affect and that it make ones heart filbulate; act hyper.
Picture a hyper-active kid jumping all around the room, climbing walls, and driving you crazy. Eventually the kids crashes. Well, so does the heart…
Keep an eye on her.
She’s going to need your help and support.
She’s also going to need a lot of prayer.
And people think a Big Mac is bad for ya… Gheesh!
July 26th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
the smoke causes your lungs to rott. Then your heart get it harder to pump blood. your body falls apart and your heart gives up!
July 26th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
ODB knows that one. ask him!
July 26th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
LOL that question was funny
… What, like the Matrix or something? … That is very difficult. Wow. Just wow. … not a chance. … No thanks.
July 26th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Oh God, If i did not see ur 160 pics i would think that u r an imaginary character by yahoo to add spices to the web site, with ADHD child, a husband who is not attracted anymore , having a porno mag in his pocket, and talking to his ex-who is drug addict, and ur female friend whom he dreamed to date before , and whom (hooks) her friends husbands, …and a charm male who ignores u and u can not grab his attention,and the depression u have,,,really i feel watching (Falcon crest) ,, any way here is ur answer:(maybe i can get the 10 points)
In most Western countries, cocaine (known colloquially as “coke,” “nose candy,” “blow,” “snow,” etc.; is a popular recreational drug. In the United States, the development of “crack” cocaine introduced the substance to a generally poorer inner-city market.
The color of “crack” cocaine depends upon several factors including the origin of the cocaine used, the method of preparation — with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate, and the presence of impurities, but will generally range from a light brown to a pale brown. Its texture will also depend on the factors that affect color, but will range from a crumbly texture, which is usually the lighter variety, to a hard, almost crystalline nature, which is usually the darker variety.
The LD50 ( In toxicology, the LD50 or colloquially semilethal dose of a particular substance is a measure of how much constitutes a lethal dose. The test was created by J.W. Trevan in 1927. In animal testing studies, and those of other organisms, the dose administered that kills half the test population is referred to as the LD50, for “Lethal Dose, 50%”.)… of cocaine when administered to mice is 95.1 mg/kg. Toxicity results in seizures, followed by respiratory and circulatory depression of medullar origin. This may lead to death from respiratory failure, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, or heart-failure. Cocaine is also highly pyrogenic, because the stimulation and increased muscular activity cause greater heat production. Heat loss is inhibited by the intense vasoconstriction. Cocaine-induced hyperthermia may cause muscle cell destruction and myoglobinuria resulting in renal failure. There is no specific antidote for cocaine overdose.
Cocaine abuse is associated with a lifetime risk of heart attack that is seven times that of non-users. During the hour after cocaine is used, heart attack risk rises 24-fold. It accounts for 25% of the heart attacks in the 18–45-year-old age group.
Side effects from chronic smoking of cocaine include chest pain, lung trauma, shortness of breath, sore throat, hoarse voice, dyspnea, and an aching, flu-like syndrome. A common misconception is that the smoking of cocaine breaks down tooth enamel and causes tooth decay. Although this is not true, the lifestyle of frequent cocaine users may include poor dental hygiene, which often results in tooth decay. In addition, cocaine often causes involuntary tooth grinding, known as bruxism, which can deteriorate tooth enamel and lead to gingivitis.
Chronic intranasal usage can degrade the cartilage separating the nostrils (the Septum nasi), leading eventually to its complete disappearance.
Treatment through group therapy:
These are the twelve steps (to treat addiction of drugs or alcohol)
1. We admitted we were powerless over (alcohol or drugs); that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to adicts , and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Plus :
A cocaine vaccine is also being tested that may prevent the recipient from feeling the desirable effects of the drug
As for u , i do not think u can be a big help to her either than showing her ur love,,(and please do not tell her ur stories, other wise she will use heroin too)…Best luck
July 26th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Your friend’s heart is reacting to her unhealthy lifestyle.
Crack(like Meth) makes your heart race/pound and beat at an faster rate than is normal. It changes your biochemistry in your brain and body and causes paranoia which also adds to the heart taking a beating because now you’re scared AND high!
Likely your friend has been smoking for a while and her body is starting to deteriorate. If she’s smoking crack, she’s probably smoking cigarettes too and not taking care of her nutrition or any other part of her body. And she’s not young anymore.
If she continues to smoke your friend will probably die or end up in an instituation. Only 1 out of 10 people on crack ever successful get off of it. Its an extremely psychological and physically addictive drug and she’s going to need to really really want to stay off to do it. And it means changing her entire lifestyle and giving up all her crack buddies/connects.
You can be a friend, but don’t be an enabler. You’ve got your own issues to deal with and toxic people will bring you down. If she continues using, I’d be rethinking my friendship and how much I want to be involved while she’s dirty.