Author: John Carter

What are the long-term effects of cocaine use? National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA

Unlike opioids, which are depressants, cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant. While opioids cause the body to slow down, stimulants make the body speed up, increasing blood pressure and heart rate. If you or a loved one are showing the first signs of an overdose, call 911.

1. We offer a complete suite of treatment options for substance use disorders that allow you to tailor your experience for the best chance of success.
2. Also, the overdose process may lead to nerve cell “miscommunication” – an effect that can result in uncontrollable muscle movements such as shaking, jaw clenching, and teeth grinding.
3. There is no safe amount of cocaine to ingest, and no guarantee you will not overdose.
4. Because cocaine use can impair judgment, any cocaine use can lead to HIV through unprotected sexual activity.
5. If you use it, are considering using it, or are around anyone who does, read on.
6. Cocaine overdose causes hundreds of deaths every year across the nation.

The minimum dose of cocaine that is considered lethal is 1.2 g, but users with hypersensitivity to cocaine have suffered fatal overdoses from as little as 30 mg. In some rare cases of remarkably high tolerance, cocaine addicts have reported using 5 g of cocaine daily, which would prove fatal for most individuals. Older adults and those with any cardiovascular disease are more susceptible to the effects of cocaine. However, young people and those with no risk factors may still experience a heart attack due to cocaine use. According to some estimates, cocaine use can increase the risk of a heart attack more than twenty times.

When snorted or gummed, coke needs to get through mucus, skin, and other tissues. It bypasses all that when you inject or smoke it, allowing it to enter the bloodstream almost immediately. Some claim to use cocaine in moderation or only on special occasions. Others look back at their first line of cocaine and confess that from that first taste they were completely hooked. You won’t get in trouble, but it could help save your life. You nor your loved one are under any obligation to commit to an Ark Behavioral Health treatment program when calling our helpline.

How Cocaine Overdose Is Treated

There are multiple life-threatening symptoms of a cocaine overdose. In addition to the amount used and the method of administration, whether cocaine use results in an overdose also depends on the drug’s purity and the user’s level of tolerance and overall health. The intensity of cocaine effects also largely depends on its method of administration. While many cocaine abusers snort it so that the drug is absorbed through the nasal cavity or smoked into the lungs, injection brings on the fastest high and therefore is the most dangerous method of use. There is no generally accepted medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for cocaine use disorder, though some populations of users can benefit from certain drugs. Give us a call so you can stop living in fear of cocaine overdose.

It’s very common for other substances to be mixed, or cut, with cocaine. Sometimes, these other substances are harmless, but often, cocaine is cut with harmful, and very powerful, additional drugs like fentanyl, carfentanil, or other synthetic opioids. – Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug that has a limited medical use but is most often found illicitly. Someone who snorts, smokes or injects too much cocaine can experience an overdose, which can be life-threatening. The median lethal dose or LD50 of cocaine, which refers to the expected lethal dose for 50% of test subjects, is 96 mg per 1 kg of weight.

Skin and vein damage

Additionally, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) can occur which can also result in death. Cocaine overdose deaths are considerably less common than opioid overdose deaths, but overdose isn’t the primary worry with cocaine abuse. Long-term use of cocaine can damage the brain (Parkinson’s disease), the mind (paranoia, auditory hallucinations), the lungs (difficulty breathing), and the heart.

Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery. Although the exact reasons for this risk are unknown, it is partially due to the increased risk for blood clots. Cocaine also lowers the seizure threshold, meaning it can make seizures more likely even if someone has not had a seizure before. Users take cocaine in binges, in which cocaine is used repeatedly and at increasingly higher doses.

It’s popular for its stimulant effects, such as high energy and decreased appetite. To find a treatment program, browse the top-rated addiction treatment facilities in each state by visiting our homepage, or by viewing the SAMHSA Treatment Services Locator. We are here to provide assistance in locating an Ark Behavioral Health treatment center that may meet your treatment needs. All Addiction Resource content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible. Addiction Resource aims to provide only the most current, accurate information in regards to addiction and addiction treatment, which means we only reference the most credible sources available. Because of this, cocaine use contributes to tens of thousands of emergency visits and hundreds of deaths each year.

Bloodborne infections

This helpline is answered by Ark Behavioral Health, an addiction treatment provider with treatment facilities in Massachusetts and Ohio. Whether you’re struggling with cocaine addiction or have a loved one who is, you don’t have to walk through the trials of drug addiction alone. Keep the person calm in order to lower the heart rate and avoid severe panic setting in. Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug with a high potential for abuse that works by binding to the dopamine transporter in the brain, causing an accumulation of dopamine.

What Are the Symptoms of a Cocaine Overdose?

Ark Behavioral Health offers 100% confidential substance abuse assessment and treatment placement tailored to your individual needs. But when blood vessels are constricted it’s much harder for the blood to transport oxygen where it’s needed. Cocaine toxicity is dependent on a person’s specific circumstances.

Alongside cardiac arrest, cocaine overdose has the ability to cause stroke, heart attack, renal infarction, and acute kidney damage. Cocaine overdose can be life-threatening in some circumstances. By recognizing the risks and the symptoms of cocaine overdose, you can potentially save someone’s life. While the exact reason why cocaine abuse increases stroke risk isn’t fully understood, it’s thought to relate to the way that cocaine restricts blood vessels, including those inside the brain.

While cocaine addiction and cocaine overdose deaths aren’t as common as opioid-related problems, they are rising and could be more dangerous. That’s because opioids cause the body to slow down; cocaine makes the body speed up, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. There are no equivalent antidotes for a cocaine overdose, such as Narcan (naloxone) for opioids. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.

There is no equivalent of the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone (Narcan) for cocaine, for example. Patients with acute toxicity are treated using a cocktail of drugs that are aimed at negating the overstimulating effects of cocaine. Although dangerous, it may be treatable if recognized early. An overdose can even occur the first time someone uses cocaine.

Healthline does not endorse the use of any illegal substances, and we recognize abstaining from them is always the safest approach. However, we believe in providing accessible and accurate information to reduce the harm that can occur when using. If you use it, are considering using it, or are around anyone who does, read on. We’ll cover everything you need to know, like what to expect from the high, potential risks, and what to do if things go south. We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Call our helpline today and talk to one of our representatives.

If you’re worried about your cocaine use and want help, you have options. Consider talking to your primary healthcare provider if you’re comfortable doing so. Patient confidentiality laws prevent them from sharing this information with law enforcement. That also depends on how it’s consumed, along with other variables, like your dose and whether you’re taking other substances.