179 replies to this topic

[savagek]

A little over three weeks ago I had a couple alcoholic drinks and used two lines of cocaine. Afterwords my heart rate jumped up to about 170 bpm so I took .50 mg o Xanax to calm myself and sleep. Next day i woke up in a complete fog and I've been that way ever since. I can't think clearly at all, its like i have a mental block. I'm having issues with problem solving and reading comprehension. I also have this strange tingling feeling near my left eye and in my forehead at times. 

 

 

 

I'm not sure what to do, its really disrupting my life. I can't find much information about this on the net and what little I've have found suggests it may be permanent. I've seen a doctor and got blood tests done but everything came back normal. I'm not a big drug user but I've tried cocaine before and never felt like this after. I think it may be from the combination of things i took. I know its not depression or anxiety because everything in my life was fine before this.

 

 

 

Edited by savagek, 14 January 2015 - 04:48 AM.

[Flex]

Could be a brain hemorrhage but thats just what I´ve read. I´m no Doctor so I could be mistaken.

I would ask the Doc about the idea of a MRI or a least a x-ray, to be at least certain.

 

Even if this is the case, You could afaik improve but after a longer period so months / year.

 

You could ask this also at:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/

 

or here but I dont know whether its free

http://www.justanswer.com/neurology/

 

Best Regards

Edited by Flex, 14 January 2015 - 02:14 PM.

[savagek]

Could be a brain hemorrhage but thats just what I´ve read. I´m no Doctor so I could be mistaken.

I would ask the Doc about the idea of a MRI or a least a x-ray, to be at least certain.

 

Even if this is the case, You could afaik improve but after a longer period so months / year.

 

You could ask this also at:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/

 

or here but I dont know whether its free

http://www.justanswer.com/neurology/

 

Best Regards

 

Thanks for your reply. I considered hemorrhage but I really don't have any of the symptoms besides the cognitive impairment and tingling, definitely gonna try and go for an MRI asap though.

 

Any other suggestions on what i can attempt to help my recovery (supplements, exercise,, ect)? I've been pretty much bed ridden for the last couple weeks in a sort of mental fog state. Been searching the net for any tidbits of info on my condition or any similar experiences but I just can't come up with anything. Don't know what to do with myself and I really don't know what I'm dealing with.

[gamesguru]

This guy has gone through something similar. Flex's suggestion of an MRI is quite reasonable given the severity of symptoms. Wouldn't be surprised if it revealed blood being reabsorbed in multiple brain regions.

 

Cocaethylene, slightly more cardiotoxic than cocaine, forms in the blood when cocaine and alcohol are present, although only at 15% the concentration of cocaine, so cocaine and alcohol themselves probably cause the bulk of the damage^[1].

 

Best advice, assuming there was neurotoxicity not related to stroke/hemorrhage, would be to follow an impeccable diet and possibly to take some brain supplements (green tea^[2], mematine^[3],bacopa^[4, 5]). Much of the damage was likely dopaminergic/oxidative in nature^[4], and so not having eaten many fruits/veggies that day would make the damage much worse. Who knows, maybe you took an energy drink with tyrosine and caffeine, and that made things even worse.

[Flex]

Sorry didnt noticed Your response:

 

I would try first the following to look whether it works and to avoid spending too much money:

 

Rehmannia Glutinosa/Catalpol ( Roughly 5 grams of the herb or 1 gram of an extract for for a few days should be sufficient), = for GDNF elevation, so restoration and cognition

Rhodiola Rosea(extract), = for instant elevation of monoamines and therefore concetration, mood. A "feel good + better function" pill

Fishoil + lecitine (or better CDP-choline)  and perhaps Uridine = the building material of synapses and cell hulls

 

The following are optional but if You didnt felt that much from Rehmannia glutinosa and/or Rhodiola, then there would not be for now a big chance to feel a instant betterment from them:

 

Dan shen/salvia miltiorrhiza, Gastrodia elata / Tian Ma, Scutellaria baicalensis/chinese scullcap, Lion´s mane mushroom (NGF) = various effects like: restoration, mood, cognition

Acetyl-Carnitine, = for NGF and energy production in the cells, though the herbs should have similair effects

 

Alternatively You could look for a product like this:

Pure Essence, Energy Plus, 60 Tablets

http://www.iherb.com...inued-Item/3199

or e.g.

Tian Ma Gou Teng Pian

http://www.suntenglo...w02.php?ID=1503

http://www.activeherb.com/gouteng/

 

So You would have low dosed herbs, but several of them and an increased chance of a additional effect.

 

Note: dont exeed the recommended doses, because some mixtures could e.g. elevate the risk of bleeding.

The dosage is either on the posted sites above or here requestable:

http://www.americand...m/contact2.html

 

Some non-pharma advices:

Go swimming or sports = Bdnf + Vegf elvation & etc.

Zen meditation for 30 min a Day = the growth of the PFC (prefrontal cortex) is even measurable via a MRI after ~ 3 Months.

This increases the concetration, mood, anxiety, self control & etc.

But better buy a book for instructions if You are interrested and not that lazy as I´am

Edited by Flex, 23 January 2015 - 08:33 PM.

[savagek]

Its been few months for me now and really much hasn't changed. I've had an mri and eeg as well as multiple blood tests but doctors haven't been able to find anything. My symptoms haven't improved in the slightest since day one. Not sure what i did to myself exactly besides make a really stupid decision but I'm really beginning to think that any king of improve is hopeless. I exercise and eat as healthy i can but everyday my condition remains mostly the same. Really not sure what to do at this point

[VerdeGo]

I'm sorry you've had to suffer from one bad mistake. The issue sounds dopaminergic in nature, but only from my own experience using other dopamine-boosting substances. You may consider a naturopathic doctor or other alternative treatment, since the modern medical community can't solve this riddle in your brain. Have you visited a neurologist yet?  Did you try Flex's suggestion of acetyl-l-carnitine? It seems to improve energy and focus. I wouldn't go messing around with anything heavier than amino acids at this point until you know what the underlying issue is. There's some aminos that regulate the neurotransmitter system (taurine), but I'm not comfortable suggesting you try it since I haven't used it long term at this point, but I have used carnitine for stretches of years before, and it definitely sharpened my brain and got me out of any fog I've been in. I'd avoid phenylalanine, tyrosine, and anything similar at this point. When I was in a temporary haze lasting a week from too much tyrosine/phenylalanine (they affect dopamine and increase it), I would formerly use sulbutiamine, which increases D1 receptor density. This always got me out of the "dopamine haze" (for lack of a better term), and get me back to being energetic, sharp-minded, and motivated. The haze that settled in after my last tyrosine/phenylalanine dose would last a week, and I was completely immersed in brain fog at the time, and I was absolutely spaced out throughout the day, every day. However I also don't suggest you take sulbutiamine either, because I had complications from it after two years of light use (though I have heard of no other similar experiences, so it may be from something unrelated). 

 

The brain is very complex. If MRIs and EEGs proved fruitless, and you're at your wit's end, please go see a specialist. If you're going to experiment with something, do your research and try things that are known to balance the body. There are a lot of herbs and mushrooms that are adaptogenic in nature (I personally use cordyceps), and seem to regulate body systems, some including the brain's neurotransmitter system. But before trying adaptogens, you should look into amino acids/vitamins/minerals and go from there. A B complex is very stimulating, and can improve focus. Or you can try B vitamins one-by-one. B1 is excellent for energy and concentration IMO. B6 and B9 both regulate dopamine as well, though both have left me with that same hazy feeling following use (especially B9, it felt just like tyrosine the three days following use, but I was much happier and carefree than normal).

