Man who lost nose after snorting too much cocaine now wears prosthetic
A bloke who lost his nose from taking too much cocaine now has to wear a prosthetic instead.
Not giving his surname, Fraser, 49, has now joined doctors in warning about the dangers of the class-A drug.
Fraser began taking the it recreationally but a change in his personal circumstances led to him using more regularly.
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When his nose collapsed he pulled away from his social life and started to isolate himself.
Medics from Lanarkshire, Scotland, have said that they have been seeing a rise in the number of people needing to have reconstructive work done due to damage caused by inhaling it through their noses.
It can cause damage to the nasal septum (the cartilage and bone inside the nose), which in turn can cause the nose itself to collapse.
If this happens, patients often have to have the nose removed and a new prosthetic one fitted.
Fraser’s nose was rebuilt at the end of last year by Natarajan Balaji, an ENT consultant at University Hospital Monklands (UHM).
Fraser said: "I cannot thank the ENT team at Monklands enough. Having been told I would lose my nose and to then be told they would be able to rebuild it was incredible.
"However, I am one of the lucky ones as I started taking cocaine for fun and it was a part of my life for a long time.”
Now looking forward, he explained that he wants others to be aware of the dangers of the drug.
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He said: "I am not ashamed of that but I do want other people to think of the damage that snorting cocaine can do to not just their nose but their body.
"The nose is one of the most visible parts of the body and losing that would change your life forever.
"I am extremely lucky and have changed my life but my story could have been very different and I could be going to bed at night removing my prosthetic nose."
Fraser is said to be happy with how the work has gone after finally deciding to seek help, although he may need to have minor work done in the future.
Mr Balaji, who conducted the work said: "Cocaine is cut with other ingredients including Levamisole, which is used in deworming tablets for dogs and cats, and Phenacetin, an analgesic and fever-reducing drug used in veterinary medicine.
"Cocaine also has certain types of acids mixed with the ingredients. When snorted, cocaine causes the blood vessels to contract very strongly, and the nasal septum is very sensitive to reduced blood flow.
"After using cocaine a few times, the nasal structure can begin to die, causing perforations."
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