Worried About Your Cocaine Use?
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Are you misusing cocaine and are worried you have become addicted? Are you concerned that a loved one’s life is becoming unmanageable due to their cocaine use? Cocaine addiction can be devastating but it is important to know that recovery is possible with the appropriate interventions and support.
This page contains helpful information to support education on cocaine use, addiction and misuse. It is not intended as a replacement for professional medical intervention. Cocaine addiction and withdrawal can be dangerous. If you are concerned about the welfare of someone you know, please seek medical assistance or call our team today to ask about rehab treatment options.
Cocaine is a naturally occurring substance found in the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca plant, which grows in Central and South America. Cocaine was first isolated in the mid-1800s but is now distributed in two distinct forms: powder and freebase.
- The powder form (also known as coke, blow and snow) is a white, water-soluble powder that can be snorted, rubbed on gums or injected.
- The freebase form (also known as crack cocaine or crack) is typically inhaled by smoking from pipes.
Cocaine is an illicit, class A drug in the UK under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is a psychoactive stimulant which targets the central nervous system to produce physical, psychological and behavioural effects. Some effects can be produced following single use, including fast heart rate, tremors and seizures.
Cocaine is addictive, so those using cocaine are at risk of becoming dependent. Early intervention can be life-saving as severe cocaine intoxication can be fatal.1
Treatment options for cocaine addiction include therapy, support groups and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. There are currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications to treat cocaine use ‘disorder.’2
What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a naturally occurring, psychoactive substance derived from the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca plant. It has addictive potential and is inherently toxic, exerting effects on multiple organ systems, including the brain and central nervous system (CNS).1
In the UK, the Dangerous Drugs Act 1920(4) criminalised the possession and trade of cocaine, which is now recognised as a Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Under this legislation, possession or supply of cocaine carries a maximum penalty of 7 years’ imprisonment or life imprisonment, respectively. Production and supply of controlled substances for medical use is permitted in the UK.5
Globally, cocaine is generally illegal, however legal status differs between countries. For example, recreational cocaine use has been decriminalised within respective thresholds in some countries.1
Why is Cocaine Addictive?
Cocaine is a psychoactive substance. This means that cocaine can alter brain functioning and cause changes in behaviour, mood and thought patterns. One-time use of the drug can quickly turn into a pattern of misuse, which may lead to cocaine addiction. The effects of cocaine, both physically and psychologically, are typically intense but short-lived, lasting a few minutes to an hour after use. This is known as tolerance. An individual can also simultaneously develop sensitisation, meaning that less cocaine is needed to produce toxic effects. Development of tolerance and sensitisation can increase the risk of cocaine overdose.2
Repeated cocaine use affects the brain, impacting reward and stress pathways. This can lead to an individual becoming less sensitive to natural sources of reward and more sensitive to stress. Regular use of cocaine can lead to an individual needing to take increasing amounts of the drug, more often, to experience the same high or to avoid withdrawal symptoms.2
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Risk Factors for Cocaine Addiction
Addiction is complex and can’t be attributed to one single cause. There have been many studies surrounding the causes of cocaine addiction, and while there is no definitive answer, there is some evidence to suggest that genetics, peer groups, trauma and environment can all contribute to someone becoming an addict.
Progression from recreational use to addiction has a strong genetic component.7 Other significant risk factors include:7
- Shared environment
- Adverse childhood experiences
- Fewer years in education
- Co-occurring mental health conditions
- Polysubstance misuse
Signs of Cocaine Addiction
Signs and symptoms of cocaine misuse vary from person to person depending on several factors including individual vulnerability and if cocaine is being used with other drugs. Misusing cocaine usually sees someone continuing the use of cocaine despite the negative consequences due to intense cocaine cravings.
Early Warning Signs
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) classifies cocaine misuse as a substance use disorder (SUD). These disorders range from mild to severe, depending on the number of symptoms identified.6
The effects of cocaine occur immediately after use and last for a few minutes to an hour. The duration of these effects depends on the route of administration, for example inhaling the drug by smoking will result in a faster but more short-lived high than intranasal use, i.e., snorting. Small amounts of cocaine can elicit the following symptoms:
- Feelings of euphoria
- Heightened senses (sight, sound and touch)
- Mentally alert
- Talkative
- Energetic
- Reduced appetite
- Reduced sleep
Short-term effects on the body highlight the stimulant nature of cocaine and include dilated pupils and elevated body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.
