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- I want first to express my personal opinion that freebasing is
- a very bad thing to do for your body and mind. I have seen a few
- people hooked on it, and it is not a nice thing to see. I strongly
- disrecommend doing it. It is easy to overdose and die of cardiac
- arrest. Some people doing freebase will exhibit the same kind of
- behavior as those rats whose pleasure centers are electrically
- stimulated: they will do it until either the supply runs out, or until
- they die.
-
- The recipes are readily available. In fact, a few years ago,
- police officers would go to great lengths explaining how crack was
- made when given interviews (at least in Montreal)! There was also an
- article in Time a few years ago explaining the procedures.
-
- I have never tried any of those procedures or smoked freebase,
- and will never do it. The information I post comes from a used booklet
- I bought a long time ago ("Cocaine Handbook", by Davis).
-
- Crack is actually a impure form of freebase. Procedures for
- both substances are based on the fact that while cocaine hydrochloride
- is very soluble in water, base cocaine is almost insoluble.
-
- freebase:
-
- mix about 1 g of coke in 10 ml of water in a small vial.
- Slowly add drops of ammonia to the solution. A white milky precipitate
- will form. Stop adding ammonia when additional drops no longer result
- in precipitation. Add 5 ml of ethyl ether, close vial, and shake. The
- precipitate (freebase) will dissolve in the ether. Siphon off the
- ether with a pipette (ether and water don't mix), and slowly drip it
- on a plate. As the ether evaporates, white crystals will form. This is
- the evil freebase. Crush the crystals and put under a heat lamp for at
- least 24 hrs to let the solvent evaporate.
-
- ETHYL ETHER IS EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE. IN THE PRESENCE OF AIR IT
- CAN FORM PEROXIDES WHICH WILL SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODE! ALSO, ETHER CAN
- "CRAWL" FROM AN OPEN BOTTLE AND TRIGGER AN EXPLOSION MANY FEET AWAY.
-
- This is how Richard Pryor almost died. A lot of untrained
- people killed themselves doing that procedure, and this is why crack
- is now more popular.
-
- crack:
-
- mix 2 parts ok coke HCL for 1 part baking soda in 20 ml of
- water. Heat solution gently until white precipitates form, and stop
- heating when precipitation stops. Filter and keep precipitate. wash
- precipitate once with water (this procedure usually omitted in street
- product). Dry 24 hours under heat lamp. Voila. The product is much
- less pure (there is lots of baking soda left) but the procedure is
- safer.
-
- =============================================================================
-
- Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 09:21:26 -0500
- From: (anonymous)
- Subject: Crack / Rock Cocaine
-
- Let me first say that this is also freebase. Its not as pure
- as the other recipe and has a *much smaller return* than using
- ammonia (no one really does the ether part, just ammonia and heat it).
-
- [previous crack "recipe" deleted -cak]
-
- After gentle heating, it will float to the top, any excess soda
- will precipitate to the bottom. Given that, you'd never filter
- it, and the 24 hour heat lamp thing is unrealistic, too. Note that
- what you're trying to do is start and sustain a chemical reaction
- (bonding the hcl with the base-soda) so as long as the reaction
- is happening you don't have to continue heating.
-
- =============================================================================
-
- In article <1993Mar4.215558.9171@midway.uchicago.edu> bagg@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
-
- >I suspect that freebase cocaine is probably not too bad for your lungs.
-
- After writing this, I bopped onto Medline and yanked the following abstracts
- for the sake of thoroughness:
-
- 1. Khalsa ME; Tashkin DP; Perrochet B.
- Smoked cocaine: patterns of use and pulmonary consequences.
- Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1992 Jul-Sep, 24(3):265-72.
