Health & Fitness
Lamar Odom's Ordeal is a Warning Sign for Men
Alternative supplements can exacerbate cocaine's effect on the nervous system.
Doing cocaine and popping so-called herbal Viagra pills are both risky business. But combining the two – like former NBA star Lamar Odom reportedly did before he was found unconscious last week in a Nevada brothel – significantly ups the ante for disastrous results, a Glen Oaks psychiatric health expert said.
Alternative supplements can exacerbate cocaine’s effect on the nervous system and lead to an increased risk of stroke, said Dr. Scott Krakower, DO, assistant unit chief of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Addiction Disorders at The Zucker Hillside Hospitalin Glen Oaks, N.Y.
“If you’re taking cocaine and alternative supplements, that’s an extremely dangerous cocktail,” Dr. Krakower said. “Anyone doing that is treading a very fine line.”
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Found comatose Oct. 13 at the Love Ranch in Crystal, Nev., with fluid coming from his mouth and nose, Mr. Odom regained consciousness over the weekend and is communicating with friends and relatives from his hospital bed, according to news reports.
The former Los Angeles Laker, a reality TV star who is divorcing Khloe Kardashian, reportedly took cocaine and 10 sexual performance supplements sold as “herbal Viagra.”
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“[Lamar Odom’s] experience should be a warning sign for men who take alternative supplements for sexual performance. Many alternative supplements are not regulated, including dosage and administration,” Dr. Krakower said. “You don’t really know what’s in the compounds that you’re taking.”
Dr. Krakower said it’s difficult to explain why Mr. Odom, would engage in such risky behavior.
“There seems to come a point where you’re in the spotlight and have everything you need,” he said. “But then sometimes you want more. You want more of a thrill and you want to take the next risk.”
“The key is: How to maintain moderation, no matter how much you have. There are people who know how to regulate themselves. You can have a successful life and you don’t feel like you have to go to that next step,” Dr. Krakower said. “And if you feel like you’re at risk or you feel you have more of a sensation seeking personality type, you should seek help.”
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