In this lesson we will review the most common drugs that are abused and their effects.
Acute and or Chronic Paranoid & Schizophrenic Reactions
A paranoid reaction is characterized by a feeling of fear, that people are watching you, or that people are out to do you harm. This feeling may be either acute, temporary, or chronic, long-term.
A schizophrenic reaction is characterized by dissociative and highly confused thinking and mental processes. In this state, the individual is detached from reality and appears to have a change of personality. The new personality may express a wide variety of disjointed ideas ranging from claiming to be Jesus Christ, having the power to touch someone and do things to them, to a stream of consciousness of non-understandable thoughts, to complete staring with a blank stare unable to communicate at all.
Overt Symptoms
Overt, "psychotic" symptoms, include delusions, hallucinations and disorganized thinking because the patient has lost touch with reality in certain important ways. Delusions cause the patient to believe that people are reading their minds or plotting against them, that others are secretly monitoring and threatening them, or that they can control other people’s thoughts. Hallucinations cause people to hear or see things that are not there. Approximately three-fourths of individuals with schizophrenia will hear voices (auditory hallucinations) at some time during their illness. Disorganized thinking, speech, and behavior affect most people with this illness. For example, people with schizophrenia sometimes have trouble communicating in coherent sentences or carrying on conversations with others; move more slowly, repeat rhythmic gestures or make movements such as walking in circles or pacing; and have difficulty making sense of everyday sights, sounds and feelings.
Is Schizophrenia Associated With A Chemical Defect In The Brain?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “basic knowledge about brain chemistry and its link to schizophrenia is expanding rapidly. Neurotransmitters, substances that allow communication between nerve cells, have long been thought to be involved in the development of schizophrenia. It is likely, although not yet certain, that the disorder is associated with some imbalance of the complex, interrelated chemical systems of the brain, perhaps involving the neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate.”
Many drugs affect the flow of neurotransmitters in the brain. Researchers can not tell exactly to what extent, street drugs are responsible for psychotic breakdowns and both acute and long term reactions. These reactions are frequently brought on by high dose drug abuse or long term drug abuse and can be short term or long term. The major drugs of abuse that are known for producing these effects with long term use are methamphetamines, cocaine, and psychedelics. Marijuana, long believed to be less harmful than other street drugs, has a psychedelic affect as has been shown in many cases to have more devastating long term psychotic effects than previously believed.
Male Sterilization
This award goes to the drug Marijuana. Cases of permanent damage to the reproductive system in males is attributed to this drug more than any other.
Genetic Damage
All drugs are believed to be capable of corrupting the genetic code of DNA. Among the drugs that have most been shown to have this effect are street drugs that contain impurities or are augmented with another chemical. But many believe that even prescription drugs given under the care of physicians are capable of corrupting the genetic code of DNA. Pharmacology is a new science. The widespread use of prescribed drugs is barely a few decades old. But the problem is that it often takes decades to see what the genetic effects of the drug might be through longitudinal studies that may take several decades. The FDA has released many drugs onto the market that have later been found to corrupt genetic material. It is believed by many that the FDA is in serious crisis and is making mistakes that are causing the lives of staggering numbers of people nationwide. Read the following article adapted from the Boston Globe of April 2, 2000 to get a feel for what recent problems have been. The biblical truth that comes through this newspaper story loud and clear is that no amount of science and no amount of research can foretell what only God can know.
Inhalants
Inhaling (also called "huffing" or "sniffing") chemicals is a problem for many people including teenagers. Inhalants are cheap and can be found everywhere - in kitchens, garages and schools. There are hundreds of different materials that can be abused by people who inhale these dangerous chemicals. Inhalants not only damage the nervous system, but other organs such as the lungs, liver, heart and kidney can be injured permanently.
