Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms and Timeline

Learn What to Expect During Cocaine Detox and Withdrawal.

Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs out there. For over a decade, high costs for the drug suppressed it’s popularity—but now it is on the rise again. In fact, SAMHSA reports a 26% increase in cocaine use among young adults.

Many people look to cocaine, a stimulant, to increase their focus and energy. But once someone is addicted to the drug, severe boomerang effects occur when the effects start to wear off. These are the cocaine withdrawal symptoms.

Going in for treatment for a cocaine problem is the first step toward getting your life back. Keep reading to learn what to expect during detox, and what treatment will look like after you finish detox.

Learn about Cocaine

Cocaine, also known as coke, is a substance derived from the coca leaf. Cocaine is a very strong stimulant that acts to speed up the central nervous system. This causes increased heart rate and increased breathing rate. The effects that people seek include euphoria, high levels of energy, sharp focus, and improved mood. These effects are very short-lived, though.

Cocaine is either snorted or injected as a liquid version of the drug. Crack cocaine is the version of cocaine that is smoked, or “freebased,” making crackling sounds when smoked.

Dealers often cut other substances into the cocaine, such as flour, or baking powder, or cornstarch to increase profits. Recently, however, fentanyl is also being inserted into cocaine supplies, causing many deaths. Cocaine is a DEA designated Schedule II controlled substance, meaning it is highly addictive.

About Cocaine Addiction

It is no surprise that there is still a strong demand for cocaine. Like other stimulant drugs, using cocaine produces a highly pleasurable result. The cocaine quickly crosses over into the bloodstream, which ramps up the nervous system.

At the same time, high levels of dopamine are released in the brain. The brain’s reward circuit signals that these pleasant results should be repeated. This then prompts the person to desire a repeat of the cocaine high.

As with all drugs, tolerance begins to increase with repeated use of cocaine. This results in the person seeking out the drug more often and taking more frequent doses.

Some may begin to inject cocaine, versus snorting it, in an attempt to achieve the early effects.

As the brain adapts to the drug, the effects are reduced. Intense cravings drive constant use. As brain pathways are altered, the person may no longer be able to feel any joy. The prior effects of euphoria and energy are replaced with fatigue, depression, and mood swings.

Symptoms of a cocaine addiction might include:

• Manic mood.
• Weight loss.
• Lack of sleep.
• Nosebleeds
• Hyperactivity
• Muscle tics.
• Agitation
• Risk-taking behaviors.

Another adverse effect of cocaine addiction is financial ruin. The drug is short acting, prompting repeat use, over and over. This costs large sums of money to keep feeding the cocaine addiction.

It is very hard for someone to kick a cocaine habit without help. The cravings out-muscle the person’s will each time. Expert guidance and support can provide the help that the person needs to break free from the grip of cocaine.

What to Expect During Detox and Cocaine Withdrawal

As with other drugs that speed up the central nervous system, cocaine withdrawal causes mostly mental health symptoms. Still, these can be very intense. Without a skilled detox team watching over someone throughout the process, the person can be so overwhelmed by the symptoms. Couple with cravings, it is enough to cause the person to just give up on getting sober.

To be able to fully complete a detox, a support team is required. They will provide the meds to reduce discomfort, and the psychological support to get the person to the finish line. Suicidal thoughts are a real problem during cocaine withdrawal.

The most common symptoms during a cocaine detox include:

• Headaches.
• Extreme fatigue
• Symptoms of depression.
• Slow thinking.
• Feeling agitated.
• Sleep problems
• Intense nightmares.
• Feeling restless.
• Increased appetite.
• Hallucinations.
• Paranoid thoughts.
• Muscle aches.
• Chills.
• Suicidal thoughts.

The cocaine detox timeline is about one week. Once the detox is complete it is time to transfer into the treatment phase.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

The key to breaking free from cocaine rests on getting the expert treatment and support of a quality rehab program. Cocaine addiction is so potent that without this kind of structured program the person is likely to return to the substance.

The reason for this is that you must learn a whole new way of responding to triggers. Feeling fatigued, bored, listless, and unfocused can cause someone to desire the effects of cocaine. The cravings themselves are nearly impossible to ignore without new coping skills.

A program that includes a menu of treatment therapies and life skills classes can guide you toward new healthy responses to triggers. Change takes time, and new lifestyle habits take a while to form. These are some of the treatment elements for treating a cocaine addiction:

• One-on-one talk therapy. Meeting with a trained therapist helps you work out any issues that may factor into the substance use disorder.
• Process group sessions. Joining peers to discuss topics about recovery offers an added layer of support.
• Holistic methods. Learning how to get healthy through eating right, getting exercise, and managing stress is key.
• 12-step program. The themes of N.A. or A.A. are helpful when learning how to reshape your life in recovery.
• Education and life skills training. Learning how to prevent relapse through new coping skills helps protect recovery.

It may not seem possible while in the midst of a cocaine problem, but there is a proven path to wellness through expert treatment.

Ken Seeley Helps People Break Free From Cocaine

Ken Seeley Communities is a treatment center that treats cocaine addiction, with or without a co-occurring mental health challenge. The center provides on-site detox services, as well as various levels of care for addiction treatment. If you or a loved one is struggling with a cocaine problem, call the team at KSC today at (877) 744-0502.