SYMPTOMS: COCAINE AND ITS SNEAKY HEAT

Cocaine overdose deaths have often been linked to the drug's ability to
raise the body temperature through a jolt to the metabolism. But a study
released yesterday reports that it is more complicated than that.

Not only does cocaine raise the body temperature, researchers wrote in The
Annals of Internal Medicine, it also diminishes the body's ability to cool
itself down. It even makes it hard for users to tell that they are
overheating and, perhaps, take steps to stop it, like seeking a cooler
location.

"It really is a double-edged sword," said the lead author, Dr. Craig G.
Crandall of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Even small amounts of cocaine, the researchers found, impair the body's
ability to detect an increase in temperature and reduce its ability to cool
down through sweating and the dilation of blood vessels near the skin.

The researchers were prompted to explore the role of heat dissipation
because of the prevalence of cocaine deaths in hot weather, suggesting that
problems getting rid of heat might a factor in the deaths.

Volunteers were put in outfits that allowed researchers to raise their body
temperatures, which were measured with a thermometer. The temperature of
volunteers given a small amount of cocaine rose more than those of people
in the control group, but the cocaine users sweated less and their blood
flow did not increase as much. They also reported less discomfort.