Common inhalants used in huffing
• Hairspray - Fluorinated hydrocarbons
• Propane – isobutane
• Nitrous Oxide
• Cleaning Fluids - Chlorinated hydrocarbons
• Naphtha - Typewriter Correction
• Paint remover – Trichloroethane
• Nail Polish – Acetone
• Gasoline – Hydrocarbons and tetraethyl lead
• Glue - Toluene; acetone, benzene; xylene; ethanol; chloroform
• Paint/Paint Thinner - Toluene; methylene chloride; benzene, ethanol
• Lighter Fluid - Hydrocarbons
• Room Deodorizers - Amyl, butyl and isobutyl nitrite
• Marker pens - Toluene; xylene
Effects of Inhalants on the Nervous System
When vapors are inhaled (1), they are absorbed through the lungs (2) and enter the bloodstream (3). Once in the bloodstream, the chemicals travel to the brain (4) and other tissues throughout the body. Most inhalants that are abused depress the functioning of the nervous system. However, the effects of each inhalant are difficult to determine because each product in made up many different chemicals and each person may breathe in different amounts of each chemical. Nevertheless, these chemicals do have significant effects on the nervous system. Some of the effects of inhalants are simliar to those of alcohol.
The immediate effects of inhalants
• relaxation
• slurred speech
• euphoria
• hallucinations
• drowsiness
• dizziness
• nausea
• vomiting
• DEATH - from heart failure or suffocation
Long term effects of inhalants
• memory loss
• concentration problems
• visual disturbances; blindness
• motor problems
• peripheral nerve damage
Effects on the Nervous System
Inhalants may affect different parts the brain and nervous system and may cause a variety of sensory, motor, psychological and emotional problems. One major effect of inhalants is the destruction of the myelin sheath that surrounds neurons. This can result in problems in the normal transmission of impulses through neurons and cell death.
Specific areas of the brain targeted by inhalants
• Cerebral cortex: damage can cause changes in personality, memory loss, hallucinations and learning problems.
• Cerebellum: damage can cause problems in balance and movement.
• Hippocampus: damage may result in the memory problems.
• Visual System: damage to the peripheral nerves may cause visual disturbances.
Marijuana
Marijuana is one of the world's most commonly used illegal drugs. There are approximately 300 million users worldwide and 28 million users in the States (Diaz, 1997). Marijuana comes from a plant called "Cannabis sativa." The chemical in this plant that produces the altered states of consciousness is called "delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol" or "THC." Marijuana is usually smoked like a cigarette, but it can also be cooked into baked goods like brownies or cookies or brewed like a tea. THC is also contained in "hashish" (hash) which is the resin from the marijuana plants. Hash is usually smoked in a pipe. Other names for marijuana include: grass, pot, reefer and weed.
Effects of Marijuana on the Nervous System
THC acts on "cannabinoid" receptors which are found on neurons in many places in the brain. These brain areas are involved in memory (the hippocampus), concentration (cerebral cortex), perception (sensory portions of the cerebral cortex) and movement (the cerebellum, substantia nigra, globus pallidus). When THC activates cannabinoid receptors, it interfers with the normal functioning of these brain areas.
In low to medium doses marijuana causes:
¨ relaxation
¨ reduced coordination
¨ reduced blood pressure
¨ sleepiness
¨ disruption in attention
¨ an altered sense of time and space
In high doses marijuana causes:
¨ hallucinations
¨ delusions
¨ impaired memory
¨ disorientation
Long-term use
¨ Apathy
¨ Diminished capacity for alertness when needed
¨ Confusion and unclear thinking
¨ Build up of tar and cancer-causing chemical derivatives in the brain, reproductive system, and respiratory system
¨ Lowers the body’s immune system making the body susceptible to disease
Amotivational Syndrome
Perhaps the most devastating mental health danger from marijuana is “Amotivational Syndrome”, a mental illness in which the individual becomes apathetic, loses all desire to do anything and can not find a motivating purpose in life.
Recent discoveries about the drug interaction of marijuana
In the mid 60’s a pseudo-intellectual book was published praising all the healing properties of marijuana discovered in research conducted since 1942. This book managed to make its way to most the major university campuses throughout the U.S. and sparked a movement
Scientists have known for a long time that THC interacted with cannabinoid receptors in the brain, but did not know why the brain would have such receptors. They thought that the brain must make some kind of substance that naturally acted on these receptors. In 1992 Anandamide was discovered. Anandamide is the brain's own THC (just like "endorphin" is the brain's own morphine). Still, scientists are not sure what the function of anandamide is in the normal brain.
The effects of marijuana start as soon as 1-10 minutes after it is taken and can last 3 to 4 hours or even longer. Experiments have shown that THC can affect two neurotransmitters: norepinephrine and dopamine. Serotonin and GABA levels may also be altered.
