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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Can Using Cocaine In The Early Age Cause Heart Attack Later?

I have been experiencing some very odd symptoms lately. Loss of appetite, nausea, pain in left arm and headaches. I am afraid that this could be pre-heart attack symptoms. I have not been diagnosed with heart disease, but in my teens I did use cocaine. Can that put me at risk of having a heart attack? The drug use happened when I was 16-17 yrs old, I am now 23.
Wed, 4 May 2016
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Addiction Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
well........not very likely..... Nearly all of the effects of cocaine are from the direct action of the drug and do not occur even 6 hrs after use (and the drug being gone). There can be damage to the heart from the cocaine with the heart not working well that sets up for a LOT of problems. This is very common. Heart failure can make the heart set up for not getting blood pumped to where it is needed. This can cause a lot of problems including not being able to get blood to the heart. Also, usually some fluid accumulation and puffy ankles or fluid in the lungs if there is heart failure.
cannot say in your particular case, but generally,this would be a context for a full physical and maybe an ekg. also, on the other hand, if you can poke an area and produce the pain, then it is a sore spot and not angina.
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Can Using Cocaine In The Early Age Cause Heart Attack Later?

well........not very likely..... Nearly all of the effects of cocaine are from the direct action of the drug and do not occur even 6 hrs after use (and the drug being gone). There can be damage to the heart from the cocaine with the heart not working well that sets up for a LOT of problems. This is very common. Heart failure can make the heart set up for not getting blood pumped to where it is needed. This can cause a lot of problems including not being able to get blood to the heart. Also, usually some fluid accumulation and puffy ankles or fluid in the lungs if there is heart failure. cannot say in your particular case, but generally,this would be a context for a full physical and maybe an ekg. also, on the other hand, if you can poke an area and produce the pain, then it is a sore spot and not angina.