 

Please stay strong. I am not a doctor, and I can only relate my own personal experience in the matter, though it's not quite the same as yours. There's plenty of brilliant minds on here, and I hope someone can help you. 

[savagek]

I'm sorry you've had to suffer from one bad mistake. The issue sounds dopaminergic in nature, but only from my own experience using other dopamine-boosting substances. You may consider a naturopathic doctor or other alternative treatment, since the modern medical community can't solve this riddle in your brain. Have you visited a neurologist yet?  Did you try Flex's suggestion of acetyl-l-carnitine? It seems to improve energy and focus. I wouldn't go messing around with anything heavier than amino acids at this point until you know what the underlying issue is. There's some aminos that regulate the neurotransmitter system (taurine), but I'm not comfortable suggesting you try it since I haven't used it long term at this point, but I have used carnitine for stretches of years before, and it definitely sharpened my brain and got me out of any fog I've been in. I'd avoid phenylalanine, tyrosine, and anything similar at this point. When I was in a temporary haze lasting a week from too much tyrosine/phenylalanine (they affect dopamine and increase it), I would formerly use sulbutiamine, which increases D1 receptor density. This always got me out of the "dopamine haze" (for lack of a better term), and get me back to being energetic, sharp-minded, and motivated. The haze that settled in after my last tyrosine/phenylalanine dose would last a week, and I was completely immersed in brain fog at the time, and I was absolutely spaced out throughout the day, every day. However I also don't suggest you take sulbutiamine either, because I had complications from it after two years of light use (though I have heard of no other similar experiences, so it may be from something unrelated). 

 

The brain is very complex. If MRIs and EEGs proved fruitless, and you're at your wit's end, please go see a specialist. If you're going to experiment with something, do your research and try things that are known to balance the body. There are a lot of herbs and mushrooms that are adaptogenic in nature (I personally use cordyceps), and seem to regulate body systems, some including the brain's neurotransmitter system. But before trying adaptogens, you should look into amino acids/vitamins/minerals and go from there. A B complex is very stimulating, and can improve focus. Or you can try B vitamins one-by-one. B1 is excellent for energy and concentration IMO. B6 and B9 both regulate dopamine as well, though both have left me with that same hazy feeling following use (especially B9, it felt just like tyrosine the three days following use, but I was much happier and carefree than normal).

 

Please stay strong. I am not a doctor, and I can only relate my own personal experience in the matter, though it's not quite the same as yours. There's plenty of brilliant minds on here, and I hope someone can help you. 

 

 

Thank you for that informative and encouraging post, It really uplifted my mood after i read it. I saw a neurologist and after he looked at my test results and saw nothing, concluded there was nothing he could do since he didn't know what was causing my symptoms. He basically said hes never seen cocaine or xanax cause issues like mine before.

 

What my symptoms are is: 

 

1. My vision is altered. Feels like I'm not processing what I'm seeing correctly, which makes things like reading and watching movies difficult. Also feels like I'm boxed in but not tunnel vision.

 

2. I can't think clearly. Mainly problem solving and trying to make any simple choices as become a hurdle. 

 

3. I can't listen music. All the sounds are difficult to process and almost feels like noise.

 

4. I have a tingling itching under my left eye next to my nose. When itch or touch it, it goes away and then returns soon after.

 

 

I woke up this way the day after of using and have been exactly the same since. The symptoms don't change or fluctuate, Its just been a permanent state.  Besides a couple of posts on here and a few sites on google I haven't been able to find any similar stories. So I've basically been in the dark about what I'm dealing with. I have a bottle of alcar I'm gonna start taking in the next few days. Shopping for nootropics proves difficult because of my condition and trying to research the difficult brands and dosages. I'll definitely look into some of the suggestions in your post as well as flex's and anyone else who posts advice.

[renfr]

It could be permanent receptor destruction or permanent brain lesions such as what happens with those who huff toluene.
Cocaine is not necessarily the culprit, it could also be some shady drugs used to cut it.

[VerdeGo]

Wouldn't lesions show up on an MRI or be detected by the neurologist? How would he go about checking for damage to his receptors? 

[Metagene]

It could be permanent receptor destruction or permanent brain lesions such as what happens with those who huff toluene.
Cocaine is not necessarily the culprit, it could also be some shady drugs used to cut it.

 

That is a valid point but the combination of Cocaine and alcohol should not be underestimated. Barring any permanent damage it may take some time for the OP's symptoms to subside. 

 

 

Effects of concurrent use of alcohol and cocaine.

The combination of alcohol and cocaine is popular among drug users, perhaps because of more intense feelings of 'high' beyond that perceived with either drug alone, less intense feelings of alcohol-induced inebriation and tempering of discomfort when coming down from a cocaine 'high'. A review is presented of the medical literature on psychological and somatic effects and consequences of combined use of alcohol and cocaine in man. The search was carried out with Medline, the Science Citation Index/Web of Science and Toxline. Exclusion and inclusion criteria for this search are identified. There is generally no evidence that the combination of the two drugs does more than enhance additively the already strong tendency of each drug to induce a variety of physical and psychological disorders. A few exceptions must be noted. Cocaine consistently antagonizes the learning deficits, psychomotor performance deficits and driving deficits induced by alcohol. The combination of alcohol and cocaine tends to have greater-than-additive effects on heart rate, concomitant with up to 30% increased blood cocaine levels. Both prospective and retrospective data further reveal that co-use leads to the formation of cocaethylene, which may potentiate the cardiotoxic effects of cocaine or alcohol alone. More importantly, retrospective data suggest that the combination can potentiate the tendency towards violent thoughts and threats, which may lead to an increase of violent behaviours.

 

 

https://drive.google...iew?usp=sharing

 

Cognitive impairment in cocaine users is drug-induced but partially reversible: evidence from a longitudinal study.

"Cocaine users consistently display cognitive impairments. However, it is still unknown whether these impairments are cocaine-induced and if they are reversible. Therefore, we examined the relation between changing intensity of cocaine use and the development of cognitive functioning within 1 year. The present data were collected as part of the longitudinal Zurich Cocaine Cognition Study (ZuCo(2)St). Forty-eight psychostimulant-naive controls and 57 cocaine users (19 with increased, 19 with decreased, and 19 with unchanged cocaine use) were eligible for analysis. At baseline and after a 1-year follow-up, cognitive performance was measured by a global cognitive index and four neuropsychological domains (attention, working memory, declarative memory, and executive functions), calculated from 13 parameters of a broad neuropsychological test battery. Intensity of cocaine use was objectively determined by quantitative 6-month hair toxicology at both test sessions. Substantially increased cocaine use within 1 year (mean +297%) was associated with reduced cognitive performance primarily in working memory. By contrast, decreased cocaine use (-72%) was linked to small cognitive improvements in all four domains. Importantly, users who ceased taking cocaine seemed to recover completely, attaining a cognitive performance level similar to that of the control group. However, recovery of working memory was correlated with age of onset of cocaine use-early-onset users showed hampered recovery. These longitudinal data suggest that cognitive impairment might be partially cocaine-induced but also reversible within 1 year, at least after moderate exposure. The reversibility indicates that neuroplastic adaptations underlie cognitive changes in cocaine users, which are potentially modifiable in psychotherapeutical or pharmacological interventions."

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/24651468

[savagek]

Wouldn't lesions show up on an MRI or be detected by the neurologist? How would he go about checking for damage to his receptors? 

 

I have basically no knowledge about anything neurological (hence why I'm posting here). But from what I've gathered lesions would definitely show up on and mri and that's what my neurologist was most likely looking for when he viewed my test results.

 

 

As for Cocaine and alcohol. From what I've read, the combination of the two creates cocaethylene which has increased effects on the heart but wouldn't cause any cognitive issues. But what do i know?

[VerdeGo]

After reading this article, you'll know a lot more than you currently do. Well, maybe. It talks about the two types of brain malfunctions, and how to go about repairing them, including eight ways to fix neurotransmitter issues. The other common malfunction is HPA axis dysfunction, but I'm not familiar with it. I've only skimmed this article, but it may help you understand your condition better:

 

http://www.bengreenf...fix-your-brain/

 

As far as checking your neurotransmitter levels, there's a lot of independent labs online that allow you to check from home by sending in samples. I don't know how reliable or accurate these tests are, so you'll have to research them. But you could bring in the results to a physician to figure out a game plan, if indeed any anomalies show up. Someone here may know of a better test to check for receptor damage, and I encourage them to speak up. 

 

Chances are your brain will fix itself in due time, but in the meantime you've got to continue searching for answers and solutions. The more you know, the more power you'll have in solving your problems. 

 

[Metagene]

Wouldn't lesions show up on an MRI or be detected by the neurologist? How would he go about checking for damage to his receptors?

I have basically no knowledge about anything neurological (hence why I'm posting here). But from what I've gathered lesions would definitely show up on and mri and that's what my neurologist was most likely looking for when he viewed my test results.


As for Cocaine and alcohol. From what I've read, the combination of the two creates cocaethylene which has increased effects on the heart but wouldn't cause any cognitive issues. But what do i know?

Cocaethylene is as cardiotoxic as cocaine but is less toxic than cocaine plus ethanol.

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/8761012

I started to read up on acute diffuse toxic encephalopathy and cocaine intoxication. Ask your neurologist about a SPECT scan.

Cerebral blood flow changes with acute cocaine intoxication: clinical correlations with SPECT, CT, and MRI.


"Brain SPECT revealed focal cortical lesions not seen on head CT or MRI, which corresponded to clinical deficits."

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/7603541/

Edited by Metagene, 26 April 2015 - 05:24 AM.

[Metagene]

As far as checking your neurotransmitter levels, there's a lot of independent labs online that allow you to check from home by sending in samples. I don't know how reliable or accurate these tests are, so you'll have to research them. But you could bring in the results to a physician to figure out a game plan, if indeed any anomalies show up. Someone here may know of a better test to check for receptor damage, and I encourage them to speak up.

Those neurotransmitter test kits are a expensive waste of time.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3818889/
https://www.scienceb...agnostic-tests/

[savagek]

 

 

Wouldn't lesions show up on an MRI or be detected by the neurologist? How would he go about checking for damage to his receptors?

I have basically no knowledge about anything neurological (hence why I'm posting here). But from what I've gathered lesions would definitely show up on and mri and that's what my neurologist was most likely looking for when he viewed my test results.


As for Cocaine and alcohol. From what I've read, the combination of the two creates cocaethylene which has increased effects on the heart but wouldn't cause any cognitive issues. But what do i know?

Cocaethylene is as cardiotoxic as cocaine but is less toxic than cocaine plus ethanol.

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/8761012

I started to read up on acute diffuse toxic encephalopathy and cocaine intoxication. Ask your neurologist about a SPECT scan.

Cerebral blood flow changes with acute cocaine intoxication: clinical correlations with SPECT, CT, and MRI.


"Brain SPECT revealed focal cortical lesions not seen on head CT or MRI, which corresponded to clinical deficits."

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/7603541/

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm gonna be seeing my neurologist in about a week so i'll definitely be sure to bring that up.

 

 

Are there any other alternatives to home kits for getting neurotransmitters tested? 

[Metagene]

Wouldn't lesions show up on an MRI or be detected by the neurologist? How would he go about checking for damage to his receptors?

I have basically no knowledge about anything neurological (hence why I'm posting here). But from what I've gathered lesions would definitely show up on and mri and that's what my neurologist was most likely looking for when he viewed my test results.


As for Cocaine and alcohol. From what I've read, the combination of the two creates cocaethylene which has increased effects on the heart but wouldn't cause any cognitive issues. But what do i know?

Cocaethylene is as cardiotoxic as cocaine but is less toxic than cocaine plus ethanol.

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/8761012

I started to read up on acute diffuse toxic encephalopathy and cocaine intoxication. Ask your neurologist about a SPECT scan.

Cerebral blood flow changes with acute cocaine intoxication: clinical correlations with SPECT, CT, and MRI.


"Brain SPECT revealed focal cortical lesions not seen on head CT or MRI, which corresponded to clinical deficits."

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/7603541/

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm gonna be seeing my neurologist in about a week so i'll definitely be sure to bring that up.


Are there any other alternatives to home kits for getting neurotransmitters tested?

Essentially no. You can learn more about measuring neurotransmitters in the brain under section 10.5.3 https://books.google...epage&q&f=false

"At present, the only clinically proven use for spot baseline urinary monoamine assays is as a screening test for pheochromocytoma or carcinoid syndrome to determine if a 24-hour urine test is needed to diagnose these diseases definitively. This application is hereby specifically excluded from consideration in this manuscript."

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3165907/

Edited by Metagene, 26 April 2015 - 02:46 PM.

[axonopathy]

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a hypochondriac? Many of symptoms you are describing are somatic in nature and it seems like you have a lot of health anxiety. Please bear in mind that merely being anxious about one's health can produce symptoms like brain fog, GI upset, palpitations, etc. 

 

There are people who snort grams upon grams of cocaine for years and make a full recovery. Is it possible your brain fog is unrelated to the cocaine incident, e.g., hypothyroidism, depression, or anxiety?

[Metagene]

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a hypochondriac? Many of symptoms you are describing are somatic in nature and it seems like you have a lot of health anxiety. Please bear in mind that merely being anxious about one's health can produce symptoms like brain fog, GI upset, palpitations, etc.

There are people who snort grams upon grams of cocaine for years and make a full recovery.Is it possible your brain fog is unrelated to the cocaine incident, e.g., hypothyroidism, depression, or anxiety?

He's not a hypochondriac. Don't believe chronic cocanie abusers can simply make a full recovery.

effects of cocaine abuse: multiorgan toxicity and pathological consequences.

"Cocaine is a powerful stimulant of the sympathetic nervous system by inhibiting catecholamine reuptake, stimulating central sympathetic outflow, and increasing the sensitivity of adrenergic nerve endings to norepinephrine (NE). It is known, from numerous studies, that cocaine causes irreversible structural changes on the brain, heart, lung and other organs such as liver and kidney and there are many mechanisms involved in the genesis of these damages. Some effects are determined by the overstimulation of the adrenergic system. Most of the direct toxic effects are mediated by oxidative stress and by mitochondrial dysfunction produced during the metabolism of noradrenaline or during the metabolism of norcocaina, as in cocaine-induced hepathotoxicity. Cocaine is responsible for the coronary arteries vasoconstriction, atherosclerotic phenomena and thrombus formation. In this way, cocaine favors the myocardial infarction. While the arrhythmogenic effect of cocaine is mediated by the action on potassium channel (blocking), calcium channels (enhances the function) and inhibiting the flow of sodium during depolarization. Moreover chronic cocaine use is associated with myocarditis, ventricular hypertrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.A variety of respiratory problems temporally associated with crack inhalation have been reported. Cocaine may cause changes in the respiratory tract as a result of its pharmacologic effects exerted either locally or systemically, its method of administration (smoking, sniffing, injecting), or its alteration of central nervous system neuroregulation of pulmonary function. Renal failure resulting from cocaine abuse has been also well documented. A lot of studies demonstrated a high incidence of congenital cardiovascular and brain malformations in offspring born to mothers with a history of cocaine abuse."

http://www.ncbi.nlm....ubmed/22934772/

Edited by Metagene, 26 April 2015 - 08:42 PM.

[savagek]

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a hypochondriac? Many of symptoms you are describing are somatic in nature and it seems like you have a lot of health anxiety. Please bear in mind that merely being anxious about one's health can produce symptoms like brain fog, GI upset, palpitations, etc. 

 

There are people who snort grams upon grams of cocaine for years and make a full recovery. Is it possible your brain fog is unrelated to the cocaine incident, e.g., hypothyroidism, depression, or anxiety?

 

To answer your question, my symptoms are definitely very real. 

 

I woke up feeling the exact way i described in my earlier posts. I thought that i was maybe hungover and that i'd feel better in a few days. Well fast forward a few months and I feel the exact same way with no real changes. Things were going fairly well for me before this. I had a business that i started on ebay a few years ago that was going great. Since this happened I haven't been able to work much due to reading being such a challenge.

 

I have friends who use piles of this stuff but wake up feeling great the next day. It blows my mind (no pun intended) that I use this one time and am now I'm possibly permanently impaired. 

[Flex]

The whole earth is build on sand..

 

Dont want to sound too philosophic but everthing can everytime happen.(unfortunaetly)

 

If this thought helps You somehow in the case You dont believe in God/Bible, Quran & etc.

(just saying, it helps to an extend to overcome/vanquish)

 

We´re living in a time where Stemcell therapies could be possible, also I´ve read somewhere that this generation could be immortal because of scientific progress.

You might have a problematic time ahead of You but there might be a hope.

If You would live 100 Years ago then ...

 

I hope that this might help:

 

- Try Cerebrolysin

 

- In regards of Dihexa &etc. :

Keep in mind that research chemicals could bear unkown side effects

(Just saying, dont want to be a scaremonger)

 

- This guy made some experiments with bone marrow stemcells and had some good results (if I´m not mistaken)

Stem cell guinea pig needs advice

http://www.longecity...g-needs-advice/

 

White matter repair ?:

- Drugs stimulate body’s own stem cells to replace the brain cells lost in multiple sclerosis

(miconazole and clobetasol)

http://www.scienceda...p Science News)

 

On the other hand:

 

Thoughts Can Fuel Some Deadly Brain Cancers

http://www.npr.org/b...y-brain-cancers

 

If I´m not mistaken, this means that Myelin can increase the probability of cancer

but its not something new, I guess its the homeostatic balance of the body where in the most cases

profilative mechanism tend to cause cancer and antiprofilative tend to cause apostosis.

(correct me if I´m wrong)

 

Edit:

I have friends who use piles of this stuff but wake up feeling great the next day.

 

For how long ? just saying:

Charlie Sheen + post #29 in my coke thread:

 

every consumption causes a micro-stroke

 

Cocaine News + reversal thread

http://www.longecity...ad/#entry724979

Edited by Flex, 26 April 2015 - 10:14 PM.

[axonopathy]

 

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a hypochondriac? Many of symptoms you are describing are somatic in nature and it seems like you have a lot of health anxiety. Please bear in mind that merely being anxious about one's health can produce symptoms like brain fog, GI upset, palpitations, etc. 

 

There are people who snort grams upon grams of cocaine for years and make a full recovery. Is it possible your brain fog is unrelated to the cocaine incident, e.g., hypothyroidism, depression, or anxiety?

 

To answer your question, my symptoms are definitely very real. 

 

I woke up feeling the exact way i described in my earlier posts. I thought that i was maybe hungover and that i'd feel better in a few days. Well fast forward a few months and I feel the exact same way with no real changes. Things were going fairly well for me before this. I had a business that i started on ebay a few years ago that was going great. Since this happened I haven't been able to work much due to reading being such a challenge.

 

I have friends who use piles of this stuff but wake up feeling great the next day. It blows my mind (no pun intended) that I use this one time and am now I'm possibly permanently impaired. 

 

 

Okay, I hear you. Waking up with brain fog and strange sensations everyday sucks. But it is extremely unlikely that you are permanently impaired, and I'll explain why in a minute. 

 

It is very easy to get sucked into the literature and start fear mongering. When you read articles online about cocaine neurotoxicity etc., it activates a very intense stress response - you become afraid that you might be forever defective. You're HPA axis goes haywire; cortisol is released in spades. But wait- isn't excess cortisol directly toxic to neurons? Why yes, excess cortisol is often invoked as the cause of depression-induced hippocampal atrophy, a harbinger of neuronal apoptosis. 

 

I urge you to consider the possibility that you stressing and ruminating about the possibility of being permanently impaired by this isolated cocaine episode is actually worse for your brain than the use of cocaine in an isolated incident. 

 

Mental clarity and cognitive tempo often naturally oscillate during the course of one's life. Many people have periods of intense productivity and lucidity followed by some down time where they are less stimulated by their environment - and this is different from say, being a manic depressive. Life is cyclical. 

 

The fear that you are permanently altered, impaired, defective - these are neurotic ruminations/fears. Let me explain what I mean by a neurotic fear.

 

By ruminating about this possibility that you're permanently impaired, your brain has now been "primed" by this terrifying stimuli. You check and recheck your body and mind for any sign that you are still impaired - and find confirmation in whatever symptoms you experience, e.g., brain fog, abnormal sensations, etc. The way out of this horrible, PTSD-esque negative feedback cycle is to step back, stop reading fear-mongering articles online, stay in the present, accept whatever abnormal sensations you are having, take a walk, engage in some psychotherapy, exercise, spend time with friends, and remember this quote from Hamlet: "nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." The first step toward recovery is cultivating a healthy relationship with your own thinking; as David Foster Wallace points out, addiction/psychotic depression is really an unhealthy addiction to thinking itself.

 

P.S. if you want a brain boost, check out: [LR] =>  I just ordered some a few days ago and it's really put me in a lucid state (possibly placebo). 

 

FYI, If I've totally missed the mark with my comments, I apologize. It's hard to formulate accurate, helpful interpretations over the internet. 

Edited by YOLF, 31 May 2015 - 03:22 AM.

[NeuroNootropic]

Sounds like you may have damaged your dopaminergic system. In that case, try some Jiaogulan (Gynostemma). It may or may not help, but it's worth a try.

 

6-Hydroxydopamine administration for 28 days (8 microg/2 microL) reduced the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunopositive neurons to 40.2% in the substantia nigra compared to the intact contralateral side. Dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid and norepinephrine levels were reduced to 19.1%, 52.3%, 47.1% and 67.4% in the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats compared to the control group, respectively. However, an oral administration of herbal ethanol extracts from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP-EX) (10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg) starting on day 3 post-lesion for 28 days markedly ameliorated the reduction of TH-immunopositive neurons induced by 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat brain from 40.2% to 67.4% and 75.8% in the substantia nigra. GP-EX administration (10 and 30 mg/kg) also recovered the levels of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid and norepinephrine in post-lesion striatum to 64.1% and 65.0%, 77.9% and 89.7%, 82.6% and 90.2%, and 88.1% and 89.2% of the control group. GP-EX at the given doses did not produce any sign of toxicity such as weight loss, diarrhea and vomiting in rats during the 28 day treatment period and four gypenoside derivatives, gynosaponin TN-1, gynosaponin TN-2, gypenoside XLV and gypenoside LXXIV were identified from GP-EX. These results suggest that GP-EX might be helpful in the prevention of Parkinson's disease.

→ source (external link)

[Metagene]

 

 

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a hypochondriac? Many of symptoms you are describing are somatic in nature and it seems like you have a lot of health anxiety. Please bear in mind that merely being anxious about one's health can produce symptoms like brain fog, GI upset, palpitations, etc.

There are people who snort grams upon grams of cocaine for years and make a full recovery. Is it possible your brain fog is unrelated to the cocaine incident, e.g., hypothyroidism, depression, or anxiety?

To answer your question, my symptoms are definitely very real.

I woke up feeling the exact way i described in my earlier posts. I thought that i was maybe hungover and that i'd feel better in a few days. Well fast forward a few months and I feel the exact same way with no real changes. Things were going fairly well for me before this. I had a business that i started on ebay a few years ago that was going great. Since this happened I haven't been able to work much due to reading being such a challenge.

I have friends who use piles of this stuff but wake up feeling great the next day. It blows my mind (no pun intended) that I use this one time and am now I'm possibly permanently impaired.

Okay, I hear you. Waking up with brain fog and strange sensations everyday sucks. But it is extremely unlikely that you are permanently impaired, and I'll explain why in a minute.

It is very easy to get sucked into the literature and start fear mongering. When you read articles online about cocaine neurotoxicity etc., it activates a very intense stress response - you become afraid that you might be forever defective. You're HPA axis goes haywire; cortisol is released in spades. But wait- isn't excess cortisol directly toxic to neurons? Why yes, excess cortisol is often invoked as the cause of depression-induced hippocampal atrophy, a harbinger of neuronal apoptosis.

I urge you to consider the possibility that you stressing and ruminating about the possibility of being permanently impaired by this isolated cocaine episode is actually worse for your brain than the use of cocaine in an isolated incident.

Mental clarity and cognitive tempo often naturally oscillate during the course of one's life. Many people have periods of intense productivity and lucidity followed by some down time where they are less stimulated by their environment - and this is different from say, being a manic depressive. Life is cyclical.

The fear that you are permanently altered, impaired, defective - these are neurotic ruminations/fears. Let me explain what I mean by a neurotic fear.

By ruminating about this possibility that you're permanently impaired, your brain has now been "primed" by this terrifying stimuli. You check and recheck your body and mind for any sign that you are still impaired - and find confirmation in whatever symptoms you experience, e.g., brain fog, abnormal sensations, etc. The way out of this horrible, PTSD-esque negative feedback cycle is to step back, stop reading fear-mongering articles online, stay in the present, accept whatever abnormal sensations you are having, take a walk, engage in some psychotherapy, exercise, spend time with friends, and remember this quote from Hamlet: "nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." The first step toward recovery is cultivating a healthy relationship with your own thinking; as David Foster Wallace points out, addiction/psychotic depression is really an unhealthy addiction to thinking itself.

P.S. if you want a brain boost, check out: [LR] => I just ordered some a few days ago and it's really put me in a lucid state (possibly placebo).

FYI, If I've totally missed the mark with my comments, I apologize. It's hard to formulate accurate, helpful interpretations over the internet.

Scientific research that demonstrates the potential of illicit drugs to cause permanent harm is not "fear mongering". The key word here is "potential". You minimize the long term effects of chronic cocaine abuse with unsubstantiated claims that neither comfort nor inform. If you payed attention to the longitudinal study posted above it took nearly a year for a partial reversal of cognitive impairment after moderate cocanie exposure. This cocaine incident was concurrent with alcohol use followed by 50mg of Xanax. Don't take your body's ability to recover for granted. The need for early medical treatment can not be emphasized enough:

"During a hypertensive emergency uncontrolled blood pressure leads to progressive or impending end-organ dysfunction. Therefore, it is important to lower the blood pressure aggressively. Acute end-organ damage may occur, affecting the neurological, cardiovascular, renal, or other organ systems. Some examples of neurological damage include hypertensive encephalopathy, cerebral vascular accident/cerebral infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracranial hemorrhage. Cardiovascular system damage can include myocardial ischemia/infarction, acute left ventricular dysfunction, acute pulmonary edema, and aortic dissection. Other end-organ damage can include acute renal failure or insufficiency, retinopathy, eclampsia, and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia."

http://en.m.wikipedi...nsive_emergency


I'm not a doctor but you have no objective reason to suggest the OP's symptoms maybe be psychosomatic.

Edited by YOLF, 31 May 2015 - 03:23 AM.

[savagek]

 

 

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a hypochondriac? Many of symptoms you are describing are somatic in nature and it seems like you have a lot of health anxiety. Please bear in mind that merely being anxious about one's health can produce symptoms like brain fog, GI upset, palpitations, etc. 

 

There are people who snort grams upon grams of cocaine for years and make a full recovery. Is it possible your brain fog is unrelated to the cocaine incident, e.g., hypothyroidism, depression, or anxiety?

 

To answer your question, my symptoms are definitely very real. 

 

I woke up feeling the exact way i described in my earlier posts. I thought that i was maybe hungover and that i'd feel better in a few days. Well fast forward a few months and I feel the exact same way with no real changes. Things were going fairly well for me before this. I had a business that i started on ebay a few years ago that was going great. Since this happened I haven't been able to work much due to reading being such a challenge.

 

I have friends who use piles of this stuff but wake up feeling great the next day. It blows my mind (no pun intended) that I use this one time and am now I'm possibly permanently impaired. 

 

 

Okay, I hear you. Waking up with brain fog and strange sensations everyday sucks. But it is extremely unlikely that you are permanently impaired, and I'll explain why in a minute. 

 

It is very easy to get sucked into the literature and start fear mongering. When you read articles online about cocaine neurotoxicity etc., it activates a very intense stress response - you become afraid that you might be forever defective. You're HPA axis goes haywire; cortisol is released in spades. But wait- isn't excess cortisol directly toxic to neurons? Why yes, excess cortisol is often invoked as the cause of depression-induced hippocampal atrophy, a harbinger of neuronal apoptosis. 

 

I urge you to consider the possibility that you stressing and ruminating about the possibility of being permanently impaired by this isolated cocaine episode is actually worse for your brain than the use of cocaine in an isolated incident. 

 

Mental clarity and cognitive tempo often naturally oscillate during the course of one's life. Many people have periods of intense productivity and lucidity followed by some down time where they are less stimulated by their environment - and this is different from say, being a manic depressive. Life is cyclical. 

 

The fear that you are permanently altered, impaired, defective - these are neurotic ruminations/fears. Let me explain what I mean by a neurotic fear.

 

By ruminating about this possibility that you're permanently impaired, your brain has now been "primed" by this terrifying stimuli. You check and recheck your body and mind for any sign that you are still impaired - and find confirmation in whatever symptoms you experience, e.g., brain fog, abnormal sensations, etc. The way out of this horrible, PTSD-esque negative feedback cycle is to step back, stop reading fear-mongering articles online, stay in the present, accept whatever abnormal sensations you are having, take a walk, engage in some psychotherapy, exercise, spend time with friends, and remember this quote from Hamlet: "nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." The first step toward recovery is cultivating a healthy relationship with your own thinking; as David Foster Wallace points out, addiction/psychotic depression is really an unhealthy addiction to thinking itself.

 

P.S. if you want a brain boost, check out: [LR] =>  I just ordered some a few days ago and it's really put me in a lucid state (possibly placebo). 

 

FYI, If I've totally missed the mark with my comments, I apologize. It's hard to formulate accurate, helpful interpretations over the internet. 

 

I understand what your trying to say and i can see how it makes sense.

 

However, I don't spend the majority of the day dwelling on my condition. But I don't have to search for confirmation of my symptoms because they're always present no mater what I'm doing or thinking. I have tingling in my face all day. I try to read a short article online and its a major struggle because of how altered my vision is. Problem solving is affected so simple tasks like trying to decide what i want to eat for dinner is an obstacle. 

 

I wrestle with the idea that this is permanent because its been over 4 months for me and I haven't seen a hint of change. It hasn't gotten worse or improved in the slightest and no doctors has been able to tell me anything.

Edited by YOLF, 31 May 2015 - 03:23 AM.

[savagek]

Sounds like you may have damaged your dopaminergic system. In that case, try some Jiaogulan (Gynostemma). It may or may not help, but it's worth a try.

 

6-Hydroxydopamine administration for 28 days (8 microg/2 microL) reduced the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunopositive neurons to 40.2% in the substantia nigra compared to the intact contralateral side. Dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid and norepinephrine levels were reduced to 19.1%, 52.3%, 47.1% and 67.4% in the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats compared to the control group, respectively. However, an oral administration of herbal ethanol extracts from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP-EX) (10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg) starting on day 3 post-lesion for 28 days markedly ameliorated the reduction of TH-immunopositive neurons induced by 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat brain from 40.2% to 67.4% and 75.8% in the substantia nigra. GP-EX administration (10 and 30 mg/kg) also recovered the levels of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid and norepinephrine in post-lesion striatum to 64.1% and 65.0%, 77.9% and 89.7%, 82.6% and 90.2%, and 88.1% and 89.2% of the control group. GP-EX at the given doses did not produce any sign of toxicity such as weight loss, diarrhea and vomiting in rats during the 28 day treatment period and four gypenoside derivatives, gynosaponin TN-1, gynosaponin TN-2, gypenoside XLV and gypenoside LXXIV were identified from GP-EX. These results suggest that GP-EX might be helpful in the prevention of Parkinson's disease.

→ source (external link)

 

I really don't know jack about neurotransmitters but wouldn't I have issues with things like mood, emotions and motivation?  I don't have any problems with those, I'm mainly dealing with cognitive and visual impairments.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll be sure to look into Jiaogulan.

[axonopathy]

 

 

 

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a hypochondriac? Many of symptoms you are describing are somatic in nature and it seems like you have a lot of health anxiety. Please bear in mind that merely being anxious about one's health can produce symptoms like brain fog, GI upset, palpitations, etc.

There are people who snort grams upon grams of cocaine for years and make a full recovery. Is it possible your brain fog is unrelated to the cocaine incident, e.g., hypothyroidism, depression, or anxiety?

To answer your question, my symptoms are definitely very real.

I woke up feeling the exact way i described in my earlier posts. I thought that i was maybe hungover and that i'd feel better in a few days. Well fast forward a few months and I feel the exact same way with no real changes. Things were going fairly well for me before this. I had a business that i started on ebay a few years ago that was going great. Since this happened I haven't been able to work much due to reading being such a challenge.

I have friends who use piles of this stuff but wake up feeling great the next day. It blows my mind (no pun intended) that I use this one time and am now I'm possibly permanently impaired.

Okay, I hear you. Waking up with brain fog and strange sensations everyday sucks. But it is extremely unlikely that you are permanently impaired, and I'll explain why in a minute.

It is very easy to get sucked into the literature and start fear mongering. When you read articles online about cocaine neurotoxicity etc., it activates a very intense stress response - you become afraid that you might be forever defective. You're HPA axis goes haywire; cortisol is released in spades. But wait- isn't excess cortisol directly toxic to neurons? Why yes, excess cortisol is often invoked as the cause of depression-induced hippocampal atrophy, a harbinger of neuronal apoptosis.

I urge you to consider the possibility that you stressing and ruminating about the possibility of being permanently impaired by this isolated cocaine episode is actually worse for your brain than the use of cocaine in an isolated incident.

Mental clarity and cognitive tempo often naturally oscillate during the course of one's life. Many people have periods of intense productivity and lucidity followed by some down time where they are less stimulated by their environment - and this is different from say, being a manic depressive. Life is cyclical.

The fear that you are permanently altered, impaired, defective - these are neurotic ruminations/fears. Let me explain what I mean by a neurotic fear.

By ruminating about this possibility that you're permanently impaired, your brain has now been "primed" by this terrifying stimuli. You check and recheck your body and mind for any sign that you are still impaired - and find confirmation in whatever symptoms you experience, e.g., brain fog, abnormal sensations, etc. The way out of this horrible, PTSD-esque negative feedback cycle is to step back, stop reading fear-mongering articles online, stay in the present, accept whatever abnormal sensations you are having, take a walk, engage in some psychotherapy, exercise, spend time with friends, and remember this quote from Hamlet: "nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." The first step toward recovery is cultivating a healthy relationship with your own thinking; as David Foster Wallace points out, addiction/psychotic depression is really an unhealthy addiction to thinking itself.

P.S. if you want a brain boost, check out: [LR] => I just ordered some a few days ago and it's really put me in a lucid state (possibly placebo).

FYI, If I've totally missed the mark with my comments, I apologize. It's hard to formulate accurate, helpful interpretations over the internet.

Scientific research that demonstrates the potential of illicit drugs to cause permanent harm is not "fear mongering". The key word here is "potential". You minimize the long term effects of chronic cocaine abuse with unsubstantiated claims that neither comfort nor inform. If you payed attention to the longitudinal study posted above it took nearly a year for a partial reversal of cognitive impairment after moderate cocanie exposure. This cocaine incident was concurrent with alcohol use followed by 50mg of Xanax. Don't take your body's ability to recover for granted. The need for early medical treatment can not be emphasized enough:

"During a hypertensive emergency uncontrolled blood pressure leads to progressive or impending end-organ dysfunction. Therefore, it is important to lower the blood pressure aggressively. Acute end-organ damage may occur, affecting the neurological, cardiovascular, renal, or other organ systems. Some examples of neurological damage include hypertensive encephalopathy, cerebral vascular accident/cerebral infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracranial hemorrhage. Cardiovascular system damage can include myocardial ischemia/infarction, acute left ventricular dysfunction, acute pulmonary edema, and aortic dissection. Other end-organ damage can include acute renal failure or insufficiency, retinopathy, eclampsia, and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia."

http://en.m.wikipedi...nsive_emergency


I'm not a doctor but you have no objective reason to suggest the OP's symptoms maybe be psychosomatic.

 

 

Metagene, everything you said is absolutely right. I was just offering one possible interpretation. It is clearly true that chronic cocaine use is cardiotoxic; however, amphetamine is probably equally cardiotoxic and many have taken it daily for decades without adverse event. 

Edited by YOLF, 31 May 2015 - 03:26 AM.

[Metagene]

 

 

 

 

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a hypochondriac? Many of symptoms you are describing are somatic in nature and it seems like you have a lot of health anxiety. Please bear in mind that merely being anxious about one's health can produce symptoms like brain fog, GI upset, palpitations, etc.

There are people who snort grams upon grams of cocaine for years and make a full recovery. Is it possible your brain fog is unrelated to the cocaine incident, e.g., hypothyroidism, depression, or anxiety?

To answer your question, my symptoms are definitely very real.

I woke up feeling the exact way i described in my earlier posts. I thought that i was maybe hungover and that i'd feel better in a few days. Well fast forward a few months and I feel the exact same way with no real changes. Things were going fairly well for me before this. I had a business that i started on ebay a few years ago that was going great. Since this happened I haven't been able to work much due to reading being such a challenge.

I have friends who use piles of this stuff but wake up feeling great the next day. It blows my mind (no pun intended) that I use this one time and am now I'm possibly permanently impaired.

Okay, I hear you. Waking up with brain fog and strange sensations everyday sucks. But it is extremely unlikely that you are permanently impaired, and I'll explain why in a minute.

It is very easy to get sucked into the literature and start fear mongering. When you read articles online about cocaine neurotoxicity etc., it activates a very intense stress response - you become afraid that you might be forever defective. You're HPA axis goes haywire; cortisol is released in spades. But wait- isn't excess cortisol directly toxic to neurons? Why yes, excess cortisol is often invoked as the cause of depression-induced hippocampal atrophy, a harbinger of neuronal apoptosis.

I urge you to consider the possibility that you stressing and ruminating about the possibility of being permanently impaired by this isolated cocaine episode is actually worse for your brain than the use of cocaine in an isolated incident.

Mental clarity and cognitive tempo often naturally oscillate during the course of one's life. Many people have periods of intense productivity and lucidity followed by some down time where they are less stimulated by their environment - and this is different from say, being a manic depressive. Life is cyclical.

The fear that you are permanently altered, impaired, defective - these are neurotic ruminations/fears. Let me explain what I mean by a neurotic fear.

By ruminating about this possibility that you're permanently impaired, your brain has now been "primed" by this terrifying stimuli. You check and recheck your body and mind for any sign that you are still impaired - and find confirmation in whatever symptoms you experience, e.g., brain fog, abnormal sensations, etc. The way out of this horrible, PTSD-esque negative feedback cycle is to step back, stop reading fear-mongering articles online, stay in the present, accept whatever abnormal sensations you are having, take a walk, engage in some psychotherapy, exercise, spend time with friends, and remember this quote from Hamlet: "nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." The first step toward recovery is cultivating a healthy relationship with your own thinking; as David Foster Wallace points out, addiction/psychotic depression is really an unhealthy addiction to thinking itself.

P.S. if you want a brain boost, check out: [LR] => I just ordered some a few days ago and it's really put me in a lucid state (possibly placebo).

FYI, If I've totally missed the mark with my comments, I apologize. It's hard to formulate accurate, helpful interpretations over the internet.

Scientific research that demonstrates the potential of illicit drugs to cause permanent harm is not "fear mongering". The key word here is "potential". You minimize the long term effects of chronic cocaine abuse with unsubstantiated claims that neither comfort nor inform. If you payed attention to the longitudinal study posted above it took nearly a year for a partial reversal of cognitive impairment after moderate cocanie exposure. This cocaine incident was concurrent with alcohol use followed by 50mg of Xanax. Don't take your body's ability to recover for granted. The need for early medical treatment can not be emphasized enough:

"During a hypertensive emergency uncontrolled blood pressure leads to progressive or impending end-organ dysfunction. Therefore, it is important to lower the blood pressure aggressively. Acute end-organ damage may occur, affecting the neurological, cardiovascular, renal, or other organ systems. Some examples of neurological damage include hypertensive encephalopathy, cerebral vascular accident/cerebral infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracranial hemorrhage. Cardiovascular system damage can include myocardial ischemia/infarction, acute left ventricular dysfunction, acute pulmonary edema, and aortic dissection. Other end-organ damage can include acute renal failure or insufficiency, retinopathy, eclampsia, and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia."

http://en.m.wikipedi...nsive_emergency


I'm not a doctor but you have no objective reason to suggest the OP's symptoms maybe be psychosomatic.

Metagene, everything you said is absolutely right. I was just offering one possible interpretation. It is clearly true that chronic cocaine use is cardiotoxic; however, amphetamine is probably equally cardiotoxic and many have taken it daily for decades without adverse event.

Cocaine is actually much worse.

Cocaine cardiotoxicity: a review of the pathophysiology, pathology, and treatment options.

"There is an established connection between cocaine use and myocardial infarction (MI), arrhythmia, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. Numerous mechanisms have been postulated to explain how cocaine contributes to these conditions. Among these, cocaine may lead to MI by causing coronary artery vasoconstriction and accelerated atherosclerosis, and by initiating thrombus formation. Cocaine has also been shown to block K+ channels, increase L-type Ca2+ channel current, and inhibit Na+ influx during depolarization, all possible causes for arrhythmia. Additionally, cocaine use has been associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, myocarditis, and dilated cardiomyopathy, which can lead to heart failure if drug use is continued."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.... cardiotoxicity

Role of oxidative stress in cocaine-induced cardiotoxicity and cocaine-related death.

"Evidence has revealed that cardiac oxidative stress is a prominent early event of cocaine administration, which severely compromises the cardiac antioxidant cellular system and causes cardiac antioxidant cellular system injuries. Oxidative damage such as peroxidation of membrane phospholipids and depletion of nonenzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione have been found in the myocardium of chronic cocaine-treated animals and in patients. The data indicate that cocaine administration compromised the heart's antioxidant defense system. About the mechanisms involved in the cellular damage, the evidence that cocaine causes apoptosis in the heart comes from in vivo study. In animals model after short-term and long term-cocaine administration, the investigators demonstrates the role of Reactive Oxygen Species as a trigger of cardiac injury induced by cocaine. Cocaine also increased infiltration of inflammatory cells in the heart, and apoptotic cells were predominantly found near inflammatory cells."

http://www.ncbi.nlm....2856657/related

Edited by YOLF, 31 May 2015 - 03:27 AM.

[axonopathy]

 

 

 

 

 

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a hypochondriac? Many of symptoms you are describing are somatic in nature and it seems like you have a lot of health anxiety. Please bear in mind that merely being anxious about one's health can produce symptoms like brain fog, GI upset, palpitations, etc.

There are people who snort grams upon grams of cocaine for years and make a full recovery. Is it possible your brain fog is unrelated to the cocaine incident, e.g., hypothyroidism, depression, or anxiety?

To answer your question, my symptoms are definitely very real.

I woke up feeling the exact way i described in my earlier posts. I thought that i was maybe hungover and that i'd feel better in a few days. Well fast forward a few months and I feel the exact same way with no real changes. Things were going fairly well for me before this. I had a business that i started on ebay a few years ago that was going great. Since this happened I haven't been able to work much due to reading being such a challenge.

I have friends who use piles of this stuff but wake up feeling great the next day. It blows my mind (no pun intended) that I use this one time and am now I'm possibly permanently impaired.

Okay, I hear you. Waking up with brain fog and strange sensations everyday sucks. But it is extremely unlikely that you are permanently impaired, and I'll explain why in a minute.

It is very easy to get sucked into the literature and start fear mongering. When you read articles online about cocaine neurotoxicity etc., it activates a very intense stress response - you become afraid that you might be forever defective. You're HPA axis goes haywire; cortisol is released in spades. But wait- isn't excess cortisol directly toxic to neurons? Why yes, excess cortisol is often invoked as the cause of depression-induced hippocampal atrophy, a harbinger of neuronal apoptosis.

