Cocaine Detox, Cocaine Addiction Overdose, Cocaine Withdrawals & Cocaine Treatment Options

Inpatient medical detox and residential primary addiction treatment may be available at our affiliated facility at Level Up Treatment West Palm Beach. For some primary behavioral health treatment clients, medical detox may be required first. If you have a co-occurring severe substance abuse diagnosis, please contact us prior to beginning inpatient mental health therapy. Treatment services may vary. Please call us to learn which treatment options are most suited for your individual needs.


How to Detox From Cocaine?

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant. It increases the natural chemical messenger (dopamine) levels in brain circuits related to the control of movement and reward. Although health care providers can use it for valid medical purposes, such as local anesthesia for some surgeries, recreational cocaine use is illegal. No matter how much cocaine is taken, it is dangerous. Some of the most common serious problems include heart attack and stroke.

Recovery professionals recommend facing cocaine addiction with a long-term treatment plan that promotes positive decision-making and overall health improvements that include learning coping skills. This will all start by undergoing medically assisted cocaine detox.

Cocaine Detox
Break free from cocaine addiction.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) [1], among adults aged 26 or older in 2019, 1.7 percent (or 3.6 million people) used cocaine in the past year. It is easy to lose control over cocaine use and become addicted. Stopping cocaine can cause withdrawal symptoms like fatigue, sleep disturbances, and agitation. Cocaine withdrawal is one of the primary reasons people have trouble quitting the drug. Cravings to use cocaine are strong during the detox process, resulting in a relapse. Without proper cocaine addiction treatment, it can be hard to stay off the drug. People who stopped using cocaine on their own can still feel strong cravings for the drug, sometimes even years later.

Cocaine Addiction

The high a single dose of cocaine produces lasts only a few minutes to an hour, encouraging repeated use. Stopping cocaine can cause withdrawal symptoms like fatigue, sleep disturbances, and agitation. Cocaine addiction is difficult to recover from, but it can be treated by Cocaine Detox.

Dopamine

The use of cocaine stimulates the production of dopamine, a chemical in the human brain responsible for pleasure. Excessive use of cocaine will result in the brain releasing more of this chemical, thus giving the individual a sense of euphoria. Too much exposure to this product will eventually make one want to experience that feeling all over. Hence the brain will prompt the need for the trigger.

Corticosteroid Hormone

The stress hormone in the body makes the body vulnerable to addiction. For example, studies have shown that when an individual who is stressed up uses cocaine, the high levels of stress hormone in the body will create a severe addiction to the drug. This is likely because of the feeling of relaxation that cocaine will bring to the brain function, making one want more of that feeling instead of being bogged down by stress.

Prefrontal Cortex

This is the control center of the brain responsible for decision-making and self-control. Unfortunately, cocaine abuse inhibits the prefrontal cortex’s proper functioning, making it hard for an individual to understand the effects of continued cocaine use.

Cocaine Overdose

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) [2], in 2018, more than 14,600 people died of a cocaine-related overdose in the United States. The rate of these deaths has been rising since 2013. During a cocaine overdose, the brain and body become dangerously overstimulated, resulting in an increased heart rate, and may lead to lethal levels.


Cocaine is particularly dangerous to use with alcohol, as the combination produces a powerful toxin in the body called cocaethylene. Cocaethylene is eliminated even slower from the body than cocaine and can intensify the cardiotoxic effects, for example by further increasing the heart rate and enhancing the concentration of cocaine in the bloodstream.

Symptoms of Cocaine Overdose

Mild symptoms include:

  • Extreme anxiety or agitation
  • High blood pressure
  • High temperature and sweating
  • Hallucinations

Severe symptoms include:

  • Heart attack
  • Irregular heart rhythm
  • Stroke
  • Seizures
  • Trouble breathing
Cocaine Addiction can be overcome. The only reliable way to get cocaine out of your system is to stop use and allow your body time to metabolize and eliminate it.

