Using it increases your risk of serious and sometimes life-threatening medical conditions like heart attack, stroke and drug overdose. Cocaine use disorder (addiction) can affect your personal relationships. Cognitive behavioral therapy may help people recover from cocaine use disorder. It makes you feel very happy and alert for a short time. But it carries many risks, including overdose and serious physical and mental side effects as well as addiction.
When injected, it goes directly into your bloodstream for a very strong and near-instant effect. A 2021 animal study on mice suggests that even a single, small dose may lead to structural changes and tissue damage in the brain. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.
Physical Signs
However, medical professionals can provide treatments to stabilize a person’s symptoms. If a person is experiencing an overdose of a combination of cocaine and an opioid such as fentanyl, administering Narcan (naloxone) can reverse the effects of the opioid overdose. This medication will not, however, treat the effects of cocaine overdose. These combined effects make the people more likely to focus on seeking the drug instead of relationships, food, or other natural rewards. There is a lengthy list of negative effects that cocaine can have on the respiratory system, and many of these risks arise as a result of inhaling it.
- Asking for help is a huge and important step toward recovering from cocaine use disorder.
- Potential short-term side effects include overdose, addiction (cocaine use disorder) and withdrawal.
- Cocaine is a stimulant drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America.
However, experiences may vary since cocaine can affect each person differently. Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant that temporarily kaiser drug treatment increases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that forms part of the reward system.
What are the Risks of Snorting Cocaine?
If you use cocaine regularly or to excess, you may have long-lasting and serious problems with your physical and mental health. It can affect your heart, brain, lungs, gut, and kidneys as well as your emotional health and daily life — especially if you become addicted. It is also possible to overdose with the first use of cocaine, which can be life threatening. In some cases, addiction may develop after short-term use. However, a 2018 review suggests that environmental and genetic factors may affect a person’s risk of developing a cocaine addiction. This article explains what may happen after a single dose of cocaine, including the risks of death and addiction and what to do if an overdose occurs.
They may lose their inhibitions about doing things like spending lots of money on stuff they don’t really need. In early tests, a vaccine helped reduce the risk of relapse in people who use cocaine. The vaccine activates your immune system to create antibodies that attach to cocaine and stop it from making its way into your brain.
Cocaine’s Effects on the Brain
Cocaine can be inhaled through the nose (e.g., “snorting”) as well as smoked in freebase form, or crack cocaine. Receiving treatment for a cocaine use disorder can help you regain control over your life. Quitting cocaine use can allow you to avoid negative and harmful side effects and prevent the possibility of overdose. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is a leading treatment provider and has trusted rehab facilities across the country.
Consider speaking with a mental health professional or looking into treatment programs. People who abuse substances often take more than one drug at the same time. When a person consumes cocaine and alcohol together, the liver produces cocaethylene. Smoking cocaine also increases the risk of developing respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath, coughing, and lung trauma, including bleeding. Asking for help is a huge and important step toward recovering from cocaine use disorder. They may refer you to a substance abuse counselor or recommend community-based programs.
Cocaine is typically used orally, intranasally, intravenously, or by inhalation. When snorted (intranasal use), cocaine powder is inhaled through the nostrils, where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Dissolving cocaine in water and celebrities with fetal alcohol syndrome injecting it (intravenous use) releases the drug directly into the bloodstream and heightens the intensity of its effects. When people smoke cocaine (inhalation), they inhale its vapor or smoke into the lungs, where absorption into the bloodstream is almost as rapid as by injection. An overdose of cocaine can lead to seizures, life-threatening heart failure, cerebral hemorrhage, stroke, and respiratory failure.
More commonly, people use cocaine to boost feelings like being energized, happy and alert. Cocaine is very addictive, meaning people seek out the drug and use it even though they know the choice alcohol yellow eyes comes with negative consequences. There are treatments for cocaine use disorder (cocaine addiction), but people often relapse and use it again. NIDA also notes that a cocaine overdose can be intentional or unintentional, and can occur even on the first occasion of use, or at any time thereafter. This article lists the physical, behavioral, and psychological signs of cocaine use and the symptoms of cocaine intoxication. It’s essential to be aware of these signs, symptoms, and health effects of cocaine use to break the habit and get treatment if needed.
If you think someone you love is using cocaine, encourage them to seek help. Ask a healthcare provider about programs and services for people affected by another person’s cocaine use. Potential short-term side effects include overdose, addiction (cocaine use disorder) and withdrawal.
Cocaine Withdrawal
People who are addicted may eventually prefer taking cocaine to any other activity. Their lifestyles may alter completely as the addiction takes hold. In occasional cocaine users, social or physical problems are rare, but scientists insist there is no safe amount of cocaine.