Women Are More Likely To Get Addicted To Cocaine Than Men | HuffPost Life

Why Women Are More Likely To Get Addicted To Cocaine Than Men

Rachel Moss— The Huffington Post UK

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Cocaine use, even if it's occasional, can soon lead to dependence. But did you know that women are more likely to become addicted than men?

Women are more sensitive to the effects of cocaine and more susceptible to cocaine abuse than men, according to an article titled 'Cocaine Shifts the Estrus Cycle Out of Phase and Caffeine Restores It'.

The article states the drug's ability to disrupt a woman's estrus cycle may explain the sex differences in cocaine addiction.

The New York researchers examined vaginal smears before and after cocaine use. The process was then repeated with caffeine injections and combinations of caffeine and cocaine.

Cocaine was found to directly shift the estrus cycle, thereby changing a woman's estrogen levels.

However, caffeine did not affect the estrus cycle, nor did a combination of cocaine and caffeine.

Unlike treatment for heroin, there are currently no medicines that can substitute for powder cocaine, crack cocaine and other stimulants.

Blogging on HuffPost Women, Christina Huffington described the difficulities of living with cocaine addiction.

"The first time I tried it was perfect. One line erased my doubts, my fears and my insecurities. I was euphoric.

"I chased that high on and off, but I never found it again. I found self-hatred. I found pure selfishness. I found bloody noses, heart palpitations and paranoia. I found myself alone on my knees at 6am searching for that one last hit," she said.

Thankfully the new findings suggest that caffeine treatment could be used to help women who are suffering like Christina once was.

As Patricia A. Broderick, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Caffeine Research, said: "This is cutting-edge work that has never been shown before. It is critical knowledge relevant to women's reproductive health."

The article is published in 'Journal of Caffeine Research: The International Multidisciplinary Journal of Caffeine Science' and is available to read online here.

H/T: Eurekalert.org

SEE ALSO:
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London Is The 'Cocaine Capital' Of Europe, Drugs Study Finds

18 Facts About Crack And Cocaine

How Crack Works(01 of18)

Crack is highly addictive because it activates nerve cells in the brain that cause a chemical imbalance of dopamine, affecting the part of the brain responsible for reward. This causes a psychological reinforcement effect that can cause users to develop an intense craving for the drug in order to revisit the deceptively pleasurable feelings that accompany its use. Users can quickly develop a dependency from 'chasing the high.' (credit:Alamy)

15-Minute High(02 of18)

The onset of a high from snorting cocaine is not as fast as smoking it, and lasts for about 30 minutes, compared to just five to 15 minutes when smoking crack. (credit:Alamy)

Long-Term Side Effects(03 of18)

Long-term health effects of chronic crack use include heavy tolerance on the drug, severe depression, psychosis, sexual and reproductive dysfunction, weight loss, respiratory failures, heart disease and frequent nose bleeds or sinus infections, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Research. (credit:Alamy)

Deadly Combo(04 of18)

By mixing alcohol and cocaine, a third, highly toxic chemical called cocaethylene is formed. While more research is needed to determine its exact health risks, researchers blame it for liver problems, heart attacks in those under 40 and a slew of social problems, causing more deaths than any other drug combination. (credit:Alamy)

Second Most-Common Drug(05 of18)

After marijuana, crack and cocaine were the second most commonly used illicit drugs in Canada, according to official data from 2011. (credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crack_street_dosage.jpg)

Lucrative Industry, Devastating Effects(06 of18)

Experts estimate the trade value of cocaine to be around $300 billion a year in 2008, with the global supply controlled mostly by criminal networks in Columbia, the Guardian reported. Of that figure, though, only $7.8 billion remained within the country. But among its users, low-level sellers, and those affected by proxy, crack has devastating effects. Studies show significant increases in crime, muder and incarceration rates when crack cocaine is introduced into a community. "Within a five-year period, the homicide rate among young urban [American] blacks quadrupled," economist Steven D. Levitt wrote about the crack epidemic in the U.S. in his best-selling book, Freakonomics.' (credit:Getty Images)

Ancient Origins(07 of18)

Cocaine was used as far back as 4,500 years ago when people in the Andean countries of South America chewed coca leaves, which cocaine originates from, to alleviate hunger and fatigue, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (credit:Alamy)

Is That Where The Name Comes From?(08 of18)

Coca Cola inventor John Pemberton first used cocaine as an ingredient in the soft drink in 1886. The energizing and euphoric effects of the soft drink was responsible for propelling Coke to its standing as one of the most popular beverages in history. It was removed as an ingredient in 1903 amid growing public pressure. (credit:Getty Images)

Uncomfortably Numb(09 of18)

Researchers discovered in the late 19th century that the cocaine bush numbs whatever tissue it touches, which led to its use as a local anesthetic, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Crack can be administered by a doctor when performing some eye, ear and throat surgeries, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. (credit:Alamy)

Freud Was An Advocate...(10 of18)

The psychologist Sigmund Freud hailed the effects of cocaine as a treatment method for depression and alcohol and opioid addiction in papers he wrote in the 1880s. (credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sigmund_Freud_LIFE.jpg)

.. And Then An Addict(11 of18)

William Stewart Halsted, a surgeon practicing in New York in the 1880s, was the first famous American physician to use cocaine as an anesthetic during surgery. Both he and Freud became addicts shortly thereafter. (credit:Shutterstock)

'Twinkie'(12 of18)

Crack gets its name from the crackling or popping sound that it makes when it is heated and turns to smoke. Other street names for crack include blast, caviar, devil's dandruff, electric kool-aid, twinkie and window pane. (credit:Alamy)

Canadian Penalties(13 of18)

Under Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, unlawful possession is subject to a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both, for a first offence. Crack carries a maximum term for possession of seven years and the maximum term for distribution is life. (credit:Alamy)

Cocaine Crime In Canada(14 of18)

According to a February 2013 report on crime statistics in Canada, there were 7,390 incidents of cocaine possession in 2011, a 23 per cent increase since 2001. There were 10,200 cocaine trafficking and production incidents in 2011, up a 37 per cent from 2001. (credit:Alamy)

The Price Of Crack(15 of18)

Crack in the Greater Toronto Area reportedly sells for about $20 for .08 to .12 grams, and upwards of $1,000 for an ounce, according to 2009 stats released by the RCMP . See the full-size chart here. (credit:Alamy)

Dirty Money(16 of18)

According to one study, traces of cocaine can be found on 90 percent of paper money in the United States. This doesn't, however, prove that every bill was used as a snorting straw because the fine powdery cocaine is easily spread around and can easily contaminate the inside of currency-counting machines at the bank. (credit:Alamy)

Crack Use Among Canadian Youth(17 of18)

The use of crack, a freebase form of cocaine, among youth ages 15 to 24 years decreased from 11.3 per cent in 2004 to 4.8 per cent in 2011, according to Health Canada. Get more stats here. (credit:Alamy)

How It's Made(18 of18)

To make crack cocaine, powdered cocaine is first dissolved and then boiled in a mixture of water and ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to separate the hydrochloride from the cocaine base until it dries and forms yellowish-white lumps or rocks. (credit:Alamy)

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