- (UI: 93058148)
-
- Abstract: This article offers a perspective on the use of volatilized
- alkaloidal cocaine in its freebase and crack forms and on the pulmonary
- consequences of such use. The inhalational route of administration of
- freebase and crack cocaine exposes the lung to their combustion products,
- raising concern about possible adverse pulmonary effects. A brief
- historical review of cocaine and its methods of use precedes the
- presentation of data concerning current modes and patterns of use and some
- pulmonary complications of crack and freebase use. Results from a
- systematic study of a large sample of cocaine users document a high
- frequency of occurrence of acute respiratory symptoms in temporal
- association with cocaine smoking. No relationship was detected between the
- prevalence of acute pulmonary symptoms and identifiable aspects of
- techniques of cocaine administration. These results suggest that the
- respiratory consequences of alkaloidal cocaine are most likely attributable
- to the inhaled cocaine itself, rather than to variable characteristics of
- usage.
-
- 2. Oh PI; Balter MS.
- Cocaine induced eosinophilic lung disease.
- Thorax, 1992 Jun, 47(6):478-9.
- (UI: 92358464)
-
- Abstract: A patient developed fever, bronchoconstriction, hypoxaemia, pulmonary
- infiltrates, and serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid eosinophilia on two
- occasions after inhaling crack cocaine. Transbronchial biopsy specimens
- showed normal lung parenchyma but a dense eosinophilic infiltrate within
- the bronchial wall. Both episodes resolved promptly after treatment with
- corticosteroids. Eosinophilic lung disease may be a steroid responsive
- complication of crack cocaine abuse.
-
- 3. Perper JA; Van Thiel DH.
- Respiratory complications of cocaine abuse.
- Recent Developments in Alcoholism, 1992, 10:363-77.
- (UI: 92270885)
- Pub type: Journal Article; Review; Review, Tutorial.
-
- Abstract: Upper respiratory and pulmonary complications of cocaine addiction
- have been increasingly reported in recent years, with most of the patients
- being intravenous addicts, users of freebase, or smokers of "crack." The
- toxicity of cocaine is complex and is exerted via multiple central and
- peripheral pathways. Recurrent snorting of cocaine may result in ischemia,
- necrosis, and infections of the nasal mucosa, sinuses, and adjacent
- structures. Pulmonary complications of cocaine toxicity include pulmonary
- edema, pulmonary hemorrhages, pulmonary barotrauma, foreign body
- granulomas, cocaine related pulmonary infection, obliterative
- bronchiolitis, asthma, and persistent gas-exchange abnormalities.
- Respiratory manifestations are nonspecific and include shortness of breath,
- cough, wheezing, hemoptysis, and chest pains. Severe respiratory
- difficulties have been reported in neonates of abusing mothers. In the
- absence of a cocaine-abuse history, it may be difficult to recognize the
- etiological role of cocaine, especially in the absence of needle tracks
- pointing to previous intravenous drug abuse and/or negative toxicology.
-
- 4. Ferre C; Sirvent JM; Vidaller A.
- [Hemoptysis and pulmonary infiltrates following crack poisoning (letter)].
- Medicina Clinica, 1992 Mar 7, 98(9):358.
- Language: Spanish.
- (UI: 92261122)
- Pub type: Letter.
-
- 5. Tashkin DP; Khalsa ME; Gorelick D; Chang P; Simmons MS; Coulson AH; Gong H
- Jr.
- Pulmonary status of habitual cocaine smokers.
- American Review of Respiratory Disease, 1992 Jan, 145(1):92-100.
