Even in its purest form, cocaine isn’t good for you. It certainly doesn’t come with any health claims.
Featured Image VIA
As for regular street coke, the drug is filled out with all kinds of dangerous crap, from caffeine and paracetamol to skin-rotting chemicals like levamisole (normally used to kill parasitic worms in animals). Plus, it’s awful for the old ticker.
Even so, people continue to take coke on the reg – it’s the party drug of choice in the UK. But perhaps those who do might think twice before getting a ticket after seeing the images below.
Brain scans of a regular coke user were released by a hospital in Msida, Malta, showing how in rare cases the drug can “eat away” at a person’s brain, leaving them with a disability – or in some cases dead.
Image VIA
It all started when a 45-year-old man was taken to hospital after he started acting strangely. Following a series of tests, it was discovered he was suffering from cocaine-induced toxic leucoencephalopathy.
This is a rare condition that is characterised by progressive damage to white matter in the brain due to causes such as exposure to drug abuse.
Thankfully, the guy has made a full recovery – but most people aren’t so lucky. Dr Ylenia Abdilla, who treated the anonymous man at the hospital, decided to release these images to increase awareness of this condition.
It’s a rare disorder which can cause significant disability…
It may present in several different ways.
These include an altered level of consciousness, confusion, impaired language, altered vision, fever or spasticity.
Prognosis is poor – the condition progresses rapidly and often leads to death.
Rarely it has been reported to result in complete recovery, as in our case.
Image VIA
In other words, the man whose brain can be seen in those MRI scans is one lucky guy, and has since been sent to a rehab centre where it’s reported he’s doing well. No doubt that’s him off the bugle for good now.
For more stories on the nasty effects of coke abuse, check out this guy who did so much of the stuff, he ended up blowing chunks of his nose out. Grim.
