Have you noticed recent changes in someone you care about? Are they experiencing sudden, unexplained physical or psychological changes? Your loved one could be living with cocaine use disorder.
In 2021, it was estimated that 326,000 Floridians used cocaine at least once. Not everyone who tries cocaine will develop a cocaine use disorder. However, repeated cocaine consumption can quickly develop into a vicious cycle.
At Real Recovery, we believe that everyone is capable of recovery, and they shouldn’t have to do it alone. Today, we’ll explore the side effects of cocaine addiction that you might recognize in someone you love.
How Do You Identify Cocaine?
Cocaine is an illegal stimulant made from the coca plant. Cocaine alkaloids are extracted from the coca plant using kerosene. The alkaloids are then combined with several other substances in a laboratory to produce what we recognize as cocaine.
Cocaine usually comes in the form of a fine white powder. Powder cocaine is commonly snorted, but it can also be melted down and injected into a vein. You could notice the powder being stored in hollow jewelry or plastic baggies. Flat surfaces, like mirrors, are often used to snort cocaine off of. You may also notice syringes or needles if it’s being injected.
At its purest, cocaine is practically odorless. Avoid sniffing anything you suspect could be cocaine so you don’t accidentally ingest it. Dealers often “cut” or mix cocaine with other substances to increase their profits. Examples of cutting agents include flour, talcum powder, and laundry detergent soda. These can change the smell of the substance. In other instances, cocaine is “laced” with other psychoactive substances, like fentanyl or amphetamines, to alter its effects. There is no easy way to tell if a substance has been laced without chemical testing.
The crystallized, off-white form of cocaine is known as crack cocaine. In powder form, it’s less fine than regular cocaine, but it can also come in an opaque, rock-like form. This substance is usually heated up so that the vapors can be smoked. Typically, crack cocaine is smoked using a long pipe with a bulbous end.
If you are concerned that a loved one has been hiding their cocaine use, your concern is understandable. Remember that, with the right support, recovery is always possible.
Demystifying the Timeline of Cocaine Side Effects
If someone you love is consuming cocaine regularly, you’ll want to understand the timeline of different side effects. Typically, there are two stages to cocaine consumption: the high and the crash. Both of these stages have their unique side effects.
How quickly your loved one experiences these side effects depends on their method of consumption. People who snort or swallow cocaine begin to feel its effects within a few minutes. If the person in your life is smoking or injecting the substance, they’ll feel side effects within seconds of the substance hitting their system.
The high of cocaine lasts for between 15 and 90 minutes before the crash sets in, depending on the method of consumption. Most people need a couple of hours to a couple of days to recover from the crash that happens after they come down from cocaine.
Over time, regular cocaine use causes more serious side effects that could affect your loved one’s health in the long term.
Understanding the Short-Term Effects of Cocaine Use
There are some desired short-term effects of cocaine, like feelings of euphoria, improved mental alertness, and intense boosts in energy. However, these come with several undesired short-term physical and psychological side effects.
Common side effects of cocaine consumption include:
- Dilated pupils
- Increased body temperature
- Increased blood pressure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Restlessness
- Anxiety or paranoia
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Muscle twitches
- Intense sweating
During the cocaine comedown, your loved one will experience other side effects, including:
- Fatigue
- Difficulty sleeping
- Headaches
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Trouble concentrating
- Feelings of emptiness
- Panic attacks
Clarifying the Long-Term Health Effects of Cocaine Use
In the long term, regular cocaine use can increase the likelihood that your loved one will experience a variety of health conditions, including:
- Heart attack or stroke due to the damage cocaine causes to the cardiovascular system.
- Nasal damage or collapse caused by snorting
- Pneumonia, attributed to lung damage from smoking cocaine.
- HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C are caused by sharing used needles.
Long-term cocaine use also leads to other health conditions. The stimulating effects of cocaine cause the blood vessels throughout the body to narrow, which limits blood flow to vital organs. Over time, this creates serious health problems, including tissue death due to lack of blood flow, also known as gangrene.
The acidity of the chemicals in cocaine can also lead to stomach ulcers, or sores throughout the intestines, which cause significant pain. If they’re caught early, ulcers are treatable, but if they’re not treated promptly, they may require surgery.
Chemicals like acetone and hydrochloric acid, which are used in the production of cocaine, are neurotoxins. Neurotoxins damage the neurons in the brain and throughout the wider central nervous system. Extensive exposure to neurotoxins can lead to cognitive impairment and motor function problems.
Understanding How Cocaine Addiction Affects the Body and Mind
Cocaine use disorder doesn’t happen overnight. The condition occurs when someone develops both a physical and psychological dependence on the substance. The symptoms of cocaine use disorder vary depending on the person but can lead to serious physical and psychological changes.
What Are the Physiological Side Effects of Cocaine Addiction?
To understand the psychological side effects of a cocaine use disorder, it’s necessary to understand how cocaine impacts the body.
Cocaine’s impact on dopamine production plays a major role in the development of cocaine use disorder. Dopamine is a feel-good chemical that’s linked to the brain’s reward system. When an activity, like eating or hanging out with friends, produces dopamine, you want to do it again and again. Cocaine causes the brain to produce excess dopamine, which then becomes trapped in the synapses between cells. This means that there’s more dopamine in the brain than usual, and it stays in the brain longer than usual.
Because of the intense levels of dopamine, other activities will no longer seem as interesting to your loved one. This chemical change is part of why many people with cocaine use disorder withdraw from their typical hobbies and social patterns. The dopamine those activities produce no longer feels as good compared to the dopamine produced by cocaine.
Over time, the person you care about will develop a tolerance to cocaine. This means that even the intense levels of dopamine produced by cocaine use no longer feel as good as they did in the beginning. To combat this tolerance, your loved one will begin taking higher and higher doses of cocaine.
What Is a Cocaine Overdose?
When a person takes more cocaine than their body can handle, they’ll experience a cocaine overdose. Common symptoms of a cocaine overdose are:
- Slowed breathing
- Respiratory arrest
- Extreme paranoia
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Chest pain
A cocaine overdose is a medical emergency. If you’re with someone who’s experiencing a cocaine overdose, call 911 immediately.
What Are the Psychological Side Effects of Cocaine Addiction?
Cocaine use disorder is associated with multiple psychological side effects. As stated above, cocaine use causes intense chemical fluctuations, which can have a serious impact on mood. Your loved one will experience periods of elation and intense excitement that keep them coming back to cocaine, but these feelings are short-lived. Feelings of intense depression, irritability, and numbness can linger after they come down.
Since cocaine is a stimulant, heavy use can lead to more severe psychological episodes. Your loved one could experience manic symptoms, like jumping from one idea to the next and impulsive decision-making. This could develop into psychosis. During psychosis, a person will experience a break from reality. Symptoms include delusions, where your loved one develops intense beliefs that aren’t based in reality, severe paranoia, or even hallucinations where they see or hear things that aren’t there.
Get Help With Cocaine Addiction Treatment in Tampa, Florida
If you’re concerned about a loved one who is living with cocaine use disorder, you should encourage them to seek out cocaine addiction treatment. In treatment, your loved one will work closely with a therapist to determine the root cause of their substance use disorder and any other co-occurring conditions. During care, the person you care about will develop healthy coping skills and make connections with others who share the goal of recovery.
At Real Recovery Solutions, we’re committed to empowering your loved one with the tools they need to succeed in recovery from cocaine use disorder. We can see your family all the way from inpatient care through at least a year of sober living. We also provide case management services to set your person up for success in life after our facilities. Ready to learn more? Give us a call at 813-373-6762 today.
Real people. Real solutions. Real results.
