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Sunday, August 16, 2009

Neurotoxic and Cardiotoxic Effects of Cocaine and Ethanol
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL TOXICOLOGY VOLUME 5, NUMBER 3 SEPTEMBER 2009

Concurrent abuse of alcohol and cocaine results in the formation of cocaethylene, a powerful cocaine metabolite. Cocaethylene potentiates the direct cardiotoxic and indirect neurotoxic effects of cocaine or alcohol alone.

The combination of ethanol and cocaine has been associated with a significant increase in the incidence of neurological and cardiac emergencies including cerebral infarction, intracranial hemorrhage, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, and cardiac arrhythmias. The alteration of cocaine pharmacokinetics and the formation of cocaethylene have been implicated, at least partially, in the increased toxicity of this drug combination.

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