Because there is a high level of tar and other chemicals in marijuana, smoking it has many of the same destructive characteristics as smoking cigarettes. The lungs get a big dose of chemicals that increase the chances of lung problems and cancer later in life. Studies have also shown that because tar and other chemical deposits are permanently deposited in the male sex organs, that it is a cause of damage to the reproductive organs and has rendered many men sterile and unable to father children.
Amphetamines and Methamphetamines
Amphetamines are drugs such as dextroamphetamine, benzedrine, and Ritalin. Amphetamines were originally developed to treat asthma, sleep disorders (narcolepsy) and hyperactivity. In 1920, a drug called "ephedrine" was used to treat asthma. In China, the ma huang plant (Ephedra vulgaris) had been used for centuries to treat people with asthma. It is no wonder that the plant worked...the ma huang plant contains ephedrine. In 1932, synthetic ephedrine was sold "over-the-counter" and was available without a prescription until 1954. During World War II, amphetamines were given to soldiers and pilots to keep them alert and to fight off fatigue.
Amphetamine Effects on the Nervous System
Amphetamines are stimulants of the central nervous system and sympathetic division of the peripheral nervous system. It appears that the main action of amphetamines is to increase the synaptic activity of the dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitter systems. Amphetamine action can:
¨ cause the release of dopamine from axon terminals
¨ block dopamine reuptake
¨ inhibit the storage of dopamine in vesicles
¨ inhibit the destruction of dopamine by enzymes.
All of these actions result in more dopamine in the synaptic cleft where it can act on receptors.
Many of the effects of amphetamines are similar to cocaine. Addiction to
and withdrawal from amphetamines are both possible. Amphetamine use also causes tolerance to its effects. This means that more and more amphetamines must be used to get "high." Amphetamine withdrawal is characterized by severe depression and fatigue. Users will go to extreme measures to avoid the "downer" that comes when the effect of amphetamines wears off.
Short-term effects of amphetamine
¨ Increased heart rate
¨ Increased blood pressure
¨ Reduced appetite
¨ Dilation of the pupils
¨ Feelings of happiness and power
¨ Reduced fatigue
Long-term effects of amphetamines
¨ Insomnia, restlessness
¨ Paranoid psychosis
¨ Hallucinations
¨ Violent and aggressive behavior
¨ Weight loss
¨ Tremors
Nothing tells the story like this brief slideshow!
Cocaine
The Coca Leaf is from the plant called Erythroxylon coca, which is chemically transformed into cocaine and used in medicine as a local anesthetic and central nervous system stimulant. Cocaine can be taken by chewing on coca leaves, smoked, inhaled ("snorted") or injected.
Effects of Cocaine on the Nervous System
A dose of between 25 to 150 mg of cocaine is taken when it is inhaled (within a few seconds to a few minutes after it is taken) can cause:
¨ a feeling of euphoria
¨ excitement
¨ reduced hunger
¨ a feeling of strength
¨
After this "high" which lasts about one hour, users of cocaine may "crash" into a period of depression. This crash causes cocaine users to seek more cocaine to get out of this depression and results in addiction. Withdrawal from cocaine can cause the addict to feel depressed, anxious, and paranoid. The addict may then go into a period of exhaustion and they may sleep for a very long time.
Large doses or prolonged use produce neurological problems like:
¨ dizziness
¨ headache
¨ movement problems
¨ anxiety
¨ insomnia
¨ depression
¨ hallucinations
¨
Death caused by too much cocaine (an overdose) is not uncommon. Cocaine can cause large increases in blood pressure that may result in bleeding within the brain. Constriction of brain blood vessels can also cause a stroke. An overdose of cocaine can cause breathing and heart problems that could result in death. This is what killed the University of Maryland basketball player, Len Bias, in 1986. Comedian John Belushi also died from a cocaine/heroin overdose in 1982.
Cocaine is highly "reinforcing": when it is given to animals, they will give it to themselves. In fact, if animals are given the choice, they will put up with electrical shocks and give up food and water if they can get cocaine.