- (UI: 92117426)
-
- Abstract: We determined the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lung
- dysfunction in a large sample of habitual smokers of freebase cocaine
- ("crack") alone and in combination with tobacco and/or marijuana. In
- addition, we compared these findings with those in an age- and race-matched
- sample of nonusers of crack who did or did not smoke tobacco and/or
- marijuana. A detailed respiratory and drug use questionnaire and a battery
- of lung function tests were administered to (1) a convenience sample of 202
- habitual smokers of cocaine (cases) who denied intravenous drug abuse and
- (2) a reference sample of 99 nonusers of cocaine (control subjects). The
- cocaine smokers (85% black) included the following: 68 never-smokers of
- marijuana, of whom 43 currently smoked tobacco and 25 did not, and 134
- ever-smokers of marijuana (42 current and 92 former), of whom 92 currently
- smoked tobacco and 42 did not. The control subjects (96% black) included
- the following: 69 never-smokers of marijuana, of whom 26 currently smoked
- tobacco and 43 did not, and 30 ever-smokers of marijuana (18 current and 12
- former), of whom 21 currently smoked tobacco and 9 did not. Cases smoked an
- average of 6.5 g cocaine per week for a mean of 53 months. The median time
- of the most recent use of crack prior to study was 19 days (range less than
- 1 to 180 days). After controlling for the use of other smoked substances,
- frequent crack use was associated with: (1) a high prevalence of at least
- occasional occurrences of acute cardiorespiratory symptoms within 1 to 12 h
- after smoking cocaine (cough productive of black sputum [43.7%], hemoptysis
- [5.7%], chest pain [38.5%], usually worse with deep breathing, and cardiac
- palpitations [52.6%]) and (2) a mild but significant impairment in the
- diffusing capacity of the lung.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
-
- 6. O'Donnell AE; Mappin FG; Sebo TJ; Tazelaar H.
- Interstitial pneumonitis associated with "crack" cocaine abuse.
- Chest, 1991 Oct, 100(4):1155-7.
- (UI: 92006753)
-
- Abstract: A 33-year-old woman developed acute bilateral pulmonary infiltrates
- after the intense use of rock cocaine (crack). She subsequently had
- progressive deterioration of pulmonary function to the point of being
- ventilator-dependent. Open lung biopsy showed a chronic interstitial
- pneumonia with extensive accumulation of free silica within histiocytes
- associated with mild pulmonary fibrosis. This pattern of interstitial
- pneumonia has not been previously reported in crack users.
-
- 7. Susskind H; Weber DA; Volkow ND; Hitzemann R.
- Increased lung permeability following long-term use of free-base cocaine
- (crack).
- Chest, 1991 Oct, 100(4):903-9.
- (UI: 92006781)
-
- Abstract: The clearance of inhaled 99mTc DTPA aerosol from the lungs is used as
- an index of lung epithelial permeability. Using the radioaerosol method, we
- investigated the effects of long-term "crack" (free-base cocaine)
- inhalation on lung permeability in 23 subjects. Eighteen control subjects
- (12 nonsmokers and 6 cigarette smokers) with no history of drug use were
- also studied. Subjects inhaled approximately 150 muCi (approximately 5.6
- MBq) of 99mTc DTPA aerosol and quantitative gamma camera images of the
- lungs were acquired at 1-min increments for 25 minutes. Regions of interest
- (ROIs) were selected to include the following: (1) both lungs; (2) each
- individual lung; and (3) the upper, middle, and lower thirds of each lung.
- 99mTc DTPA lung clearance was determined from the slopes of the respective
- time-activity plots for the different RIOs. Radioaerosol clearance
- half-times (T1/2) for the seven nonsmoking crack users (61.5 +/- 18.3
- minutes) were longer than for the seven cigarette-smoking crack users (27.9
- +/- 16.9 minutes) and nine cigarette-smoking crack plus marijuana users
- (33.5 +/- 21.6 minutes). T1/2 for the nonsmoking crack users was
- significantly shorter (p less than 0.001) than for the nonsmoking control
- group (123.8 +/- 28.7 minutes). T1/2 for the cigarette-smoking drug users
- was similar to that of the cigarette-smoking control group (33.1 +/- 17.8
- minutes), suggesting a similar mechanism of damage from the smoke of crack
- and tobacco. From these groups, one nonsmoker and 11 cigarette smokers
- displayed biexponential 99mTc DTPA clearances, indicative of greater lung
- injury than found in the usual cases of monoexponential clearance. The
- upper lungs of all crack users groups cleared faster than the lower lungs.
