Cocaine, Amphetamines, & Stimulants Flashcards
stimulants
heighten mood
increase alertness
decrease fatigue
grandiosity
risk can feel more rewarding
controlled stimulants
cocaine, amphetamines, ritalin & adderall
the coca leaf
South America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, & Peru)
indigenous populations in these regions chewed the coca leaf
religious, medical & social uses….
Spanish conquistadors arrived in S. American during the 16th century
took control over access to the coca leaf
used the coca leaf to “pay” enslaved incas- believed it made them work harder & longer
at this time- the Spanish were devout Catholics- considered it a vice, discouraged European use
Coca goes to Europe!
As European naturalists started to explore S. America they began to study its properties
Developed Cocaine
in the 1850s European scientists were able to isolate the active agent in coca
scientists began looking for therapists & medical uses
Freud
he has become well known for several contributions to psychology
many of his first writings were on cocaine
“On coca” - cocaine is a treatment for…
local anesthetic, treatment for depression, indigestion, asthma, neuroses, syphilis, morphine addiction, & alcoholism
also considered it an aphrodisiac
the “first” documented addiction to cocaine
Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow- friend of Freud
physician- investigated electrical activity of nerves & brain
became addicted to morphine due to chronic pain
Freud suggested Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow use cocaine to treat his addiction to morphine
it worked- sort of
tolerance formed quickly (1g/day habit)
began to exhibit bizarre behavior- paranoid delusions, formication syndrome- feels like bugs are crawling on/under your skin
The ragin’ 18(80s)!
Cocaine was widely available
physicians prescribed cocaine
revolutionized surgery
available in OTC medicines- Coca wine, coca-cola
popular culture surrounding cocaine
Sherlock Holmes
Jekyll & Hyde was written while Stevenson was using cocaine for tuberculosis
other famous users of cocaine
Thomas Edison, Jules Verne, Czar Nicholas of Russia, & President Ulysses Grant
the letdown of cocaine
by end of 18th century
cocaine psychosis
overdose deaths
dependency
beliefs and attitudes began to shift- 1914 Harrison Narcotic Act
ephedra sinica (shrub)
used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 5000 years
ephedrine
natural compound derived from Ephedra sinica (1885)
researchers of Ephedrine
Chen & Schmidt
found that ephedrine was highly similar to epinephrine
stimulant of the sympathetic nervous system
originally used to treat asthma- was more stable than epinephrine
Gideon Alles
1927- Los Angeles chemist
less expensive and easier to manufacture than ephedrine
Lazar Edeleanu
(Romanian chemist)
1887- synthesized what is now know as amphetamine
amphetamine, methamphetamine, dextroamphetamine
synthetics
amphetamine, methamphetamine, dextroamphetamine medical uses (1920s)
cold & sinus problems
obesity
narcolepsy
pep pill
were used by soldiers on both side of WW2
also have a high potential for abuse…
symptoms of prolonged use (cocaine & amphetamine)
suppress appetite
prevent sleep
people can go days without food or sleep- “speed freaks”
formication symptoms (speed bugs)
stimulant psychosis
paranoid delusions & disorientation
similar to the + symptoms of schizophrenia
cocaine 2: the champagne of stimulants
1970s- cocaine became a “prestige” drug
used by celebrities, pro athletes, and the wealthy
usually administered- in small doses, intranasally, seemed* to create fewer problems compared to intravenous use
crack
1986
free-based cocaine
free-based cocaine
cocaine is heated until it vaporizes
inhaled
short duration (10-20 min)- but intense high- more pleasurable than IV injections
the low is equally intense
long term use of cocaine causes
paranoia
anger
anxiety/panic
deep depression
convulsions
hallucinations
the war on drugs: crack vs cocaine
just say no!- drug used= by definition is a criminal
crack was cheaper
poor communities
African American & Latinx communities
huge disparities in sentencing
1988 (possession)
500 gs of cocaine=minimum 5 years
5gs of crack= minimum 5 years
this was in place until the Fair Sentencing Act until 2010.
