Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alcohol and Cocaine

Clinical and Pharmacological Interactions

  • Chapter
Recent Developments in Alcoholism

Part of the book series: Recent Developments in Alcoholism ((RDIA,volume 10))

Abstract

Both clinical experience and epidemiological studies in community and specialized (e.g., treatment) populations indicate that the prevalence of co-use of alcohol and cocaine, and the comorbidity of alcoholism and cocaine addiction, are greater than would be expected from the chance occurrence of two independent conditions. Alcohol and cocaine have pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions that may account for some of this co-use. While their reinforcing properties have neuropharmacological and behavioral differences, a unified theory of reinforcement by alcohol and cocaine has been proposed, involving dopamine activity in the ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens circuit. Regardless of their pharmacology, the prevalent co-use of alcohol and cocaine has important implications for drug abuse treatment and indicates the need for future research on this topic.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Regier DA, Farmer ME, Rae DS: Comorbidity of mental disorders with alcohol and other drug abuse. Results from the epidemiologic catchment area (ECA) study. JAMA 264:2511–2518, 1990.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. National Institute on Drug Abuse: Data from National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Main Findings 1988 Rockville, MD, NIDA 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Population Estimates 1990. Rockville, Maryland 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Windle M, Miller-Tutzauer C: Antecedents and correlates of alcohol, cocaine, and alcoholcocaine abuse in early adulthood. J Drug Education 21:133–148, 1991.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Canterbury RJ, Gressard CF, Vieweg VR, Grossman SJ, Westerman PS, et al.: Alcohol and cocaine use among first-year college students. South Med J 84:13–17, 1991.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Adams EH, Gfroerer JC, Rouse BA, Kozel NJ: Trends in prevalence and consequences of cocaine use. Adv Alcohol Substance Abuse 6:49–71, 1987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Newcomb MD, Bentier PM: Cocaine use among young adults. Adv Alcohol Substance Abuse 6:73–96, 1987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Grant BF, Harford TC: Concurrent and simultaneous use of alcohol with cocaine: results of national survey. Drug Alcohol Depend 25:97–104, 1990.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Miller NS: Special problems of the alcohol and multiple-drug dependent: clinical interactions and detoxification, in Frances RJ, Miller SI (eds): Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders, New York, Guilford Press, 1991, pp 194–218.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Roehrich H, Gold M: Familial addiction in cocaine abusers. J Clin Psychiatry 49:326, 1988.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Miller NS, Millman RB, Keskinen S: The diagnosis of alcohol, cocaine, and other drug dependence in an inpatient treatment population. J Substance Abuse Treat 6:37–40, 1989.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Miller NS, Gold MS, Belkin BM, Klahr AL: Family history and diagnosis of alcohol dependence in cocaine dependence. Psychiatry Res 29:113–121, 1989.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Miller NS, unpublished data, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Weiss RD, Mirin SM, Griffin ML, Michael JL: Psychopathology in cocaine abusers. Changing trends. J Nerv Ment Dis 176:719–725, 1988.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Rounsaville BJ, Anton SF, Carroll K, et al.: Psychiatric diagnoses of treatment-seeking cocaine abusers. Arch Gen Psychiatry 48:43–51, 1991.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Khalsa HK, Anglin MD, Paredes A: Pre-treatment natural history of cocaine addiction. NIDA Res Monogr 105:494–500, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Schuckit MA: The clinical implications of primary diagnostic groups among alcoholics. Arch Gen Psychiatry 42:1043–1049, 1985.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Yates WR, Miller WH: Panic disorder and cocaine abuse in alcoholics. J Clin Psychiatry 51:440, 1990.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Jensen CF, Cowley DS, Walker RD: Drug preferences of alcoholic polydrug abusers with and without panic. J Clin Psychiatry 51:189–191, 1990.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. National Institute on Drug Abuse: Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN): Annual Data 1989. Statistical Series, Series 1, No. 9. Rockville, MD, NIDA, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Brody SL, Slovis CM, Wrenn KD: Cocaine-related medical problems: consecutive series of 233 patients. Am J Med 88:325–331, 1990.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Hearn WL, Flynn DD, Hime GW, Rose S, et al.: Cocaethylene: a unique cocaine metabolite displays high affinity for the dopamine transporter. J Neurochem 56:698–702, 1991.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Schuster CR, Fischman MW: Characteristics of humans volunteering for a cocaine research project. NIDA Res Monogr 61:158–170, 1985.