In some cases, individuals using cocaine can also experience more extreme and unpleasant symptoms, such as:
- Relentlessness and/or irritability
- Anxiety
- Panic
- Paranoia
- Tremors
- Vertigo
Significant medical complications can result from cocaine use, even following a single dose. Cocaine is inherently toxic to the body and its use can lead to serious complications across different organ systems, including:
- Heart and blood vessels: Heart rhythm disturbances and heart attacks
- Nervous system: Headaches, seizures and strokes
- Gastrointestinal system: Nausea and abdominal pain
It is important to note that the toxic effects of cocaine can be exacerbated by alcohol consumption. Using heroin in combination with cocaine is also highly dangerous as this can lead to accidental heroin overdose.
A single dose of cocaine can be lethal. Most deaths relating to cocaine use occur due to heart attacks or seizures.2
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Short Term Effects
The symptoms of cocaine addiction become more noticeable when someone has been using the drug for a long time. However, there are more immediate symptoms that could imply that your loved one is suffering from addiction rather than engaging in occasional use.
These can include:
- Reckless and sometimes violent behaviour;
- Irritability
- Hallucinations
- Convulsions and seizures
- Anxiety and paranoia
- Depression
- Panic
- Psychosis
Patterns of Cocaine Misuse
Cocaine addiction can refer to different patterns of cocaine misuse, including regular or repeated use over a long period and binging.
With regular use, cocaine can influence brain pathways, including those linked to reward and stress. This can alter an individual’s perception of natural sources of reward and increase their sensitivity to stressors, leading to negative moods. In addition, tolerance to the drug can develop, meaning that higher doses and/or more frequent use are required to achieve the same high. Sensitisation can also occur where less cocaine is needed to produce toxic effects. Tolerance and sensitisation put an individual at increased risk of cocaine overdose.
Binging cocaine, i.e., using cocaine repeatedly and at increasingly higher doses, can lead to various physical and psychological symptoms, including psychosis, causing the individual to lose touch with reality and hallucinate.
The risk of experiencing adverse physical and psychological effects increases with increased dose and frequency of cocaine use.
Long-term cocaine use has been linked to other disorders including Parkinson’s disease and bleeding within the brain (intracerebral haemorrhage). Cognition is often impaired in individuals using cocaine over an extended period of time. Functions such as making informed decisions, maintaining attention, memory and performing motor tasks are all impacted by long-term cocaine use.2
Continued, regular use of cocaine can also bring about withdrawal symptoms when cocaine use is stopped. Up to around 86% of cocaine users experience withdrawal symptoms, which include:
- Fatigue
- Reduced speed of brain-to-body functions
- Anxiety and/or depression
- Sleep disturbance
- Increased appetite
- Intense cravings for cocaine
How Cocaine Misuse Affects Mood & Brain Function
Cocaine causes the brain to release an unusual amount of the chemical dopamine which controls mood. This high level of dopamine creates a sense of euphoria. With continued cocaine use, the brain begins to develop a dependence on cocaine for the release of dopamine. As such, the brain needs larger amounts of cocaine to produce that initial high. As a result, some individuals may experience irritability, paranoia or even psychosis, involving loss of reality and hallucinations.2
Physical Symptoms of Cocaine Misuse
Physical symptoms often relate to the route of cocaine administration.
The most common physical signs of cocaine addiction include
- Intranasal administration (snorting):
- Inflamed, runny nose
- Loss of sense of smell
- Nosebleeds
- Hoarseness
- Swallowing problems
- Inhalation (smoking):
- Lung damage
- Worsening of asthma
- Intravenous injection:
- HIV
- Hepatitis C
- Allergic reactions, which can be fatal
All routes of administration carry unique risks to health and pose serious health consequences for the individual using cocaine.2
When To Get Help for Cocaine Addiction
Compared to alcohol and cannabis addiction, cocaine addiction develops faster among its users. It is therefore extremely important to seek help sooner rather than later.7 Using cocaine occasionally is different to addiction. You may have started by using cocaine recreationally and could easily stop. If you have developed an addiction you will be craving the drug and find it difficult or even impossible to stop.
