The aim of the present work was to examine the cortisol and prolactin responses to acute
cocaine administration in human cocaine users. Each subject served as his own control
during intravenous saline placebo and cocaine (40 mg) infusion sessions. Cocaine
significantly elevated plasma cortisol but did not affect prolactin. The rise in cortisol
coincided with an increase in heart rate and blood pressure after cocaine. In agreement with
studies in animals, our data suggest that cocaine activates the hypothalamic—pituitary …