Contaminated cocaine triggers decaying, dying skin
Thursday, June 23, 2011 - 15:31
in Health & Medicine
If the obvious reasons for avoiding recreational drug use aren't off-putting enough, physicians have another consequence to add -- crusty, purplish areas of dead skin that are extremely painful and can open the door to nasty infections. The condition is called purpura. Typical causes include some rare disorders, but it is also associated with the use of cocaine. Not just any cocaine, though: physicians believe cocaine contaminated with a de-worming drug is the culprit.