Cocaine acts by blocking the reuptake of the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain. Therefore, these neurotransmitters stay in the synaptic cleft for a longer time. Research has also shown that cocaine can also cause the release of dopamine from neurons in the brain. Cocaine can also affect the peripheral nervous system. These effects include constriction of blood vessels, dilation of the pupil and irregular heart beat. The brain of the cocaine user also does not use glucose as effectively as the brain of the normal person.
Acid (LSD)
Lysergic acid diethylamide, better known as LSD, is a chemical that alters a user's mood, thoughts or perceptions. For this reason, LSD is grouped a class of drugs known as hallucinogens or psychedelics. These drugs cause auditory, visual or somatosensory hallucinations, paranoia or paranoia-like states.
LSD Pills
LSD was first synthesized from a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. In 1938, Albert Hofmann working in the Swiss pharmaceutical called Sandoz, produced LSD for the first time. He was hoping that this new drug could be used to stimulate circulation and respiration. However, the tests he conducted were all failures and he forgot about LSD for 5 years. In 1943, Hofmann accidentally ingested (or somehow absorbed) a bit of LSD and experienced some of the psychedelic effects of this chemical: dizziness, visual distortions and restlessness. A few days later he prepared 0.25 mg of LSD in water and drank it. He again experienced the mood and thought altering effects of LSD.
Effects of LSD on the Nervous System
LSD is water soluble, odorless, colorless and tasteless. It is a very powerful drug; a dose as small as a single grain of salt (about .01 mg) can produce some effects. Psychedelic effects are produced at higher doses of from .05 - .1 mg.
The effects of LSD depend on a user's mood and expectations of what the drug will do and last several hours. The behavioral effects that LSD can produce include: Feelings of "strangeness", vivid colors, hallucinations, confusion, panic, psychosis, anxiety, fear, happiness, sadness.
Physical Effects include increases in heart rate and blood pressure, chills, and muscle weakness. Distortion of the senses and of time and space "Flashback" reactions are the effects of LSD that occur even after the user has not taken LSD for months or even years.
Tolerance to the effects of LSD develops quickly and users must increase their intake of LSD to get the same effects. The exact neural pathways that are affected by LSD are not completely known. LSD has a chemical structure that is very similar to the neurotransmitter called serotonin.
It is thought that the effects of LSD are caused by stimulation of serotonin receptors on neurons, perhaps in the brain area called the raphe nuclei. However, it is still not clear what produces all the effects of LSD.
MDMA (Ecstasy)
The American Heritage Dictionary defines ecstasy as "intense joy or delight." Despite its peppy name, the illegal drug Ecstasy can damage nerve cells in the brain. Ecstasy, also known as 3,4 or "MDMA" for short, is a stimulant related to the drugs mescaline and amphetamine. Other names for MDMA are "Adam," "XTC," "Doves" or just "E."
MDMA was first synthesized and patented in 1914 by the German drug company called Merck. Scientists thought that this drug could be used as an appetite suppressant. In the 1970s, MDMA was given to psychotherapy patients because it helped them open up and talk about their feelings. This practice was stopped in 1986 when animal studies showed that Ecstasy caused brain damage.
Behavioral Effects of MDMA
Some users say they take Ecstasy because it lowers their inhibitions and relaxes them. MDMA is also said to increase awareness and feelings of pleasure and to give people energy. However, some people report side effects after taking MDMA such as headaches, chills, eye twitching, jaw clenching, blurred vision and nausea. Some doses of MDMA can cause dehydration, hyperthermia and seizures.
The effects of MDMA send some people to the emergency room. Unlike the drug LSD, MDMA in low doses does not cause people to hallucinate. Ecstasy gained national attention when it was the drug of choice at club parties, called "raves." In a survey taken in 2001, 9.2% of 12th graders, 6.2% of 10th graders and 3.5% of 8th graders reported that they had used MDMA at least once within the year.
Effects of MDMA on the Brain
MDMA appears to have several effects on the brain. MDMA can:
¨ cause the release of the neurotransmitter called serotonin.
¨ block the reuptake of serotonin by the synaptic terminal that releases it.
¨ deplete the amount of serotonin in the brain.
¨ decrease the amount of the neurotransmitter called dopamine.