- The faster and biexponential clearance properties of inhaled 99mTc DTPA
- aerosol were the principal functional abnormalities found in all the drug
- users. In contrast, 19 of 23 crack users had normal spirometry and gas
- exchange. These results indicate that 99mTc DTPA may provide a sensitive
- and useful assay to evaluate the physiologic effects of cocaine inhalation
- in the lung.
-
- 8. McCarroll KA; Roszler MH.
- Lung disorders due to drug abuse.
- Journal of Thoracic Imaging, 1991 Jan, 6(1):30-5.
- (UI: 91116637)
- Pub type: Journal Article; Review; Review, Academic.
-
- Abstract: Drug-related diseases of the lungs have been noted with increasing
- frequency in urban patients. These entities are also being seen in smaller
- urban and suburban settings, however. The spectrum of pathology is also
- changing coincident with the marked increase in crack cocaine use. The
- incidence of abnormal chest radiographs in cocaine users admitted with
- pulmonary complaints has ranged from 12% to 55%. Findings have included
- focal air space disease, atelectasis, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and
- pulmonary edema. Pulmonary complications related to injections of illicit
- drugs have included pulmonary infection, pulmonary edema, particulate
- embolism, and talcosis. The "pocket shot" places the patient at risk for a
- unique set of complications. Radiologists should be aware of this wide
- spectrum of pulmonary disease that may be related to this increasingly
- frequent social problem.
-
- 9. Smart RG.
- Crack cocaine use: a review of prevalence and adverse effects.
- American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 1991, 17(1):13-26.
- (UI: 91247446)
- Pub type: Journal Article; Review; Review, Tutorial.
-
- Abstract: Crack is a potent form of cocaine which results in rapid and striking
- stimulant effects when smoked. This paper reviews epidemiological research
- on the extent of use as well as reports of adverse effects. Crack is used
- by a small minority of adult and student populations but by a large
- proportion of cocaine users and heavy drug-using groups. Use does not
- appear to be increasing in general populations, but there are no trend
- studies for high-risk groups. Crack users tend to be young, heavy polydrug
- users, many of whom have serious drug abuse problems. The adverse reactions
- to crack are similar to those of cocaine and include effects on offspring,
- neurological and psychiatric problems, as well as pulmonary and cardiac
- abnormalities. However, two adverse reactions unique to crack have been
- reported. One relates to lung infiltrates and bronchospasm. The other
- involves neurological symptoms among children living in crack smoke-filled
- rooms. There is a need for improved treatment and preventive programs for
- crack use.
-
- 10. Forrester JM; Steele AW; Waldron JA; Parsons PE.
- Crack lung: an acute pulmonary syndrome with a spectrum of clinical and
- histopathologic findings.
- American Review of Respiratory Disease, 1990 Aug, 142(2):462-7.
- (UI: 90343162)
-
- Abstract: In this report, we review the hospital course of four patients who
- presented with an acute pulmonary syndrome after inhaling freebase cocaine
- and compare them with previously described case reports. Two patients had
- prolonged inflammatory pulmonary injury associated with fever, hypoxemia,
- hemoptysis, respiratory failure, and diffuse alveolar infiltrates. Lung
- tissue specimens from both patients revealed diffuse alveolar damage,
- alveolar hemorrhage, and interstitial and intraalveolar inflammatory cell
- infiltration notable for the prominence of eosinophils. Immunofluorescent
- staining performed on one of the biopsy specimens showed a striking
- deposition of IgE in both lymphocytes and alveolar macrophages. Both
- patients were treated with systemic corticosteroids and rapidly improved.
- In contrast, two patients presented acutely with diffuse pulmonary alveolar
- infiltrates associated with dyspnea and hypoxemia, but without fever, and
- within 36 h of discontinuing cocaine their pulmonary infiltrates and
- symptoms had spontaneously resolved. Our report further supports the
- finding that an acute pulmonary syndrome can occur after inhalation of
- freebase cocaine. Furthermore, the lung injury may respond to systemic
- corticosteroid therapy when it is associated with a prominent inflammatory
- cell infiltration.