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Schmitz J, Dejong J, Garnett D, et al.: Substance abuse among subjects seeking treatment for alcoholism. Arch Gen Psychiatry 48:182–183, 1991.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Griffin ML, Weiss RD, Mirin SM, Lange U: A comparison of male and female cocaine abusers. Arch Gen Psychiatry 46:122–125, 1989.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Mezey E: Ethanol metabolism and ethanol-drug interactions. Biochem Pharmacol 25:869–875, 1976.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Inaba T: Cocaine: pharmacokinetics and biotransformation in man. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 67:1154–1157, 1989.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Perez-Reyes M, White WR, McDonald SA, et al.: The interaction between ethanol and cocaine. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 15:365, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Vadlamani NL, Pontani RB, Misra AL: Effect of diamorphine, tetrahydrocannabinol and ethanol on intravenous cocaine disposition. J Pharm Pharmacol 36:552–554, 1984.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Smith RM: Ethyl esters of arylhydroxy and arylhydroxymethoxycocaines in the urines of simultaneous cocaine and ethanol users. J Anal Toxicol 8:38–42, 1984.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Rafla FK, Epstein RL: Identification of cocaine and its metabolites in human urine in the presence of ethyl alcohol. J Anal Toxicol 3:59–63, 1979.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Jatlow P, Elsworth JD, Bradberry CW, Winger G, Taylor JR, et al.: Cocaethylene: a neuropharmacologically active metabolite associated with concurrent cocaine-ethanol ingestion. Life Sci 48:1787–1794, 1991.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Windholz M (ed): Merck Index, 9th ed. Rahway, NJ, Merck, 1976, p 314.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Miller NS, Gold MS: Cocaine and alcoholism: distinct or part of a spectrum? Psychiatr Ann 18:538–539, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Farre M, Llorente M, Ugena B, et al.: Interaction of cocaine with ethanol. NIDA Res Monogr 105:570–571, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Higgins ST, Bickel WK, Hughes, et al.: Behavioral and cardiovascular effects of cocaine and alcohol combinations in humans. NIDA Res Monogr 105:501, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Foltin RW, Fischman MW: Ethanol and cocaine interactions in humans: cardiovascular consequences. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 31:877–883, 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Aston-Jones S, Aston-Jones G, Koob GF: Cocaine antagonizes anxiolytic effects of ethanol. Psychopharmacology 84:28–31, 1984.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Misra AL, Pontaini RB, Vadlamani NL: Interactions of cocaine with barbital, pentobarbital and ethanol. Arch Int Pharmacodyn 299:44–54, 1989.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Rech RH, Vomachka MK, Rickert DE: Interactions between depressants (alcohol-type) and stimulants (amphetamine-type). Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior 8:143–151, 1978.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Okamoto M: Barbiturates and alcohol: comparative overviews on neurophysiology and neurochemistry, in Lipton MA, DiMascio A, Killam, KF (eds): Psychopharmacology: A Generation of Progess. New York, Raven Press, pp. 1575–1590, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Lukas SE, Mendelson JH, Amass L, and Benedikt R: Behavioral and EEG studies of acute cocaine administration: comparisons with morphine, amphetamine, pentobarbital, nicotine, ethanol and marijuana. NIDA Res Monogr 95:146–151, 1990.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Masur J, Souza-Formigoni MLO, Pires MLN: Incresed stimulatory effect by the combined administration of cocaine and alcohol in mice. Alcohol 6:181–182, 1989.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Connors S, Rankin DR, Krumdieck CL, et al.: Interactive toxicity of cocaine with phenobarbital, morphine and ethanol in organ cultured human and rat liver slices. Proc West Pharmacol Soc 32:205–208, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Boyer CS, Petersen DR: Potentiation of cocaine-mediated hepatotoxicity by acute and chronic ethanol. Alcoholism Clin Exp Research 14:28–31, 1990.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Smith AC, Freeman RW, Harbison RD: Ethanol enhancement of cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity. Biochem Pharmacol 30:453–458, 1981.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Church MW, Dintcheff BA, Gessner PK: The interactive effects of alcohol and cocaine on maternal and fetal toxicity in the Long-Evans rat. Neurotoxicol Teratol 10:355–361, 1988.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Tabakoff B, Hoffman PL: Biochemical pharmacology of alcohol. In Meltzer HY (ed): Psychopharmacology: The Third Generation of Progress. New York, Raven Press, 1987, pp 1521–1526.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Koob GF, Bloom FE: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of drug dependence. Science 242:715–723, 1988.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Miller NS, Gold MS: A neuroanatomical and neurochemical approach to drug and alcohol addiction: clinical and research considerations, in Miller NS (ed): Comprehensive Handbook of Drug and Alcohol Addiction. New York, Dekker, pp 729–744, 1991.