Posts Tagged ‘ Cocaine ’

She’s Not Right, She’s Not Right…Cocaine

June 3rd, 2010. By AbiK

“Don’t forget this fact, you can’t get it back…Cocaine…”

This latest bit of news on the cocaine front may just give new meaning to that classic Clapton line.

Speaking of lines, used to be that while coke users would hear stories of blow that had impurities, the worst they’d have to deal with while doing a line might be a nick or a cut. You know, like, “Dang! I just cut my finger when I picked up the blade”. Or some sharp glass-shooting-through-your-nose sensation.

Ok, maybe some folks found themselves on a bad kind of trip from coke that had other crap cut into it.

But now, a report from Annals of Internal Medicine (6/1/10), discusses two cases of coke users who showed up at a hospital with “purplish plaques” (pretty!) on their cheeks, earlobes, legs, thighs and buttocks.

Seems the coke they’d been using had levamisole in it. Levamisole apparently used to be used for cattle, sheep and pigs—as an anti-worming (more pretty!) agent. It was also used on humans to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases and kidney problems—but it’s no longer approved for such. Because of its nasty side effects, which would be…

The purplish plaque which then becomes…rotting flesh.

Yes, rotting flesh. Skin lesions start showing up due to the death of skin tissue—caused by levamisole. This is the type of thing I’m used to reading about in connection with Stevens Johnson Syndrome—not recreational drugs (and, not that I partake—I’m just passing the info along here…)

So levamisole is used outside the US to cut coke before it lands inside the US. On your mirror.

It gets better—here’s the kicker—healthfinder.gov reports that according to Dr. Juliet VanEenwyk, who’s an epidemiologist with the Washington State Dept. of Health, until a few years ago, coke probably had less than 10 percent levamisole in it. Now, experts suspect 80 percent does.

Well, if that ain’t a holy sh!t moment for any coke user out there. 80% suddenly up’s your odds of snorting some levamisole along with your blow. That would give me pause given the rotting flesh thing.

And, hey, I’m smart enough to know that when something’s dead, “you can’t get it back”.

Cocaine…

Note: the author of this post neither approves nor condones the use of illegal, recreational drugs nor does she use them. She prefers Peche Lambic (summer only) or a nice glass of Pinot instead. Take note as the holidays will be here before you know it.

Tags: Cocaine, Levamisole
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