Cocaine Detox Withdrawal

How long does it take to detox from Cocaine? Cocaine withdrawal occurs when someone who has used a lot of cocaine cuts down or quits taking the drug, even without medical supervision, offered in a Cocaine Detox program. Withdrawal symptoms start within hours of stopping use. However, the worst cravings and withdrawal symptoms appear during the first month of quitting. The intensity of cocaine withdrawal symptoms depends on the amount taken and the frequency of use. It can last for months after the last dose. Some symptoms can be uncomfortable, making cocaine a difficult drug to quit. Severe depression and suicidal thoughts are the most dangerous side effects of quitting cocaine on your own (“cold turkey.”)

Factors that may Influence Cocaine Detox Withdrawal:

  • Physical and mental health
  • Other substance use
  • Duration of use
  • Quality of cocaine

The safest path for anyone working through the cocaine withdrawal process is to get the help of rehab specialists and participate in medical Cocaine detox treatment.

Cocaine Withdrawal Symptons and Timeline

First 1-3 hours

Signs of Cocaine withdrawal emerge as soon as usage stops. Users start to feel irritable, anxious, exhausted, and have an increased appetite. Cocaine cravings actually decrease during this period.

Week 1

Intense cocaine cravings arise. Users feel exhausted but have trouble falling asleep. Vivid, unpleasant dreams are common, as well as depressive mood swings.

Weeks 2-4

Depression and strong cocaine cravings continue. Recovering users might find it hard to concentrate or stay on an “even keel” emotionally. Irritability and agitation are also common, is key to be treated by a medical team, offered by the Cocaine Detox treatment.

Weeks 5-10

The mind and body begin to heal, and withdrawal symptoms diminish. Cocaine cravings can still crop up during this period. General anxiety and uneasiness sometimes return as well.

Medically Assisted Cocaine Detox and Treatment

Medically supervised cocaine detox can provide a safe environment for cocaine users to get sober. However, all treatment programs, including Cocaine Detox rehab, require work and dedication. Cravings can be intense as you detox from cocaine, which can cause some people to relapse. Setting yourself up to succeed by accessing inpatient treatment can reduce the risk of relapse. The support of a specialist team and a drug-free environment can act as a barrier between the user and cocaine.

Cocaine detox is when the body metabolizes cocaine and removes it from the body. Since cocaine metabolizes quickly, it leaves the body in approximately 8 hours, based on the drug’s half-life. People often detox from cocaine at home because it does not take long. However, it is not advisable to detox by yourself at home because of the dangerous effects of withdrawal.

In contrast, medical detox is a supervised version of detox where a medical team oversees the process. Medical detox includes support to ease a person through withdrawal symptoms as well as medical support. In medical detox, an individual will have more time to focus on their recovery and will be better equipped to maintain a healthy life once they leave.

Following Cocaine detox, most clients will receive recommendations to continue with their addiction treatment. Any addiction treatment program for cocaine should be integrated with individual or group therapy.

Typically, treatment continues in the form of inpatient rehab, with a special focus on the following aspects of addiction recovery:

  • Relapse prevention
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Individual and group therapy
  • 12-Step Program work
  • Family therapy
  • Chemical dependency education

We Level FL Mental Health Center: Primary Mental Health Treatment with Secondary Co-Occurring Treatment

We Level Up FL primary mental health center stands ready to help. Offering secondary treatment therapy for underlying problems like Cocaine Addiction often fuels negative behaviors. Taking that first step to get the help you deserve can be life-changing.

We understand how behavioral disorders and secondary co-occurring addiction diagnoses directly impact each other. We Level Up Florida can instill a support system through our mental health treatments that can make you feel valuable. Call us now for a free mental health assessment! Inpatient medical detox and residential primary addiction treatment may be available at our affiliated facility at Level Up Treatment West Palm Beach.

Sources

[1] SAMHSA– Cocaine Detox Programs https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29393/2019NSDUHFFRPDFWHTML/2019NSDUHFFR090120.htm#illi3

[2] NIDA – https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/monitoring-future/monitoring-future-study-trends-in-prevalence-various-drugs