Cocaine in Medicine

[mtajim]

Is cocaine used in medical purpose, do chemist use them to prepare pills , if yes then how do they import and how limitations are there for such use ?

[britjojo]

Cocaine itself is not used in medicine today. However, scientists were able to use the chemical structure of cocaine to develop synthetic anaesthetics that do not have the side effects of cocaine.

And of course the parent substance of cocaine is still WIDELY in use throughout the world!

[QuietLunatic]

There are a lot of cocaine derivatives still in use: novocaine, procaine and other "caine" drugs all come, or used to come, from cocaine. Pure cocaine is no longer used medicinally because of its detrimental side effects, as far as I know.

[mtajim]

Oh thanks, for those info , i didint knew that they are still used .

[britjojo]

There are a lot of cocaine derivatives still in use: novocaine, procaine and other "caine" drugs all come, or used to come, from cocaine. Pure cocaine is no longer used medicinally because of its detrimental side effects, as far as I know.

They actually are not derivatives anymore, but synthetic chemicals with similar structures.

[jimberan]

I have heard that when Coca Cola first came out they had in fact cocaine substances in their beverage. It was only removed after people found out what cocaine could do to a person.

[mtajim]

I think coca cola did actually go that popoular just because of that cocaine in it

[QuietLunatic]

Which is why it has the word "Coca" in its name. Didn't it used to be advertised as a tonic way back before any of us (or our parents) were born?

[britjojo]

It was invented as a medicine; a tonic against ANYTHING that ails you. Primarily it was a pain medicine, but was given for such things as the common cold too. It came as a thick, sweet syrup, and it was discovered that when mixed with water made a pleasant drink. So, coca cola was born.

In 1886, the first year Coca-Cola was sold, sales averaged a modest 9 drinks per day. From the coke website. A little of the history can be found here http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/chronicle_birth_refreshing_idea.html

For the cocaine side of things, check out wiki.

[jimberan]

In South America many local inhabitants working in the fields for example still check the Coca leaves which leave them feeling high I guess. I mean Speed was put into diet medicin only up to about a decade ago.

[mtajim]

Ok ,like locals in S america use coca because its found in there locality , isnt that illegal .

[jimberan]

In many regions the farmers are protected by drug lords or by opposition armies and they grow the coca plants for these parties. They finance their operations with the proceeds of the cocaine business.

[MHJ]

Back in the early 20th century, you could purchase medicine that contained cocaine at Sears. Believ it or not.

[addictionstyle]

As such cocaine is banned for used by people in medical but yes scientist do use it in their research work. Directly it is not used in medicine.