Subjective perceptions to the intravenous "rush" of heroin and cocaine in opioid addicts.

Subjective responses to intravenous heroin and cocaine administration were investigated by questionnaire in a population of 40 male and 29 female confirmed heroin addicts. Responses of males and females were very similar for the heroin rush, ranking pleasure, relaxation, satisfaction, warmth, and thirst highest among 20 feelings surveyed and ranking feelings like sexual orgasm low, only fifteenth out of 20. Responses of males and females for the cocaine rush were similar in that both ranked excitement, pleasure, thirst, strength, and anxiety very high, in the top six responses, and both rated feelings like sexual orgasm relatively low, rank 9 for males and 15 for females. However, male and female responses for cocaine differed in that males ranked power very high, rank 2; and females ranked power relatively low, rank 10; but ranked satisfaction, rank 5; warmth, rank 5; and relaxation, rank 12; much higher than males who ranked them 15, 16, and 17, respectively. Despite the fact that sexual feelings were infrequently identified with rushes, the results best supported an interpretation that the population was largely inorgasmic without drugs, but found attractive orgasmic pleasure in heroin and cocaine. Males and females perceived the cocaine rush differently, but the reason of these differences is uncertain.