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The main routes of administration of cocaine are inhalation, intravenous, intranasal, and oral. A person may snort (intranasal administration) cocaine by inhaling it through their drinking was hard on my marriage so was recovery. nostrils or rubbing it onto the mucous tissues. People may also use cocaine by injecting it (intravenous administration) where it’s directly released into the bloodstream.
The crystal form of it looks like glass shards, or they can be shiny with a blue-white tint and shaped like a rock. NIDA writes that it is chemically like amphetamine, the drug prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy. For starters, while meth is available by prescription under the name Desoxyn, most people abuse a version of meth that is manufactured illicitly. Cocaine is also approved for medicinal use but as a local anesthetic and most cocaine use is illicit cocaine use. Meth is a synthetic drug, while cocaine is derived from coca leaves. Once someone tries it, they may immediately want more due to the euphoric high it creates.
Long-term meth or cocaine addiction can also lead to problems with your health, social life, and financial stability. People who use coke or meth regularly experience significant brain changes in the reward network that make it harder for them to stop using. People who use either drug may also experience significant weight loss, lung or nose damage and skin problems. Using medications for alcohol use disorder these drugs may also result in substance use disorders, which can wreak havoc on a person’s physical, social and mental health. Now that we’ve gone over cocaine vs. meth and its primary differences, it’s important to summarize everything in this article. While both drugs are stimulants, the primary difference between cocaine and meth is how they affect the body.
Instead, they are buying an illicit form of meth that may contain dangerous household chemicals and adulterants. Meth typically comes in the form of crystalline rocks or a white powder. As stimulant drugs, both cocaine and meth produce similar effects. Dopamine is a chemical that’s normally released when you experience joy, pleasure, or contentment. But as we’ve mentioned several times throughout this article, the differences are vast. Another significant difference is the half-life of the two drugs.
Lake Ave Recovery is a Day Treatment Program (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Program in Massachusetts helping those with substance use and dual diagnosis disorders. Meth causes higher concentrations of dopamine in the synapse, not only by preventing the removal of dopamine, but also by increasing the production and release of dopamine. The synapse is the space between two neurons where dopamine and other neurotransmitters are recycled. The constant build-up of dopamine in the synapse causes intense euphoria. Each step in these levels of care is meant to safely get you through to the next one.
It is known that the physical effects of meth abuse are more noticeable than those of coke. Meth users will have sores on the skin, decayed and missing teeth, sunken eyes, and appear to have wasting syndrome (be very thin). People abusing meth will avoid eating and lose all sense of time. It is also cheaper to buy than coke, therefore, making it more easily accessible.
Meth, on the other hand, is an entirely human-made synthetic drug, and illicit production often occurs in small, clandestine labs as well as in larger scale cartel operations. Narcotic treatment programs are commonly referred to as opioid treatment programs (OTPs). These programs primarily use methadone maintenance therapy, which isn’t effective for people addicted to cocaine.