People have been wondering why hard drug takers grow thin, shrink and are slim yet they consume a great quantity of food. Experts are now explaining why cocaine users tend to be slim.

Apart from suppressing appetite, cocaine use is extremely dangerous as it interferes with the body’s metabolism and fat assimilation.

Researchers, experts and medical doctors have previously observed the differences in body fat levels between non-cocaine users and cocaine addicts. Many believe that drug users are consistently slim because the drug suppresses their appetites.

The recent research study, published in Scientific Journal entitled “Appetite Revealed” involved 20,000 cocaine users and 20,000 non-cocaine users. In the study, Dr Karen Ersche from Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cambridge documented that cocaine users consume large amounts of food, with a particular preference for fatty foods and carbohydrates.

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Dr Ersche explains that despite this well-known fact, cocaine users still end up losing weight. The researchers found that the appetite controlling hormone, leptin, is severely depleted in a cocaine user’s body, which leads to aggressive overeating.

Once a cocaine addict stops using the drug, they remain unable to stop overeating and glutinous behavour. This usually leads to dramatic weight gain.

The study revealed that this habitual overeating, combined with a poor diet, worsens the weight gain because the users’ metabolism slows down once they stop using the drug. Locally, it appears that regular drug abuse directly interferes with metabolic process, thereby reduces body fat.

Metabolic processes

This imbalance between fat intake and fat storage may also explain why these individuals gain so much weight when they stop the use of the drug”, observes Audrine Mikhala of the Centre for Behavour Change and Communication (CBCC).

Mikhala further notes that weight gain following cocaine cessation is not only a source of personal suffering but also has profound implications for health and recovery, at it increases chances of relapse when the addict becomes concerned about their weight gain.

Mikhala, along with other researchers in the study, suggests that cocaine consumption disrupts the body’s metabolic and digestive processes, either increasing or decreasing the normal levels of important hormones. Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that heightens alertness, attention, and energy levels.

It is classified as a stimulant and has both short- and long-term effects  on the mind and body. Heavy users become addicted, with significant negative impacts on the brain.

Cocaine causes a buildup of dopamine in the brain by preventing its recycling back into the cells that release it, impairing normal communication between nerve cells. The reward circuit becomes accustomed to larger amounts of dopamine, reinforcing drug use as the individual needs more to feel the same high and avoid withdrawal.

Cocaine also affects the body both on its own and when mixed with other substances. It can induce feelings of happiness, increased energy, and alertness, but may also lead some individuals to act violently or erratically, says Ms. Mikhala. Its effects are incredibly dangerous.

Irritability, restlessness, paranoia, violent or bizarre behaviour, excessive sensitivity to sound, sight, or touch, nausea, blood vessel constriction, high blood pressure, fast heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased body temperature, larger pupils, and other negative impacts are common with cocaine use.

Brain damage

People who snort cocaine may experience nosebleeds, frequent runny noses, and a loss of sense of smell. Additionally, it can damage the structure of the nose, ranging from minor issues to holes in the nasal walls, or even more severe damage that could lead to the collapse of the entire nose.The drug can also cause difficulty swallowing.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine and the Royal Society of Medicine, cocaine wreaks havoc on the gastrointestinal system, potentially causing diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, lack of blood flow to the small intestines, gangrene of the bowels, death of intestinal tissue, and haemorrhage.

“These complications can be fatal and lead to death. Unfortunately, many of the repercussions of brain damage persist in individuals who no longer use the drug,” says Mikhala.

In some cases, it is possible to reverse some of the effects of cocaine use, but a history of continued misuse often leaves permanent effects.

The abnormal behaviour associated with cocaine use can increase the risk of engaging in sexual behaviour that leads to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and other STDs.

Individuals can also have allergic reactions to cocaine.

“Treatment, including rehabilitation for addicts, evidence-based therapies, and tailored treatment plans to meet each individual’s needs, should be the cornerstone of managing addiction,” concludes Mikhala.