Cocaine Abuse

Cocaine abuse can lead to addiction, severe health problems and death. Many cocaine abusers report to be trapped in a vicious cycle of increased cocaine abuse in failed attempts to recreate the pleasurable sensations of their first exposure to cocaine. The intensity and duration of cocaine’s effects, which include increased energy, reduced fatigue, and mental alertness, depend on the route of drug administration commonly used for cocaine: snorting, injecting, and smoking. Snorting is the process of inhaling cocaine powder through the nose, where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Injecting is the use of a needle to release the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs, where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as by injection. All three methods of cocaine abuse can lead to addiction and other severe health problems.

Health Risks of Cocaine Abuse and Addiction

Different methods of cocaine abuse can produce different adverse effects – many of which are severe and life-threatening, including:

  • Regularly snorting cocaine can lead to loss of the sense of smell, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing, hoarseness, and a chronically runny nose.
  • Ingesting cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene as a result of reduced blood flow.
  • Injecting cocaine can bring about severe allergic reactions and increased risk for contracting HIV and other blood-borne diseases.
  • Binge patterns of use may lead to irritability, restlessness, anxiety, and paranoia.
  • Cocaine abusers can suffer a temporary state of full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which they lose touch with reality and experience auditory hallucinations.
  • Regardless of the method or frequency of cocaine abuse, a user can experience acute cardiovascular or cerebrovascular emergencies, such as a heart attack or stroke, which may cause sudden death. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizure followed by respiratory arrest.

Treatment for Cocaine Abuse and Addiction

One of NIDA’s (National Institute on Drug Abuse) top research priorities is to discover medications for treating cocaine addiction as there are none currently. Researchers are also looking for medications to assuage severe cravings for the drug and medications to counteract the triggers of relapse – such as stress, for people in treatment for cocaine addiction. Due to the intense cravings and high relapse rate associated with cocaine addiction, recovery in a supportive environment, such as residential treatment centers, provide the recovering addict much more support than private or outpatient therapy. In most cases, the cocaine addict will attend outpatient therapy after completing residential cocaine addiction treatment for continued support. In conjunction with outpatient therapy, most addicts are urged to attend 12 step support groups to augment their commitment to recovery.

If you or someone you love is caught up in the downward spiral of cocaine abuse or addiction, please call our Drug Abuse Helpline, toll-free at 1-800-943-0566.  Our professional addiction counselors offer confidential assistance 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Don’t delay – call now!