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Hello Ive Been Dealing With Word Finding Diffuclties For The
Question: hello ive been dealing with word finding diffuclties for the past year and ky quesrion is if the druf cocaine can cause the lamhuage disorder known as aphasia??
Brief Answer:
oh, in so many ways.....
Detailed Answer:
Aphasia is typically due to a very particular part of the brain dying off from lack of blood (a stroke). the type of stroke typically with cocaine (small, random) is the type that would affect one part and not much else. So, entirely possible. It is noticeable as a hole in the brain on an MRI. OR even CT with iv to show up blood flow, but the MRI gives a better picture.
But that isn't even the most common by at least 10 fold..... Coming off of cocaine (or meth, or extasy) causes a let down. Typically people are without energy or motivation for days afterwards and this depresses complex speech.I haven't seen someone coming off of methamphetamine who did NOT have this.
This can lead to a long term depression. This is most common with methamphetamine and extasy.
oh, in so many ways.....
Detailed Answer:
Aphasia is typically due to a very particular part of the brain dying off from lack of blood (a stroke). the type of stroke typically with cocaine (small, random) is the type that would affect one part and not much else. So, entirely possible. It is noticeable as a hole in the brain on an MRI. OR even CT with iv to show up blood flow, but the MRI gives a better picture.
But that isn't even the most common by at least 10 fold..... Coming off of cocaine (or meth, or extasy) causes a let down. Typically people are without energy or motivation for days afterwards and this depresses complex speech.I haven't seen someone coming off of methamphetamine who did NOT have this.
This can lead to a long term depression. This is most common with methamphetamine and extasy.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Thank you so much for answering my question , I’ve been struggling with this problem for the last two years , I was never a frequent cocaine user , I would only do it when it was being done around me and would do very small amounts , however with that being said I would drink alcohol on top of it. I went to two neurologists , got an MRI scan , results didn’t show anything , I was still a bit skeptical so I went to receive a second opinion to which I found a private neurologist with her own practice who uses hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help “ fix aphasia “ , I had a second MRI-DTI scan and she never really provided me with a direct answer to whether or not I have aphasia, i never suffered a stroke and I always felt fine whenever I was on the influence of the drug, it would be the morning after where I noticed something was off. I would always have the same side effect the day after of struggling to find words , only the last time I did coke it didn’t wear off.. , my family thinks it’s “ anxiety “ but I don’t think anxiety can stop the production of finding words in the brain. If I never had a stroke or seizure than I don’t understand how I could’ve acquired aphasia , my only suspicion is it’s cocaine that could’ve caused this but as I said the cocaine never induced a stroke in me , I’m able to move both parts of my body just fine , I know with a stroke it leaves physical damage such as paralysis on one side of the body and weakness to which I don’t have , I’m just very stressed out and desperate for answers
As you can see I’m able to still type and say what I need to , I know their are different types of aphasia and I would say if I were to have it it would have to be the most mild form , I was a chronic nicotine user, and I know ciggarette and e cigs are stimulants I don’t know if that could also be the culprit?
Brief Answer:
really good questions.
Detailed Answer:
Well, obviously, overall mental functioning is intact.
So... we've covered stroke (no)
depression family of changes (these are short term and last hours to maybe a week) which are analogous to a hangover but to a stimulant. This tends to make people hooked on stimulants even though they do not produce the withdrawal/dependence that opiates do. You get a subjective sense of heightened sensation while on them that won't be there when not under the (distorted) influence of the drug.
ANd then, there is the brain changes. WITH a LOT of methamphetamine
https://www.verywellmind.com/brain-recovery-possible-for-meth-users-67583
The main thing you need to know is IT ISN'T THAT BAD.
The MRI effects from methamphetamine are far more than with cocaine.
The total amount matters and the effects seen were in people using extreme amounts of methamphetamine
The physician community hasn't recovered from just how WELL the brain recovers from what looks like terrible damage. The recovery under the very worst conditions is much better than the article indicates.
This only applies to you in two ways: 1) you might have the very mild form of this and the mildest symptom one can see is some difficulty with the highest mental functions (complex word choice, complex mental reasoning at speed) that most of us don't even do. and 2) it gets better
except....
BLOCKING function. this is a mild age related change that is not a disease. It comes from having a large amount going on in the brain and you need a certain age to be able to have enough in the brain to have something to block you need to be doing fairly sophisticated language for it to occur.
I can reproducibly demonstrate it in myself by Saying the name of the Supreme Court Justice and then try to think of and say the name of the star in "A thousand clowns". I sound like I have aphasia. This is not drug induced.
really good questions.
Detailed Answer:
Well, obviously, overall mental functioning is intact.
So... we've covered stroke (no)
depression family of changes (these are short term and last hours to maybe a week) which are analogous to a hangover but to a stimulant. This tends to make people hooked on stimulants even though they do not produce the withdrawal/dependence that opiates do. You get a subjective sense of heightened sensation while on them that won't be there when not under the (distorted) influence of the drug.
ANd then, there is the brain changes. WITH a LOT of methamphetamine
https://www.verywellmind.com/brain-recovery-possible-for-meth-users-67583
The main thing you need to know is IT ISN'T THAT BAD.
The MRI effects from methamphetamine are far more than with cocaine.
The total amount matters and the effects seen were in people using extreme amounts of methamphetamine
The physician community hasn't recovered from just how WELL the brain recovers from what looks like terrible damage. The recovery under the very worst conditions is much better than the article indicates.
This only applies to you in two ways: 1) you might have the very mild form of this and the mildest symptom one can see is some difficulty with the highest mental functions (complex word choice, complex mental reasoning at speed) that most of us don't even do. and 2) it gets better
except....
BLOCKING function. this is a mild age related change that is not a disease. It comes from having a large amount going on in the brain and you need a certain age to be able to have enough in the brain to have something to block you need to be doing fairly sophisticated language for it to occur.
I can reproducibly demonstrate it in myself by Saying the name of the Supreme Court Justice and then try to think of and say the name of the star in "A thousand clowns". I sound like I have aphasia. This is not drug induced.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
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