Cocaine Side Effects

Cocaine side effects depend on:

how much you use
how often and how long you use
how you use it (by injection, orally, etc.)
your mood, expectation and environment
your age
whether you have certain medical or psychiatric conditions
whether you've taken any alcohol or other drugs (illicit, prescription, over-the-counter or herbal).

Cocaine side effects make people feel energetic, talkative, alert and euphoric. They feel more aware of their senses: sound, touch, sight and sexuality seem heightened. Hunger and the need for sleep are reduced. Although cocaine is a stimulant, some people find it calming, and feel increased self-control, confidence and ease with others. Other people may feel nervous and agitated, and can't relax.

Taking high doses of this drug for a long time can lead to these cocaine side effects:

panic attacks
psychotic symptoms, such as paranoia (feeling overly suspicious, jealous, or persecuted), hallucinations (seeing, hearing, smelling, etc., things that aren't real) and delusions (false beliefs)
erratic, bizarre and sometimes violent behavior

With regular use, people may become tolerant to the euphoric effects of cocaine. This means they need to take more and more of the drug to get the same desired effect. At the same time, people who use the drug regularly may also become more sensitive to its negative effects, such as anxiety, psychosis hallucinations, loss of contact with reality) and seizures. Cocaine also makes the heartbeat and breathing faster, and raises blood pressure and body temperature.

How long do cocaine side effects last?

Not long. Cocaine is both fast- and short-acting. Intranasal use, or "snorting," takes effect within a few minutes, and lasts 60 to 90 minutes. Injecting produces a "rush" that is felt within minutes, and lasts 20 to 60 minutes. Smoking causes a high within seconds, which lasts only five to 10 minutes. When the cocaine high fades, the person may begin to feel anxious and depressed, and have intense craving for more of the drug. Some people stay high by "binging," or continually using the drug, for hours or days.

Is cocaine dangerous?

Yes. While many people use cocaine on occasion without harm, the drug can be very dangerous, whether it's used once or often. Cocaine side effects cause the blood vessels to thicken and constrict, reducing the flow of oxygen to the heart. At the same time, cocaine causes the heart muscle to work harder, leading to heart attack or stroke, even in healthy people. Cocaine raises blood pressure, which can explode weakened blood vessels in the brain.

A person can overdose on even a small amount of cocaine. Overdose can cause seizures and heart failure. It can cause breathing to become weak or stop altogether. There is no antidote to cocaine overdose.

Snorting cocaine can cause sinus infections and loss of smell. It can damage tissues in the nose and cause holes in the bony separation between the nostrils inside the nose. Smoking cocaine can damage the lungs and cause "crack lung." Symptoms include severe chest pains, breathing problems and high temperatures. Crack lung can be fatal. Injection can cause infections from used needles or impurities in the drug. Sharing needles can also cause hepatitis or HIV infection.

Cocaine use in pregnancy can have many negative cocaine side effects such as an increase risk of miscarriage and premature delivery. It also increases the chance that the baby will be born underweight. Because women who use cocaine during pregnancy often also use alcohol, nicotine and other drugs, we do not fully know the extent of the effects of cocaine use on the baby. Cocaine use while breastfeeding transmits cocaine to the nursing child. This exposes the baby to all the effects and risks of cocaine use.

Cocaine use is linked with risk-taking and violent behaviors. It is also linked to poor concentration and judgment, increasing risk of injury and sexually transmitted disease. Chronic use can cause severe psychiatric symptoms, including psychosis, anxiety, depression and paranoia. Chronic use can also cause weight loss, malnutrition, poor health, sexual problems, infertility and loss of social and financial supports.

Cocaine Facts

Snorting is the most common way to use cocaine hydrochloride (powder cocaine). When snorted into the nose, cocaine and its other constituents are slowly absorbed into the blood stream through the mucus membranes in the nasal and sinus cavities. The cocaine enters the blood stream and must circulate through the body and liver, where it is metabolized. Consequently, cocaine reaches the so-called "pleasure center" of the brain slowly and in a relatively small dose.

So why is cocaine so addictive? In brief, the drug stimulates the central nervous system, interfering with the reward centers in the brain which are associated with the basic needs to eat, drink and have sexual intercourse. In tests on animals, the addictive nature of the drug is demonstrated by the animal seeking the drug in preference to food and water, even in times of extreme hunger and thirst.

So-called "street" terms for cocaine include: "coke," "snow," "leaf," "dust," "blow," "nose candy", "speedball" when mixed with heroin, and "crack" when cooked into a rock form.

Suffering from constant symptoms of cocaine withdrawal, the addiction can sometimes appear to be similar to that of a paranoid schizophrenic. Exhibitions of extreme anxiety and agitation are normal. Delusions, visual and audio hallucinations become prevalent. The addict often isolates himself as fear and mistrust develop with all relationships. Cocaine addiction can also lead to the selling or distribution of the drug in the pursuit of continuing to afford their habit. This not only increases the chance of imprisonment, but provides the addict with a constant supply of the drug.

Symptoms of cocaine addiction may include physical problems such as severe loss of appetite and weight loss, nausea, headaches, abdominal pain, neglect of other bodily needs and personal hygiene, mood swings and psychotic behaviors, cardiac problems, collapse of the nasal septum (in the case of repeated snorting of cocaine) and a constantly runny nose, and social problems including neglect of family or work responsibilities, change of friends and other normal social contacts, possibly stealing or selling personal possessions to fund a drug habit and keeping antisocial hours.

Symptoms of cocaine use may include but are not limited to increased energy and mental alertness, hyperactivity and possibly tremors, euphoria, talkativeness, rapid pulse and raised breathing rate, raised body temperature and blood pressure, a runny or stuffy nose and occasionally a bleeding nose, a decrease in appetite, an inflated sense of power or strength, confusion, paranoia, panic and anxiety, hallucinations and dilated pupils. After-effects of cocaine use may be lethargy, intense sleepiness and often depression.

Teen cocaine abuse is a serious problem for many of today’s youth. Teens will often experiment with cocaine once and find that the "high" they experience is like nothing they have ever felt before. Soon, they are using the drug because they are bored, stressed, partying, etc. At this point they have begun to abuse cocaine.

The "high" cocaine produces typically lasts less than 20 minutes. The quicker the drug reaches the brain, the shorter the high: • Injecting cocaine introduces the drug to the bloodstream immediately, and its effects on the brain are instant. • Smoking crack brings cocaine into the bloodstream through the lungs. In less than five seconds, the drug travels to the heart and brain. • When snorted, cocaine enters the bloodstream through mucus membranes in the nose and travels through the body. Some of the drug is processed by the liver and some reaches the brain.