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  51. Johanson CE, Fischman MW: The pharmacology of cocaine related to its abuse. Pharmacol Rev 41:3–52, 1989.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Ritz MC, Lamb RJ, Goldberg SR, Kuhar MJ: Cocaine receptors on dopamine transporters are related to self-administration of cocaine. Science 237:1219–1223, 1987.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Petit HO, Justice JB: Dopamine in the nucleus accumbens during cocaine self-administration as studied by in vivo microdialysis. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 34:899–904, 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Brodie MS, Dunwiddie TV: Cocaine effects in the ventral tegmental area: evidence for an indirect dopaminergic mechanism of action. Arch Pharmacol 342:660–665, 1990.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Dackis CA, Gold MS: Addictiveness of central stimulants. Adv Alcohol Substance Abuse 9:9–26, 1990.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Lewis MJ: Alcohol: mechanisms of addiction and reinforcement. Adv Alcohol Substance Abuse 9:47–66, 1990.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Wise RA, Murray A, Bozarth MA: Bromocriptine self-administration and bromocriptine-reinstatement of cocaine-trained and heroin-trained lever pressing in rats. Psycho-pharmacology 100:355–360, 1990.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Di Chiara G, Imperato A: Drugs abused by humans preferentially increase synaptic dopamine concentrations in the mesolimbic system of freely moving rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:5274–5278, 1988.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Linseman MA: Effects of dopaminergic agents on alcohol consumption by rats in a limited access paradigm. Psychopharmacology 100:195–200, 1990.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Smith DE: Cocaine-alcohol abuse: epidemiological, diagnostic and treatment considerations. J Psychoactive Drugs 18:117–129, 1986.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Carroll JFX: Treating multiple substance abuse clients. Recent Developments in Alcoholism 4:85–103, 1986.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Clayton RR: Multiple drug use: epidemiology, correlates, and consequences. Recent Developments in Alcoholism 4:7–38, 1986.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Kaufman E: The relationship of alcoholism and alcohol abuse to the abuse of other drugs. Amer J Drug Alcohol Abuse 9:1–17, 1982.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Gallant DM: Alcohol abuse in primary drug abusers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 14:951, 1990.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Newlin DB, Wong CJ, Pretorius MB, Muntaner-Bonet C: Alcohol ingestion increases self-report of cocaine-craving: individual differences in craving. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 15:365, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. McMillan DE, Snodgrass SH: Effects of acute and chronic administration of delta9-tetrahydro-cannabinol or cocaine on ethanol intake in a rat model. Drug Alcohol Dependence 27:263–274, 1991.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Miller NS, Millman RB, Keskinen S: Outcome at six and twelve months post inpatient treatment for cocaine and alcohol dependence. Adv Alcohol Substance Abuse 9:101–119, 1990.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Ross HE, Glaser FB, Germanson T: The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patients with alcohol and other drug problems. Arch Gen Psychiatry 45:1023–1031, 1988.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Yamaguchi K, Kandel DB: Patterns of drug use from adolescence to young adulthood: III. Predictors of progression. Amer J Public Health 74:673–681, 1984.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Swanson KL, Albuquerque EX: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ion channel blockade by cocaine: the mechanism of synaptic action. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 243:1202–1210, 1987.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. McAllister K, Goeders Dworkin S: Chronic cocaine modifies brain benzodiazepine receptor densities. NIDA Res Monogr 81:101–108, 1988.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Chesley SF, Schatzki AD, DeUrrutia J, et al.: Cocaine augments peripheral benzodiazepine binding in humans. J Clin Psychiatry 51:404–406, 1990.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Treatment and Early Intervention Branch, Addiction Research Center, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, USA

    David A. Gorelick

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, USA

    David A. Gorelick

Authors
  1. David A. Gorelick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA

    Marc Galanter

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Gorelick, D.A. (1992). Alcohol and Cocaine. In: Galanter, M. (eds) Recent Developments in Alcoholism. Recent Developments in Alcoholism, vol 10. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1648-8_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1648-8_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-1650-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-1648-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation