# So who does/did cocaine and why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 12, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778 "2015-09-12T05:26:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/41 "2015-09-12T22:40:28Z")
Can someone describe what doing cocaine \*feels \*like? Like a lot of users here, I’ve only ever drank alcohol and taken a puff or 2 off of a joint. Alcohol makes me feel woozy and sleepy, reefer makes me feel like coughing and somewhat relaxed and less anxious. I’ve heard it makes you feel powerful, but I’ve never experienced it so I have trouble imagining what this must feel like or why you would go out of your way to find a drug dealer and buy some. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/42 "2015-09-12T23:16:41Z")
Powder cocaine is certainly the most underwhelming drug I’ve dallied with. I do get the feeling I’m already blessed/cursed with the sort of confidence/arrogance it provides its fans - it just makes me feel unpleasantly brittle. One reason that some people might not notice coke use amongst their acquaintances is that it’s a notoriously cliquey habit in my experience. A large proportion of its thrill is tied up with its glamour and affluent exclusivity - your gang become rulers amongst peasants! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/43 "2015-09-12T23:24:39Z")
Cocaine always just made my teeth itch and make me want to drink more. Back in the 80s I had a number of friends who were moderate to heavy users, so it was always around - at parties, after work, in the back room _during_ work, whenever. Never thought too highly of the stuff myself. Always preferred beer and weed. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/44 "2015-09-12T23:30:25Z")
Haven’t had any since I was in college. The stuff that I had then (early 80s) included pharmaceutical coke that an acquaintance had stolen from his father’s pharmacy. The commonsewers were all but masturbating over that stuff. It did little for me but make me jittery and irritable. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/45 "2015-09-12T23:38:22Z")
A side note: Coke is not common at all in Thailand. Unlike heroin or amphetamines, which are commonly smuggled out of Thailand, coke is, of course, smuggled in, and the market for it is pretty much restricted to wealthier Thais who first tried it while studying abroad. Whenever you do read of a courier bust at the airport, it’s usually someone who has scored some while traveling internationally and was bringing it back for a close circle of friends and associates. They’re not your normal drug mule. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/46 "2015-09-12T23:40:37Z")
Coke can turn the most mundane conversation with a mere acquaintance into the most intense, gripping dialogue of your life. :D. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/47 "2015-09-13T01:24:00Z")
I did it once and it only made my heart race. _shrug_ I liked weed or booze better. Medical-grade cocaine was used during my sinus surgery. I woke up after the surgery with my heart racing and in a sweat. Total panic attack. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/48 "2015-09-13T01:36:17Z")
I used to do it once in a while, years ago. Usually I would just end up cleaning the house after a line or two. Once, I re-grouted the tub. 😃 It’s too expensive a high, to just do home maintenance. I remember that it’s nearly impossible to get drunk while doing coke. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/49 "2015-09-13T01:41:26Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > I made the mistake of using coke on back-to-back evenings when I was dealing with a cold. I thought I was going to die the next week, but I couldn’t very well go to the doctor and say “Hey I did some cocaine and I’m worried my immune system is crippled and it’s causing this cold to be so severe.” > > Even a minor admission like that will follow you for the rest of your life. I would forever be branded as a “drug user” on my medical records. > > A really stupid, fucked-up flaw in our (otherwise very-good) medical system. Only in your imagination. Of course you could have gone to a doctor. You realize that for the most part such consultations are confidential, right? And there’s no central database for medical records with a check box for “drug user”, as you are imagining. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/50 "2015-09-13T02:04:15Z")
There was a period a few years back in the 2000’s that I did it every week. I never understood before trying it how people could blow so much money on something like that. If you’re one of those people who really takes a shine to it just talking about doing it, especially if you will be doing it later, will make your heart start beating faster in anticipation. I know I enjoyed it, especially the whole ritual of doing it, but there’s just so much trouble you can get into legally and possible dangerous characters you can get tangled up with if you’re not careful. Almost nothing feels as bad as coming down off a powerful stimulant though so you better have something to make the comedown bearable. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/51 "2015-09-13T02:08:23Z")
It’s pretty much the only well-known drug I’ve never tried. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/52 "2015-09-13T02:10:27Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > Can someone describe what doing cocaine \*feels \*like? Like a lot of users here, I’ve only ever drank alcohol and taken a puff or 2 off of a joint. Alcohol makes me feel woozy and sleepy, reefer makes me feel like coughing and somewhat relaxed and less anxious. > > I’ve heard it makes you feel powerful, but I’ve never experienced it so I have trouble imagining what this must feel like or why you would go out of your way to find a drug dealer and buy some. This thread makes me feel like I’ve lived in a monastery. I’ve never done cocaine or known anyone who’s mentioned doing it, or been to any party where it was on offer (to my knowledge, _pace_ **Joey P** ’s post). Hell, I’ve never had weed, either. But mental healthcare professionals I know have told me that a lot of people with undiagnosed ADHD self-medicate with cocaine, because it’s actually calming for them. I know that when I take methylphenidate - Adderall, an amphetamine - I get, in addition to better focus, a mood lift and euphoria. Everybody’s nice, and I am friendly to the world. I can imagine that coke would give me the same. So it’s probably a good thing I’ve never been offered it. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/53 "2015-09-13T02:32:34Z")
