Cocaine psychotic effect

Those who abuse cocaine and other stimulants can also show psychotic effects which are not usually observed with marijuana. 

It is usual to classify as psychotomimetic, substances which produce predominantly psychotic effects in low concentrations. Many other drugs (cocaine, amphetamine and atropine, for instance) have psychotomimetic side effects or are effective psychotomimetics in relatively high doses. They are, therefore, not usually grouped with the psychotomimetic drugs, but since the criteria of psychotomimetic action are rather imprecise, differences of opinion do arise concerning the classification of some of the less active substances. The names and formulae of some of the compounds generally recognized as psychotomimetic are set out in Table 5.6. 

Antipsychotic medications are indicated in the treatment of acute and chronic psychotic disorders. These include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and manic states occurring as part of a bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder. The co-adminstration of antipsychotic medication with antidepressants has also been shown to increase the remission rate of severe depressive episodes that are accompanied by psychotic symptoms. Antipsychotic medications are frequently used in the management of agitation associated with delirium, dementia, and toxic effects of both prescribed medications (e.g. L-dopa used in Parkinson s disease) and illicit dtugs (e.g. cocaine, amphetamines, andPCP). They are also indicated in the management of tics that result from Gilles de la Tourette s syndrome, and widely used to control the motor and behavioural manifestations of Huntington s disease. 

Toxic psychosis Several monoamine stimulants including cocaine are known to produce a temporary or even a lasting psychotic state after heavy use. Reviews of numerous clinical case reports have shown amphetamine to produce a chronic psychotic state, sometimes persisting for months after cessation. There appears to be a sensitization effect in this regard, because after recovery, psychotic states may recur with minimal use of amphetamine or alcohol. When compared to schizophrenic patients, people with amphetamine-induced psychosis demonstrate fewer negative symptoms (Boutros and Bowers 1996). 

Dopamine Transporter SLC6A3 Inhibitors will prevent dopamine uptake (cocaine-like drugs). Important effects on locomotor activity, motivation, reward and cognition, dopaminergic hyperactivity, ADHD, depression. Parkinsonism, psychotic disorders, seizure, dystonia, dyskinesia. 

Similar effects have been reported after abuse of the amphetamines which, in addition, may be associated with increasing stereotyped behaviour and a full psychotic episode (auditory, visual and tactile hallucinations often unassociated with cardiovascular symptoms) which may be difficult to differentiate from paranoid schizophrenia. This is the basis for using amphetamine as a model for schizophrenia, in both animals and human volunteers. The central effects of high doses of cocaine and the amphetamines may be suppressed by the administration of neuroleptics. 

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