Stimulants: Cocaine & Meth / Question
Published: November 21, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Recently, New Year's to be specific, I tried cocaine for the first time. That night I did one line, a little while later did another and about 45-60 minutes after that I dropped a pill of ecstasy (it was a white heart). Then soon after dropping the E, I smoked half a joint and I think about 2 hours later I dropped another pill of ecstasy (A cloud 9). Previously, the only drugs I had even done were drinking alcohol occasionally and smoking marijuana occasionally I had done ecstasy one time about a month and a half before New Years (I did a Rolls Royce). Anyway, here's my question. After the first time doing E, the next day I still felt traces and when I was alone the next night, I was very sad and depressed and cried for hours and I wanted to be around people so that I wouldn't feel lonely. Anyway, I was feeling better by the second day after doing it, but the day after that it was much worse. I was wondering if that is an "After effect" something like a "withdrawal" symptom? And also because of all the drugs I did New Year's do you think that my profuse sweating was a way of my body trying to get rid of the drugs? And my last question is, do you know of any accredited website or some place where I can get information on the different types of ecstasy that are out there, do different types have different effects?
Well, thank you for taking your time out for the AOL keywords search, which is how I came to this. And just to let you and anyone else who reads this, drugs are not cool! They may make you feel good for a few hours, but they are not worth all the mental stress that I've been under because of them. All you need is G-d. I don't plan on ever touching another drug again, I'm just curious about my experience. Thank You.
Signed: Concerned About Cocaine And E Use
Dear Concerned About Cocaine And E Use,
TeenHealthFX is very happy to hear that your drug-using days are over. You are right - the high you experience from taking drugs like cocaine and ecstasy is short lived and not at all based on anything real. And, as you have clearly experienced, the downside can be frightening and unpleasant at best.
Even when used separately, cocaine, Ecstasy and marijuana can have powerful side effects including extreme mood swings, chills and sweats like those which you experienced. But when mixed together as you did on New Year's, the combination can produce even more dramatic side effects and can be even more dangerous to your health. Remember too that illegal drugs can contain anything, so you can never predict what affect it may have on a person's brain.
You inquired about depression - yes, that is one of the side effects of using ecstasy among the others listed above. Ecstasy contains the drug MDMA (also known as Adam) that depletes levels of Serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter closely involved in mood regulation. A recent study at the University of Toronto School of Medicine in Canada revealed severe neurological damage in a 26-year-old man who would been using Ecstasy over a nine-year period. In fact, when the researchers examined his brain, they found reduced levels of Serotonin, the brain chemical controlling moods, sleep, pain and sexual activity and violent behavior, less than 50 - 80% of what non-users have. See our answer to Rollin' On XTC for some more info on Ecstasy. Go to This is your brain on ecstasy for an interesting slide show of what happens to your brain while using Ecstasy.
Cocaine too ultimately has an adverse effect on your mood. The sudden rush of euphoria that comes immediately after using the drug is followed by what is called the "crash" period during which users feel unusually down and depressed. For more information on the side effects of cocaine use, have a look at our answer Effects of Snorting Coke.
Again, TeenHealthFX is happy to know that you are off of drugs. There is absolutely no upside to using them - they are extremely dangerous to your health and can only lead you into situations in which your safety and well-being will be compromised. If you would like to talk to a counselor about any of these issues, or know a friend who may need to talk to someone, help is available.
If you live in Northern New Jersey, you can contact the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at (973) 971.6475 or the Atlantic Behavioral Health ACCESS Center at (888) 247.1400. Outside of New Jersey, check out some of these resources for a referral and help: Alcoholics Anonymous and Marijuana Anonymous.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
The reality of excessive interest rates and fees that often accompany credit card use for teens, can put youngsters in a position where they are losing out on admission to graduate school, getting a job, or renting an apartment because of damaged credit history.