If you think you are struggling with cocaine use, it is important to seek help. Cocaine addiction is an illness that can elicit feelings of denial; the belief that you don’t have an illness at all. Some individuals using cocaine experience rock bottom before reaching out for help. Tragically, waiting for yourself or a loved one to reach this point can have devastating consequences.
Learn more about cocaine rehab at Castle Craig and how it can help support recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know That Someone’s Been Using Cocaine?
If someone you know has been using cocaine, they may not be behaving as they normally would. Cocaine can make people more talkative and disproportionately excitable. An individual who is under the influence of cocaine might have dilated pupils, a runny nose, a nosebleed or have visible white residue around their nose and/or mouth.2 Someone who has been using cocaine long term might display signs of withdrawal such as tiredness, low energy levels, anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation and intense cravings for cocaine.7
How Does Physical Addiction Work?
Physical addiction, also known as dependence, is a condition caused by regular use of a substance like cocaine.
Tolerance is developed whereby an individual needs to take higher amounts of a substance and/or more often to experience the same effect and avoid initial symptoms of withdrawal. At the same time, lesser amounts of cocaine are needed to produce toxic effects, a process known as sensitisation. Both of these conditions can increase the risk of cocaine overdose.
Stress and reward pathways in the brain are also affected by repeated cocaine use. These changes can lead to drug-seeking behaviours and negative moods when not taking cocaine, which are symptoms of withdrawal.2
What Are the Withdrawal Symptoms From Cocaine?
Cocaine withdrawal symptoms can present differently depending on an individual’s general health and cocaine usage. Up to around 86% of individuals using cocaine will experience symptoms of withdrawal when usage is stopped. Those who use larger amounts of cocaine, have more severe medical conditions and report stronger euphoria are at higher risk of developing symptoms.7
Withdrawal symptoms include: –
1. Tiredness/low energy levels
2. Reduced speed of brain-to-body functions
3. Anxiety
4. Depression
5. Paranoia
6. Psychosis (losing touch with reality)
7. Participating in risky behaviours
8. Sleep deprivation
9. Increased appetite
10. Intense cravings for cocaine
Can You Die From Cocaine Withdrawal?
Cocaine withdrawal symptoms are typically milder than those associated with alcohol or opioid withdrawal, however, these can still lead to significant physical and psychological distress.7
Cocaine use can have fatal outcomes, so it is vital to ensure that individuals receive appropriate medical intervention to manage symptoms.1
Sudden withdrawal from a substance like cocaine can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. A medically supervised detox is recommended to help individuals manage substance use disorders such as cocaine addiction.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to long-term recovery, however, with the appropriate ongoing support, individuals can recover from cocaine addiction.5
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References
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- Bravo RR, et al. Cocaine: An Updated Overview on Chemistry, Detection, Biokinetics, and Pharmacotoxicological Aspects including Abuse Pattern. Toxins (Basel). 2022;14(4): 278. doi: 10.3390/toxins14040278.
- National Institute on Drug Misuse. Cocaine. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/cocaine [Accessed June 2024].
- National Cancer Institute. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/psychoactive-substance [Accessed June 2024].
- The British Medical Journal (BMJ). Dangerous Drugs Act, 1920. https://www.bmj.com/content/1/3237/69.2 [Accessed June 2024].
- GOV.UK. Psychoactive Substances Bill Factsheet: Overview of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a819f1740f0b623026984b4/20150821_-_Fact_sheet_-_MDA.pdf [Accessed June 2024].
- Hartney E, Gans S. DSM 5 Criteria for Substance Use Disorders: How substance use disorders are diagnosed. https://www.verywellmind.com/dsm-5-criteria-for-substance-use-disorders-21926 [Accessed June 2024].
- Schwartz EKC, et al. Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD): Current Clinical Perspectives. Substance Misuse and Rehabilitation. 2022;13: 25–46. doi: 10.2147/SAR.S337338.
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