Recent data suggest that MDMA may be toxic to the brain. Dr. George Ricaurte, an associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University, brain scans of people who had used Ecstasy. The study included people who had used Ecstasy an average of 200 times over five years. Although the behavior of these people appeared normal, brain scans showed that the drug had damaged their brains. In fact, those who used the drug more often had more brain damage than less frequent users. Moreover, memory tests of people who have taken Ecstasy as compared to non-drug users have shown that the Ecstasy users had lower scores. Specifically, the drug damaged cells that release the neurotransmitter called serotonin. Using an imaging technique called positron emission tomography (PET), Ricaurte noted a 20-60% reduction in healthy serotonin cells in the drug users. Damage to these cells could affect a person's abilities to remember and to learn. At this point, scientists do not know if this damage is permanent, or if those damaged cells will replace themselves. Also, it is not known if this loss of cells affects behavior or the ability to think. Studies are not being conducted to gauge Ecstasy's effect on mood, memory, cognition, and behaviors such as eating and sleeping.
In an article published in The Journal of Neuroscience (June 15, 1999), Ricaurte compared the data from monkeys who were given Ecstasy dissolved in a liquid twice a day for four days to other monkeys who received the same liquid WITHOUT the Ecstasy twice a day for four days. The study showed that the monkeys who were given Ecstasy had damage to the serotonin-containing nerve cells. This damage was still visible seven years later! Areas that were especially affected were the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex, an area in the front part of the brain that is used in thinking, and the hippocampus, an area deep in the brain that helps with memory.
MDMA has also been found to damage neurons that use dopamine. Monkeys and baboons were given three doses of MDMA to simulate the dosage that people take during all-night raves. When the brains of these animals were observed a few weeks later, the researcher observed "profound dopaminergic neurotoxicity" which points to loss of memory and cognitive ability among Ecstasy users. Damage to neurons that use dopamine may also put Ecstasy users at a higher risk for developing Parkinson's disease.
PCP (Phencyclidine)
"Angel Dust," "Hog," "Rocket Fuel," "DOA," "Peace Pill" - these are other names for the illegal drug phencyclidine (PCP). PCP was developed in the 1950s as an anesthetic. However, the use of PCP as an anesthetic was stopped after some people experienced psychotic reactions after using the drug. PCP is now made illegally and has found its way onto the street, often contaminating other street drugs. In fact, PCP is often sold in place of drugs such as LSD and mescaline. According to the Monitoring the Future survey of drug trends, 2.3% of 12th graders in the United States used PCP sometime during the year 2000. PCP is classified as a dissociative anesthetic because users appear to be "disconnected" from their environment: they know where they are, but they do not feel as if they are part of it. The drug has different effects on different people. It can act as a stimulant, a depressant, an analgesic (decreasing pain) or a hallucinogen depending on the dose and route of administration. The effects produced by PCP are different from those caused by hallucinogens such as LSD. Rather than producing visual hallucinations, PCP causes changes in body image. In addition to these distortions of reality, PCP can cause frightening side effects such as feelings of terror and confusion.
Behavioral Effects of PCP
PCP can be eaten, snorted, injected or smoked. Depending on how a person the drug, the effects are felt within a few minutes (2-5 minutes when smoked) to an hour. PCP can stay in a person's body for a long time; the half-life of PCP ranges from 11 to 51 hours. Furthermore, because PCP is made illegally under uncontrolled conditions, users have no way of knowing how much PCP they are taking. This makes PCP especially dangerous.
People under the influence of PCP may not feel pain and their perception of sensory stimuli may be altered, possibly causing police officers to use stronger methods to control such individuals
The low dose effect includes feelings of euphoria (well-being), relaxation, numbness, sensory distortions, feelings of detachment from one's own body, anxiety, confusion, amnesia, illogical speech, blurred vision, and a blank stare.
The medium dose effect includes confusion, agitation, analgesia, fever, excessive salivation, and "schizophrenic-type" behavior.
The high dose effect includes seizures, respiratory failure, coma, fever, stroke, and death.
Tolerance and dependence on PCP are possible. Withdrawal symptoms include diarrhea, chills, tremors.
Effects of PCP on the Brain
PCP affects multiple neurotransmitter systems in the brain. For example, PCP inhibits the reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin and also inhibits the action of glutamate by blocking NMDA receptors. Some types of opioid receptors in the brain are also affected by PCP. These complex effects on multiple chemical systems in the brain most likely underlie the behavioral effects of PCP.
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