methamphetamine manufactured
started on the West Coast & Hawaii in the early 1990s
by 2005 labs were common on the East Coast
Although use rates are in decline- still a problem in many pockets of the country
long term meth use, heavy use=
seizures/convulsions
cardiovascular collapse
paranoia (can be accompanied by violent behavior)
deterioration of teeth
formication, skin sores
extreme weight loss
faces of meth project
see the effect that long term drug use has on a person
methods of administration matters
intranasally- 10-15 minutes
intravenous injection- 30 seconds
crack or crystal meth are smoked- onset is even faster
one important difference between cocaine & amphetamine- duration
cocaine is metabolized rapidly (20-80 minutes)
amphetamines- effects last 4-12 hours
pharmacokinetics of stimulants
both drugs affect the monoamine neurotransmitters
block reuptake of dopamine, norephinephrine & serotonin
amphetamine also increases the release of
dopamine & norepinephrine
don’t just block the reuptake but increase the release
because reuptake is blocked
long term effects of stimulant use= depletion of monoamines
cocaine blues= users may find that it is difficult to experience pleasure- depletion of dopamine
One of the key differences between cocaine and amphetamines is that
cocaine is metabolized more rapidly and shorter duration of effect compared to amphetamines.
One proposed reason that gay and bisexual men are at an increased risk of methamphetamine addiction is because
the persistent belief that it will enhance sexual abilities & it is a popular party drug
pharmacodynamics: cocaine
differences in CNS and PNS
pharmacodynamics of cocaine in PNS
powerful local anesthetic
causes inhibition and numbness to local nerves
no longer used for surgery (but derivatives are used)
pharmacodynamics of cocaine in CNS
powerful psychostimulant
highly reinforcing
increases synaptic action of dopamine, norepinephrine & serotonin
blocks reuptake, also acts as an agonist at the receptor - can change amount of NT released
both cocaine & amphetamines hijack the
Mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway
chemically activate the reward system
cocaine in the Mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway
blocks transporter reuptake of the monoamines
more monoamines in the Mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway
NTs keep binding to the receptors & stimulate the mechanisms
pharmacodynamics: amphetamines
blocks and reverses transporter reuptake of monoamines
blocks enzymes that degrade monoamines
blocks transporter that fills vesicles with monoamines
LOTS more NT in the synaptic cleft for a longer period of time
the physiological effects of many stimulants are very similar
stimulants increase in suppression of appetite
stimulants are
sympathomimetic drugs
mimic activity of sympathetic nervous system
stimulants cause an increase in
heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, blood flow to large muscle groups & brain
stimulants cause the suppression of appetite
anorectic effects
this is one of the reasons that these drugs were prescribed for weight loss
didn’t work in the long term- tolerance
effects at low-moderate doses
behavioral effects
enhance physical performance on a variety of tasks
cognitive performance
sexual prowess
behavioral effects of stimulants
feelings of elation, increase talkativeness, alertness, & arousal
insomnia
stimulants enhance physical performance on a variety of tasks
physical endurance, increase in strength
increase resistance to boredom & fatigue
study drugs
cognitive performance with stimulants
speed up performance on several cognitive tasks
(speed-accuracy trade off)
seem to impair ability to learn complex concepts
sexual prowess with stimulants
increase desire (in some users) - but decreased performance :(
acute effects of stimulants at high doses
psychotic states
stimulant induced psychosis
increased risk of overdose
psychotic states of stimulants
paranoid delusions are most common symptoms
compulsive stereotyped behavior- rocking, hair pulling, chain smoking, fidgeting with things
stimulant induced psychosis
can be treated with antipsychotics
significantly increased risk of overdose of stimulants
convulsions, seizures, respiratory collapse, heart attack
prenatal exposure to stimulants
crack babies
women who take stimulants while pregnant
children whose mothers took stimulants (while pregnant)
women who take stimulants while pregnant
higher risk of: fetal death, miscarriage, premature labor
children whose mothers took stimulants (while pregnant)
lower birth weight, abnormal arousal, seizure & startle response
all seem to be short lived (when controlling for other maternal factors)
intellectual deficits - from the environment continues after birth- seem to endure (in part, the result of the environment)
formication syndrome
the feeling like bugs crawling under your skin
