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Coca bush

The coca bush is a plant whose leaves are used to produce cocaine. The leaves of the coca bush are used to produce medicine despite concerns about safety and the illegality of its use. Coca leaves are chewed to relieve hunger, reduce fatigue and increase physical performance. Coca extracts are used to stimulate stomach function, calm and treat asthma, colds and other ailments. Coca tea is used in the Peruvian Andes and other high altitudes to treat altitude sickness. In some countries, a form of cocaine is available as a prescription drug used to anesthetize eye, nose and throat pain and to constrict blood vessels. In the industrial manufacturing sector, coca extracts from which the cocaine has been removed are used as flavorings for cola drinks and foods.

How does coca work?

The cocaine contained in coca leaves can increase brain activity and have an anaesthetic effect. Cocaine has a very high addictive potential.

How effective is coca?

Coca products are probably ineffective in increasing physical performance. Coca increases heart rate, but it does not appear to improve cardiac performance or other bodily responses to exercise. There is insufficient scientific data to conclude on the effectiveness of coca for asthma, colds and altitude sickness, and for stimulating gastric function. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of coca products in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Coca leaves from which the cocaine has been removed are safe and harmless for most people when used in normal food quantities. The use of the cocaine contained in coca leaves in the form of prescription medication is safe and harmless when used on the eye or skin and supervised by a physician. The use of cocaine as a recreational drug or for medical purposes without medical supervision is illegal. Possible side effects of cocaine include hyperactivity, restlessness, agitation, migraine headaches, seizures, stroke, heart attack, aneurysms, high blood pressure and liver and kidney failure.

Just ¼ teaspoon of cocaine can be fatal. In addition, cocaine has a very high addictive potential.

Precautions and warnings

Using coca where the cocaine it contains has not been removed is not safe or harmless for anyone, but for some people there are even more reasons not to use it:

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: inhaling or taking coca orally is not safe or safe for pregnant women, as the cocaine it contains can cause miscarriages or birth defects. The use of coca is also associated with sudden infant death syndrome. Inhaling or taking coca orally is also not safe for breastfeeding women, as the cocaine it contains is excreted in breast milk and can have harmful effects on breastfed children.

Asthma: The cocaine contained in coca can aggravate asthma. Asthmatics should therefore not use coca.

Heart disease: The cocaine contained in coca can aggravate heart disease.

Increased risk of stroke: If you have already suffered a stroke or are at an increased risk of stroke, you should not use coca. The cocaine contained in coca increases the risk of dying from a burst artery in the brain.

Plasma Pseudocholinesterase Deficiency (PPD): People who suffer from this condition are at a higher risk of suffering seizures or dying after using cocaine.

Drug interactions

You should not use coca if you are taking the following medications:

Alcohol:

Coca contains cocaine. Cocaine can affect thinking. Alcohol can also influence thinking. For this reason, you should not use coca if you have previously drunk alcohol.

Nifedipine

Coca contains cocaine. Taking cocaine in combination with nifedipine increases the risk of serious side effects such as seizures.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of cocaine depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for coca. For this reason, one should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

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