Methamphetamine and cocaine are highly addictive and illegal drugs that can cause a variety of problems. Abusing these drugs can eventually lead to negative results in terms of your health, relationships, career or education, reputation, and many more.
Many people both smoke, snort, and inject the drug–and they in fact look almost the same–white powdery crystals–with almost the same signs and effects as well. So how is meth and cocaine different from each other?
How Meth and Cocaine are Similar
First, let’s take a look at how they are the same. Meth and cocaine are both stimulants. This means they cause the body and mind to be more alert and active. They cause the person to have a high that makes them feel euphoric. This is due to the elevated dopamine levels in the brain.
A person who has taken cocaine and meth will become more talkative, more active, alert, focused, confident, and less tired.
How Meth and Cocaine are Different
Meth is completely synthetic, which means it is manufactured, usually using common household and industrial chemicals such as cold, cough and allergy medicines, drain cleaner, gun cleaner, battery acid, gasoline additives, muriatic acid, ammonia, acetone, lye, and even kitty litter.
Meanwhile, cocaine comes as a naturally occurring substance from the coca plant.
Metabolism of Meth and Cocaine
A distinct difference of meth from cocaine is that meth is that it is metabolized more slowly, making the high much longer. This means that its effects stay longer in the body, damaging it for a much longer period of time. The high from meth can last between 8 and 24 hours, depending on the amount taken. Furthermore, the chemicals that are used to make meth are completely toxic, adding more damage to the body.
Meanwhile, cocaine metabolizes faster. 50% of the drug is already out of the body within the first hour, while the rest of it can last for 30 minutes. Many cocaine users want to get the same effect they get from their first use of the drug and would therefore keep increasing the amount of cocaine they use through time. This makes cocaine highly addictive.
Effects of Meth and Cocaine
Cocaine can cause constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased body temperature, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. These symptoms are typical of stimulant drugs and are present after using meth as well.
Still, cocaine has many serious long-term effects, such as disrupted heart rhythms resulting to heart attack, as well as sudden death. Heavy and long-term use can cause hallucinations, paranoia, muscle twitches, shaking and tremors, as well as vertigo. It can even cause complete mental breakdown.
Meth also causes all these similar symptoms. However, meth also causes users to have an increased tendency for violence and aggression. And since meth users tend to have decreased production of saliva, they typically clench their jaws and grind their teeth sporadically. The drug also causes what is known as “meth mouth” in which teeth and mouth start to rot and form sores.
Do you have an addiction to meth and cocaine? Or do you know one who is? Don’t wait until the damage done becomes life-long and irreversible. Call or text us at 09175098826.
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