-
- 11. Hannan DJ; Adler AG.
- Crack abuse. Do you known enough about it?
- Postgraduate Medicine, 1990 Jul, 88(1):141-3, 146-7.
- (UI: 90310821)
- Pub type: Journal Article; Review; Review, Tutorial.
-
- Abstract: Crack use has increased dramatically because the drug is cheap,
- highly addictive, and easy to use. As a result, an increased frequency of
- cocaine-related medical problems has been noted. The effects of crack abuse
- on fetal outcome and neurobehavioral development are becoming more
- apparent. In addition, the role of crack use in furthering transmission of
- sexually transmitted diseases has been documented, and the implications for
- AIDS transmission have been speculated on. Crack use enhances social
- disorganization, particularly in poor urban areas, where increased child
- abuse, neglect, and prostitution are common. Ever present are the financial
- incentives to increase the number of crack users. Cocaine was once
- considered a drug for the elite, rich, and famous. Crack clearly has
- changed that notion.
-
- 12. Tashkin DP.
- Pulmonary complications of smoked substance abuse.
- Western Journal of Medicine, 1990 May, 152(5):525-30.
- (UI: 90273700)
- Pub type: Journal Article; Review; Review, Tutorial.
-
- Abstract: After tobacco, marijuana is the most widely smoked substance in our
- society. Studies conducted within the past 15 years in animals, isolated
- tissues, and humans indicate that marijuana smoke can injure the lungs.
- Habitual smoking of marijuana has been shown to be associated with chronic
- respiratory tract symptoms, an increased frequency of acute bronchitic
- episodes, extensive tracheobronchial epithelial disease, and abnormalities
- in the structure and function of alveolar macrophages, key cells in the
- lungs' immune defense system. In addition, the available evidence strongly
- suggests that regularly smoking marijuana may predispose to the development
- of cancer of the respiratory tract. "Crack" smoking has become increasingly
- prevalent in our society, especially among habitual smokers of marijuana.
- New evidence is emerging implicating smoked cocaine as a cause of acute
- respiratory tract symptoms, lung dysfunction, and, in some cases, serious,
- life-threatening acute lung injury. A strong physician message to users of
- marijuana, cocaine, or both concerning the harmful effects of these smoked
- substances on the lungs and other organs may persuade some of them,
- especially those with drug-related respiratory complications, to quit
- smoking.
-
- 13. Brody SL; Slovis CM; Wrenn KD.
- Cocaine-related medical problems: consecutive series of 233 patients [see
- comments].
- American Journal of Medicine, 1990 Apr, 88(4):325-31.
- (UI: 90224989)
-
- Abstract: PURPOSE: Little information describing common cocaine-related medical
- problems is available. This study examined the nature, frequency,
- treatment, incidence of complications, and emergency department deaths of
- patients seeking medical care for acute and chronic cocaine-associated
- medical problems. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A consecutive series of 233
- hospital visits by 216 cocaine-using patients over a 6-month period during
- 1986 and 1987 was studied. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to
- determine patient characteristics, nature of complications, treatment, and
- outcome. RESULTS: Patients most commonly used cocaine intravenously (49%),
- but freebase or crack use was also common (23.3%). Concomitant abuse of
- other intoxicants, especially alcohol, was frequently seen (48.5%). The
- vast majority of complaints were cardiopulmonary (56.2%), neurologic
- (39.1%), and psychiatric (35.8%); multiple symptoms were often present
- (57.5%). The most common complaint was chest pain though rarely was it
- believed to represent ischemia. Altered mental status was common (27.4%)
- and ranged from psychosis to coma. Short-term pharmacologic intervention
- was necessary in only 24% of patients, and only 9.9% of patients were
- admitted. Acute mortality was less than 1%. CONCLUSION: Most medical
- complications of cocaine are short-lived and appear to be related to
- cocaine's hyperadrenergic effects. Patients usually do not require
- short-term therapy or hospital admission. Acute morbidity and mortality
- rates from cocaine use in patients presenting to the hospital are very low,
- suggesting that a major focus in the treatment of cocaine-related
- emergencies should be referral for drug abuse detoxification and treatment.
