What if you can lose weight without putting in the work? It sounds great… until you know what’s at stake. There is a dangerous misconception that cocaine can make you skinny. It’s important to dispel the myths so as to stop people from making choices that can have lifelong consequences.
If you ask ten addicts why they use drugs, you may get ten different answers. Chances are that you’ll anticipate many of them. But some may surprise you.
One factor leading to addiction in certain cases is the idea that cocaine can make you skinny. If you meet a few cocaine addicts, you may start to believe this. However, it is a misconception. Using cocaine for any reason can lead to addiction, causing negative physical and psychological consequences that can be fatal.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re wondering whether cocaine can make you skinny.
Why Might Someone Using Cocaine Lose Weight?
There are three possible reasons cocaine can cause weight loss:
- It suppresses appetite
- It speeds up the metabolism
- It leads to lifestyle changes, including personal neglect
The mechanisms that lead to the first two factors are not entirely clear to researchers. However, what is clear when looking more closely at all three reasons is that they have nothing to do with positive weight loss.
The suppression of appetite at best leads to unhealthy eating habits, potentially causing malnutrition. The speeding up of the metabolism, on the other hand, leads to poor food choices. People using cocaine often eat very unhealthy food. So, while it may not lead to weight gain, it can cause significant damage to the body.
The lifestyle changes are particularly problematic. Neglecting to eat is just one of many consequences, with others including a lack of personal hygiene, missing work, and making impulsive decisions.
In other words, cocaine can cause weight loss, but so can illness and poverty. It comes at a significant cost.
Can Cocaine Cause Weight Gain?
While it’s well-known that cocaine can cause unhealthy weight loss, for some people it causes unhealthy weight gain.
Although this is rare, it is a possibility, and again highlights the irrational nature of this approach to weight loss. Cocaine causes weight fluctuations for very unhealthy reasons. It’s not just unsustainable, but likely to lead to much bigger problems than being overweight.
The Costs of Using Cocaine for Weight Loss
Let’s go more deeply into the potential costs of using cocaine for weight loss.
Physical Health Risks
Cardiovascular Issues
- Heart Attack and Stroke: Cocaine significantly increases heart rate and blood pressure, leading to a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke, even for young and otherwise healthy individuals.
- Arrhythmias: Cocaine can cause irregular heartbeats, which may lead to sudden cardiac death.
Respiratory Problems
- Lung Damage: Smoking or inhaling cocaine can cause severe damage to the respiratory system, leading to chronic respiratory issues, lung infections, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
- Nasal Damage: Snorting cocaine can damage nasal passages, leading to chronic nosebleeds, loss of smell, and perforated septum.
Gastrointestinal Complications
- Ulcers and Digestive Issues: Cocaine use can cause stomach ulcers and reduced blood flow to the intestines, leading to necrosis and perforation.
- Malnutrition: The appetite-suppressing effects of cocaine lead to poor eating choices, causing deficiencies, a weakened immune system, and overall poor health.
Mental Health Risks
- Addiction and Dependency: Cocaine is highly addictive, and regular use can quickly lead to physical and psychological dependence.
- Withdrawal Symptoms: Quitting can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, including depression, fatigue, and intense cravings.
- Anxiety and Paranoia: The stimulation of the central nervous system can lead to heightened anxiety and paranoia, which can become chronic issues.
- Depression: There is a severe comedown from cocaine’s euphoric effects which can trigger depressive episodes.
- Cognitive Decline: Prolonged cocaine use can cause significant memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and impaired judgment.
What About FDA-Approved Weight-Loss Drugs?
Using cocaine to lose weight is a severely short-sighted decision, with negative consequences that can last a lifetime.
But what about drugs that have been approved by the FDA for weight loss? How are they different?
Weight-loss drugs – pharmaceuticals approved by experts for the purpose of weight loss – have become extremely popular over the last few years. The most recent craze is the use of Wegovy (semaglutide), which is injected once a week.
Drugs like Wegovy work by slowing digestion, leading you to feel full and suppressing your appetite. What makes this different from cocaine?
The major difference is that FDA-approved drugs do not suppress your appetite completely. They also do not have side-effects as drastic to those caused by cocaine.
That being said, there are reasons not to use weight-loss drugs.
Issues Caused by the Ozempic Craze
Ozempic, the more popular form of semaglutide, is a drug prescribed for diabetes. For those who need it, it can be lifesaving. The Ozempic craze has led to major shortages, with people using it for weight loss causing people with diabetes to go without.
It is also important to note that Ozempic and similar drugs do have side effects and, for some people, can prove harmful. Furthermore, current research indicates that users of these types of drugs are likely to regain the weight once they stop using it. Since it cannot be used chronically for the purpose of weight loss, it may end up as a temporary fix.
So, Are Weight-Loss Drugs Bad?
This is not to say that the development and use of weight-loss drugs is a bad thing. On the contrary, losing weight is extremely difficult for many people, and a healthy way to do so can significantly improve people’s overall health.
However, any weight-loss drugs should be prescribed by a trusted medical provider. Speak to your doctor about the pros and cons of using weight-loss drugs. There are no perfect quick-fixes, but there are ways to improve your chances of sustained success.
Conclusion
There is no benefit to using cocaine to become skinny. While you may lose weight, it will come at a great cost to your health – and even your appearance.
It is worthwhile to take your weight seriously, but it should be discussed in holistic terms with a trusted medical provider.
