Cocaine is a stimulant used recreationally in the United States for increased alertness, focus, and euphoria. Nearly 5 million Americans 12 and older illegally used cocaine in the past year. Cocaine addiction is dangerous and can cause several long-term health consequences without intervention [1].
Cocaine typically stays in your system for 1 to 4 days, but it can be detected for up to a couple of weeks in some people, depending on factors like the amount taken, frequency, and length of use. Read on to learn more about how long cocaine stays in your system and how professional detox treatment can support long-term recovery.
Why Is Cocaine Addictive? Its Effect On The Brain
There are several reasons why cocaine is so addictive to many people, but it’s mainly due to the quick and intense high it gives users. Cocaine use increases dopamine in the brain to produce feelings of pleasure, energy, and increased confidence. Other effects on the brain that make cocaine so addictive include:
- Positive Reinforcement: Cocaine addiction often develops because of a psychological process known as “positive reinforcement”. Drug use affects the basal ganglia, which control habit formation and pleasure-driven motivation. Cocaine stimulates this region and causes a pattern of drug-taking behaviors [2].
- Quickly Builds Tolerance: Cocaine highs are often very intense but short. The peak effects of cocaine are frequently felt in 5 to 15 minutes and tend to subside in 20 to 30 minutes. This means that tolerance builds quickly, and people often need to consume more and more to feel their desired effects [3].
- Polydrug Use: Studies show an estimated 74% of cocaine users often combine it with other drugs, most commonly, alcohol, and around 60% of individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) also have alcohol use disorder (AUD). This reinforces addiction and can complicate the detox process [4].
- Fear of Withdrawal: Quitting cocaine means dopamine levels drop, activating the amygdala, which controls fear and stress responses. Many users who try to quit cocaine experience intense anxiety, increased heart rate, and paranoia, making it difficult to quit without professional intervention.
Short and Long-Term Effects of Cocaine Abuse
If you think you or someone you love has developed a problem with cocaine abuse, it’s important to be able to recognize potential signs and symptoms of cocaine addiction. While cocaine can cause several effects that may seem positive to some (increased energy, focus), over time, cocaine greatly increases the risk of serious health consequences.
Short Term
- Anxiety and paranoia
- Mood swings
- Psychosis
- Trouble sleeping
- Irritability, restlessness, aggression
- High body temp, increased heart rate, sweating
- Nosebleeds from snorting cocaine
Long-Term
- Feeling as if cocaine has taken over your life
- Lying to loved ones, stealing money
- Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
- Memory loss, increased risk of dementia
- Liver and kidney damage
- Erectile dysfunction in men, which can lead to the abuse of drugs such as Viagra
Cocaine Withdrawal Timeline and Symptoms
When users abruptly quit cocaine, they often feel an intense crash from a decline in neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. The withdrawal timeline from cocaine looks different for everyone; however, it tends to have a shorter detox period than other drugs, such as opioids or benzodiazepines.
The general timeline and symptoms for cocaine withdrawal include:
- Initial Crash Phase (Days 1-3): Fatigue, sleeping excessively or insomnia, anxiety, depression, irritability.
- Early Withdrawal Symptoms (Days 4-7): Symptoms increase in intensity, vivid dreams, nightmares, and dehydration are common concerns.
- Peak (Weeks 1-2): Symptoms peak in intensity and frequency. Psychological challenges such as cravings, mood swings, and depression are still present.
- Protracted Withdrawal (4+ weeks): Lingering fatigue, depression, anxiety, and cravings may still be there, but physical symptoms have often subsided. It’s important to participate in treatment during this period, which addresses the roots of cocaine addiction and can help you develop the skills to prevent relapse.
The Importance of Professional Help During Cocaine Detox
The intense, uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal make quitting difficult, and why professional treatment is often necessary. Rushton Recovery offers several comprehensive services to support recovery from cocaine abuse, as well as treatment for polydrug use, such as alcohol and cocaine.
Supervised Medical Detox
Detox programs for cocaine addiction offer around-the-clock care in a safe and supervised setting. At Rushton Recovery, our trained medical team ensures patients can detox safely and comfortably before moving into a long-term level of care. This is especially important if you struggle with co-occurring cocaine and alcohol use.
Withdrawal from alcohol can cause life-threatening symptoms and be increasingly risky when also using cocaine. Detoxing at Rushton ensures safety protocols are followed, compassionate support is always available, and there is a temptation-free environment to focus fully on recovery.
Therapy and Holistic Healing to Prevent Relapse
Detox is often just the first step to clear cocaine out of the body. After detox, residential treatment or a structured outpatient program is recommended as the next step to develop coping skills, address underlying causes of addiction, and support long-term recovery.
Our licensed and certified mental health therapists have combined decades of experience in helping patients on their path of recovery from addiction. Some of the therapies we use as part of our cocaine addiction treatment program at Rushton Recovery include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Trauma Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Creative Art Therapies (music, dance, art)
- Integrated Wellness (massage, meditation, nutritional guidance)
Luxury Detox and Residential Treatment for Cocaine Addiction
At Rushton Recovery, our supervised medical detox and residential treatment center offers a healing space to embark on your recovery journey from cocaine addiction. We address the underlying factors that increase the risk of cocaine abuse, such as performance pressure, work stress, burnout, and impulsivity.
Our compassionate team combines evidence-based therapies, medication management, and holistic healing activities in a serene environment nestled in South Lyon, Michigan, to heal from substance abuse and mental health challenges.
Reach out to our Admissions team now.
Sources
[1] National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. 2023. Drug Abuse Statistics.
[2] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); Office of the Surgeon General (US). Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2016. CHAPTER 2, THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF SUBSTANCE USE, MISUSE, AND ADDICTION.
[3] Nestler, J. et al. (2005). The neurobiology of cocaine addiction. Science & practice perspectives, 3(1), 4–10.
[4] Knackstedt, A. (2018). The importance of considering polysubstance use: lessons from cocaine research. Drug and alcohol dependence, 192, 16–28.