-
- 14. Wallach SJ.
- Medical complications of the use of cocaine.
- Hawaii Medical Journal, 1989 Nov, 48(11):461-2.
- (UI: 90077816)
-
- Abstract: There are many serious medical problems that are associated with the
- use of cocaine and "crack" cocaine.
-
- 15. Eurman DW; Potash HI; Eyler WR; Paganussi PJ; Beute GH.
- Chest pain and dyspnea related to "crack" cocaine smoking: value of chest
- radiography.
- Radiology, 1989 Aug, 172(2):459-62.
- (UI: 89316319)
-
- Abstract: The chest radiographs of 71 patients who had chest pain or shortness
- of breath following the smoking of highly potent "crack" cocaine were
- retrospectively evaluated. Nine patients had abnormal findings on
- radiographs as follows: atelectasis or localized parenchymal opacification
- in four, pneumomediastinum in two, pneumothorax in one, hemopneumothorax in
- one, and pulmonary edema in one. Radiographic detection of these
- abnormalities was important in the clinical management of these patients.
- This spectrum of findings is presented with a discussion of the
- pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible.
-
- 16. Cherukuri R; Minkoff H; Feldman J; Parekh A; Glass L.
- A cohort study of alkaloidal cocaine ("crack") in pregnancy.
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1988 Aug, 72(2):147-51.
- (UI: 88276400)
-
- Abstract: The recent dramatic increase in the use of alkaloidal cocaine
- ("crack") has led to concern about possible deleterious fetal effects
- associated with its use during pregnancy. Crack, which is not destroyed by
- heating, can be smoked, and delivers a large quantity of cocaine to the
- vascular bed of the lung, producing an effect similar to that from
- intravenous injection. To describe the association of crack use with
- pregnancy outcome, we conducted a retrospective matched cohort study of 55
- women who admitted to the use of crack during pregnancy and 55
- non-drug-using women who delivered during the same period. The groups were
- matched for age, parity, socioeconomic status, alcohol use, and presence or
- absence of prenatal care. A significantly larger number of women using
- crack delivered at 37 weeks or earlier (50.9 versus 16.4%; P = .001).
- Crack-exposed infants were 3.6 times more likely to have intrauterine
- growth retardation (P less than .006) and 2.8 times more likely to have a
- head circumference less than the tenth percentile for gestational age (P
- less than .007). Premature rupture of the membranes was 1.8 times more
- common in the crack group (P less than .03). Sixty percent of crack-using
- mothers received no prenatal care. Abnormal neurobehavioral symptoms were
- present in a minority of infants and were usually mild.
-
- 17. Snyder CA; Wood RW; Graefe JF; Bowers A; Magar K.
- "Crack smoke" is a respirable aerosol of cocaine base [published erratum
- appears in Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1988 Apr;29(4):835].
- Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 1988 Jan, 29(1):93-5.
- (UI: 88177036)
-
- Abstract: The smoking of cocaine base [corrected] ("crack") has emerged as a
- significant substance abuse problem. A detailed characterization of cocaine
- smoke is a prerequisite for studies of its pharmacokinetics, abuse
- potential and toxicity. Model pipes were used to generate cocaine smoke
- analogous to that inhaled by human "crack" abusers. Using procedures to
- minimize pyrolysis, cocaine base smoke was determined to be 93.5% cocaine
- particles with the remainder being cocaine vapor. The average particle size
- generated from all model pipes was 2.3 mu which is small enough to ensure
- deposition into the alveolar region of the human lung. Although this
- particle size is eminently respirable [corrected] by primates, a much
- smaller fraction will reach the alveolar region of rodents. Special
- generating procedures would therefore be required to expose rodents to
- meaningful doses of airborne cocaine that mimic the rapid absorption
- achieved by "crack" smokers.
-
-
-
-