What does cocaine do to your brain?

But the more you use cocaine, the more your brain will adapt to it. You’ll need a stronger dose to feel the same high. This can lead to a dangerous addiction or overdose. Stronger, more frequent doses can also cause long-term changes in your brain’s chemistry. Your body and mind begin to rely on the drug. read more

As cocaine interferes with the way the brain processes chemicals, one needs more and more of the drug just to feel “normal.” People who become addicted to cocaine (as with most other drugs) lose interest in other areas of life. read more

Cocaine comes from the leaves of a coca plant. Crack is also derived from the same plant, but crack is a different form of cocaine that is created by mixing powder cocaine with a weak base, such as baking soda (Gahlinger, 2004). During this chemical reaction, the substance changes shape from a powder to a solid. read more

Cocaine increases levels of the natural chemical messenger dopamine in brain circuits controlling pleasure and movement. Normally, the brain releases dopamine in these circuits in response to potential rewards, like the smell of good food. read more