Yes, it’s much like other stimulants and prescription speed (i.e. Adderall), but the effects are shorter and more intense. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/54 "2015-09-13T02:48:40Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Yes, it’s much like other stimulants and prescription speed (i.e. Adderall), but the effects are shorter and more intense. Cocaine is much more than just a stimulant like amphetamines. It is a powerful euphoric. And unlike opiate euphorics like heroin or Oxycodone, which are anti-stimulants (i.e. depressants), cocaine makes you feel euphoric \*and \*energetic. Its your basic dopamine re-uptake inhibitor, but an overpoweringly insidious one. Comedian George Carlin put it best: _“Cocaine makes you feel like doing more cocaine…”_ ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/55 "2015-09-13T04:33:04Z")
Euphoria is exactly what amphetamines give me, for about an hour and a half after taking my daily dose. Maybe that just happens with people with ADD, but it always happens with me. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/56 "2015-09-13T04:39:38Z")
> [@pool](#): > > There was a period a few years back in the 2000’s that I did it every week. I never understood before trying it how people could blow so much money on something like that. If you’re one of those people who really takes a shine to it just talking about doing it, especially if you will be doing it later, will make your heart start beating faster in anticipation. I know I enjoyed it, especially the whole ritual of doing it, but there’s just so much trouble you can get into legally and possible dangerous characters you can get tangled up with if you’re not careful. Almost nothing feels as bad as coming down off a powerful stimulant though so you better have something to make the comedown bearable. Sounds like you got busted? Did you serve any time for it? Also how much were you spending on it? After awhile could you tell just by looking at it if it was laced? ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/57 "2015-09-13T05:40:04Z")
No I never got busted, but once I had to drive the middleman to the source cause his car was broken down. The middleman usually assumed all the risk, but you had to give him a cut, but this time I was taking the risk with him. It was in a poor part of town and the dealer was literally doing the hand off through his bedroom window and I realized it would be so easy for a cop to drive by and see and there would be no way to talk my way out of that one or get out of charges. That and hearing about a house I frequently did it at getting busted scared me enough to see it wasn’t worth the risk. I spent thousands on it, even taking cash out on a credit card. I don’t think I could say confidently I could identify the good stuff on sight but maybe on texture and smell. But if you take a bump of it before you buy, you’ll know within seconds if it’s the good stuff or heavily cut. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/58 "2015-09-13T07:29:46Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Cocaine is much more than just a stimulant like amphetamines. It is a powerful euphoric. And unlike opiate euphorics like heroin or Oxycodone, which are anti-stimulants (i.e. depressants), cocaine makes you feel euphoric \*and \*energetic. Its your basic dopamine re-uptake inhibitor, but an overpoweringly insidious one. Most stimulants give a euphoric feeling, at least for me. Like I said, coke is a bit more intense, but the basic action of most stimulants/amphetamines is similar. Even caffeine can give a bit of that “euphoric + energetic” buzz, it just isn’t nearly as powerful. I didn’t compare it to opiates though so not sure why you are saying that. Opiate euphoria is definitely more of a warm and fuzzy “everything is gonna be _just fine_” feeling. And stimulant euphoria is more the “OMGIamAwesomeEverythingIsAwesome!” feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/59 "2015-09-13T10:55:10Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > This thread makes me feel like I’ve lived in a monastery. I’ve never done cocaine or known anyone who’s mentioned doing it, or been to any party where it was on offer (to my knowledge, _pace_ **Joey P** ’s post). Hell, I’ve never had weed, either. > > . I’m worse, never even been drunk. It’s why I know so few people who have used it. I dont roll in those circles. Being a Christian, the quiet type, and poor its not something I really looked for and the person I did know was an ex-girlfriend I should never had gotten involved with. But after reading some of these threads, yes I’m sure some people I knew were users. I’m thinking of people in sales or other jobs where it seems like they always were mega aggressive. ---
**Author:** ![edwardcoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cab0a1/32.png) [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778/60 "2015-09-13T12:08:49Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > If you lived under a rock then I must have lived on another planet as I have never, as far as I am aware, known anyone who even tried cocaine. > > The closest I ever came to experiencing the effects of cocaine was discussing its molecular structure and MOA during a chemistry class… put me right to sleep. Heh. My experiences as well. I don’t know a single friend who has done cocaine or even talks about it. It has never been offered to me at a party. Amongst people I know, the idea of taking illegal (or legal) relational drugs and alcohol is a sign of weakness, that you can’t handle living and lack the intelligence to manage and enjoy life that you need to be anesthetize to endure it. This is all a learned behavior and society in some twisted way has made it hip to be high or stoned. You get unexpectedly fired from a job, some people head to their vice and stop off at a bar to cry in their beer, instead of going home to update your resume and apply for a new job. There is a reason employers drug test prospective employees because they don’t want a mess of a person involved in their business. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-does-did-cocaine-and-why/730778.md?page=4)