I urge you to consider the possibility that you stressing and ruminating about the possibility of being permanently impaired by this isolated cocaine episode is actually worse for your brain than the use of cocaine in an isolated incident.

Mental clarity and cognitive tempo often naturally oscillate during the course of one's life. Many people have periods of intense productivity and lucidity followed by some down time where they are less stimulated by their environment - and this is different from say, being a manic depressive. Life is cyclical.

The fear that you are permanently altered, impaired, defective - these are neurotic ruminations/fears. Let me explain what I mean by a neurotic fear.

By ruminating about this possibility that you're permanently impaired, your brain has now been "primed" by this terrifying stimuli. You check and recheck your body and mind for any sign that you are still impaired - and find confirmation in whatever symptoms you experience, e.g., brain fog, abnormal sensations, etc. The way out of this horrible, PTSD-esque negative feedback cycle is to step back, stop reading fear-mongering articles online, stay in the present, accept whatever abnormal sensations you are having, take a walk, engage in some psychotherapy, exercise, spend time with friends, and remember this quote from Hamlet: "nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." The first step toward recovery is cultivating a healthy relationship with your own thinking; as David Foster Wallace points out, addiction/psychotic depression is really an unhealthy addiction to thinking itself.

P.S. if you want a brain boost, check out: [LR] => I just ordered some a few days ago and it's really put me in a lucid state (possibly placebo).

FYI, If I've totally missed the mark with my comments, I apologize. It's hard to formulate accurate, helpful interpretations over the internet.

Scientific research that demonstrates the potential of illicit drugs to cause permanent harm is not "fear mongering". The key word here is "potential". You minimize the long term effects of chronic cocaine abuse with unsubstantiated claims that neither comfort nor inform. If you payed attention to the longitudinal study posted above it took nearly a year for a partial reversal of cognitive impairment after moderate cocanie exposure. This cocaine incident was concurrent with alcohol use followed by 50mg of Xanax. Don't take your body's ability to recover for granted. The need for early medical treatment can not be emphasized enough:

"During a hypertensive emergency uncontrolled blood pressure leads to progressive or impending end-organ dysfunction. Therefore, it is important to lower the blood pressure aggressively. Acute end-organ damage may occur, affecting the neurological, cardiovascular, renal, or other organ systems. Some examples of neurological damage include hypertensive encephalopathy, cerebral vascular accident/cerebral infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracranial hemorrhage. Cardiovascular system damage can include myocardial ischemia/infarction, acute left ventricular dysfunction, acute pulmonary edema, and aortic dissection. Other end-organ damage can include acute renal failure or insufficiency, retinopathy, eclampsia, and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia."

http://en.m.wikipedi...nsive_emergency


I'm not a doctor but you have no objective reason to suggest the OP's symptoms maybe be psychosomatic.

Metagene, everything you said is absolutely right. I was just offering one possible interpretation. It is clearly true that chronic cocaine use is cardiotoxic; however, amphetamine is probably equally cardiotoxic and many have taken it daily for decades without adverse event.

Cocaine is actually much worse.

Cocaine cardiotoxicity: a review of the pathophysiology, pathology, and treatment options.

"There is an established connection between cocaine use and myocardial infarction (MI), arrhythmia, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. Numerous mechanisms have been postulated to explain how cocaine contributes to these conditions. Among these, cocaine may lead to MI by causing coronary artery vasoconstriction and accelerated atherosclerosis, and by initiating thrombus formation. Cocaine has also been shown to block K+ channels, increase L-type Ca2+ channel current, and inhibit Na+ influx during depolarization, all possible causes for arrhythmia. Additionally, cocaine use has been associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, myocarditis, and dilated cardiomyopathy, which can lead to heart failure if drug use is continued."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.... cardiotoxicity

Role of oxidative stress in cocaine-induced cardiotoxicity and cocaine-related death.

"Evidence has revealed that cardiac oxidative stress is a prominent early event of cocaine administration, which severely compromises the cardiac antioxidant cellular system and causes cardiac antioxidant cellular system injuries. Oxidative damage such as peroxidation of membrane phospholipids and depletion of nonenzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione have been found in the myocardium of chronic cocaine-treated animals and in patients. The data indicate that cocaine administration compromised the heart's antioxidant defense system. About the mechanisms involved in the cellular damage, the evidence that cocaine causes apoptosis in the heart comes from in vivo study. In animals model after short-term and long term-cocaine administration, the investigators demonstrates the role of Reactive Oxygen Species as a trigger of cardiac injury induced by cocaine. Cocaine also increased infiltration of inflammatory cells in the heart, and apoptotic cells were predominantly found near inflammatory cells."

http://www.ncbi.nlm....2856657/related

 

Maybe I should do a literature search next time I post...  Thanks for the info  . 

Edited by YOLF, 31 May 2015 - 03:27 AM.

[mani16]

I would like to add my experience to this thread in the hope that somebody will have some sort of an answer. 

I have been chatting with the creator of this thread who is going through persistent pain after a night of cocaine use.  We both know what we are going through and as easy as it is to say its all psychological, its hard to believe such a conclusion because we were perfectly normal before our individual cocaine use event.

About six months ago, for the first time in my life, I snorted cocaine with work mates.  We all work in a professional world, we weren't addicts and it was just recreational.  For me it was the very first time.  I snorted about 500mg over the course of 3 or 4 hours.  I drank some iced green tea with it too, just so that my throat doesn't feel too dry when i was doing it.  After my last line, my heart was racing, I could not sit still because my arms and legs felt very shaky.  Then came nausea and the need to vomit (didn't vomit though).  Then I thought i would pass out.  I went outside and stood in the cold.  I thought I overdosed and it took me about 2 hours to feel normal.  The next morning I woke up with a very bad (and I do mean very very bad) headache.  I thought my head was exploding.  Quickly went to the doctors, got all blood work done, and got a CT scan done.  Surprisingly but fortunately, everything was normal.  The doctor mentioned that it was possibly withdrawal and I should wait it out.

Unfortunately, it continued for a month, then two months, without any improvement.  The pain was pressure type, heaviness type, not so much throbbing type.  Slowly, i started feeling it in my nose as well, pressure and unbearable tingling sensations in my nose - as if someones trying to take my nose off.  Saw a neurologist, who ordered an MRI.  It came back normal.  Saw an ENT specialist, who put a camera up my nose, and said he doesn't see anything abnormal.  Neurologist prescribed tricyclic antidepressants (for the head pain).  They made me feel a whole lot worse because they knocked me out and i could not wake up.  So i gave up on them after a week.  Went back to him, and he said he doesn't have any more solutions.

It has been six months now.  Yes the pain is about 20 to 30% better than what it was when it started.  But the fact that its still there is worrying.  Because of the pain (pressure heaviness in the head, and pressure and tinglings in my nose), i feel dizzy most of the times, and my surroundings seem a little shaky, which constantly worries me as I am unable to see or feel what it is like to be normal.  

The pain leads to emotional symptoms, constant stress and worry and feeling detached (because its hard to go out when you have pain).  But I don't believe its the emotional symptoms that cause it.

I am able to read, write and communicate normally.  I do go to work which is a struggle when you have pain but Im trying to stay strong.  I do feel dreamy because again its rarely that I would visualise surroundings like a normal person would because of the constant pressure/shakiness in the head and the nose.

I do not know if I have done permanent damage.  It is debilitating and I would appreciate any sort of help.

I truly feel for the creator of this post.  I am able to sympathise with him because although we may not have same/similar symptoms, we share the same cause.

Thank you