Cocaine Overdose: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment Addiction & Abuse

For example, cocaine can produce severe anxiety, which is overcome with alcohol. When you’re consuming alcohol and cocaine simultaneously, it dulls the effects of one another. For that reason, you won’t feel how intoxicated you are from alcohol until you stop cocaine, and you won’t feel how high you are from cocaine until you stop the alcohol.

Cocaine Overdose Symptoms

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s linked to feelings of reward and pleasure. By clicking “Submit,” you certify that you have provided your legal name and phone number, agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy, and authorize Addictionresource to contact you. https://sober-home.org/ You consent to receive SMS notifications and promotions from Addictionresource. CT scan of the head is recommended in patients with seizures to identify any other pathology. An ECG should be done if the patient has chest pain, dyspnea, irregular pulse, or hypoxia.

Cocaine Overdose

The reports from Atlanta and New York City remain unconfirmed. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have tracked an alarming rise in deaths involving cocaine and synthetic opioids in recent years. The substance is prevalent among illicit drug users because of the short-term delivery and feelings that come with usage. However, an overdose on cocaine is always a potentially fatal situation, and many drug abuse-related deaths have been attributed to cocaine intoxication overtime.

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Dopamine then accumulates in the synapse to produce an amplified signal to the receiving neurons. This is what causes the euphoria commonly experienced immediately after taking the drug. Again, the best way to prevent an overdose is to avoid cocaine use altogether.

Preventing an overdose

1. With that all being said, what are some of the risk factors of a cocaine overdose?
2. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.
3. If you’ve overdosed on coke, you should consider seeking cocaine rehab.

The first step to getting them appropriate care is helping them find professional treatment. To get started, read about family resources for addiction available at River Oaks Treatment Center. The Recovery Village has nationwide facilities to help people overcome cocaine addictions. The method of ingestion, a person’s tolerance, and the purity of the drug all play a role in how much cocaine leads to an overdose.

Clients reside at home while attending these programs; some can even work during the day and attend these programs at night. Intensive outpatient programs are a part of continuum care, so it is meant to aid those who still need support but not to the degree of inpatient or PHP. It can feel overwhelming when a loved one is addicted to cocaine.

When someone uses cocaine, they often experience an increase in energy and confidence, an inability to sleep, a lack of appetite, and a feeling of greater physical and mental precision. Since these feelings don’t last, an individual may start to take more of the substance to reach the same response. This article will cover the causes and warning signs of cocaine overdose, what to do in the event of a cocaine-related overdose, and what the treatment options for this specific type of substance use disorder are. Following recovery, it is imperative that one avoids overdosing again in the long term.

Other symptoms of a cocaine overdose include blurry vision, chest pain or tightness, extreme anxiety, confusion and hallucinations. All these substances are considered highly dangerous as there is rarely any standardization to them. One tab or dose could contain significantly less or significantly more chemical properties than another, which means there is a serious risk of overdose surrounding these drugs. Due to the high potency and risk of these substances, overdoses involving them can even result in long-term changes to the individual’s psychological functioning and, in some cases, can even be fatal without proper care. The opioid epidemic within the US has resulted in multiple waves of public health initiatives to spread awareness of opioid overdoses as well educating others on ways to help in case of emergency. One of the most effective strategies for preventing overdoses has been the use of Narcan, also known as naloxone.

The other problem is that many patients have also ingested other illicit agents, including alcohol, which makes management difficult. While cocaine can adversely affect every organ in the body, its most lethal effects are on the cardiovascular system. An overdose can lead to serious medical complications, including death. The severity of a drug overdose depends on the drug, the amount taken, and the physical and medical history of the person who overdosed. If you or someone you know is struggling with cocaine use, seeking professional help is crucial to prevent the risk of overdose and address the underlying addiction. Transitional or sober living homes are suitable for those who may have already completed treatment at a treatment facility.

It has fuelled the transmission of HIV, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and the incidence of overdose, and has driven record levels of incarceration. Florida lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis have increased the criminalization of opioids in recent years, and the state leads the country in fentanyl seizures, Moody said. According to data released by Florida’s Medical Examiners Commission, in the first six months of 2023, overdose deaths decreased by 7% when compared to the same months the previous year. Opioid-related deaths dropped 11%, and deaths caused by fentanyl dropped 10%. That means teaching cocaine users to test the drug before they use it, then start with a small dose, to use in pairs, and carry naloxone — things that are becoming more common for heroin users.

Contextual examples are also cited at various points, and insight is shared about the statistics and numbers for overdose cases in the country over the years. Patients with cocaine toxicity need to be stabilized, and attention should be paid to the ABCDEs. The patient’s fever should be managed, and one should rule out hypoglycemia as a cause of the neuropsychiatric symptoms. A pregnancy test should be ruled in women of childbearing age. The treatment should be based on clinical symptoms, and one should avoid physical restraints. The chest x-ray may show signs of pulmonary edema, pneumothorax, or even aspiration pneumonia.

In-patient and outpatient centers, plus luxury rehabs, are out there to help. After detox, always contact a treatment facility for https://sober-home.org/whippits-drug-side-effects-of-nitrous-oxide/ proper aftercare and therapy. Data shows that 500,000 users have had trips to the ER for cocaine overdose symptoms in 2011.

The abdominal x-ray may reveal swallowed packets of cocaine. Because of false negatives with the plain x-rays, a contrast-enhanced study or CT scan is recommended. The risk of bag rupture increases with time, so it is important to make the diagnosis promptly.

Those who intended to commit suicide should be referred to a mental health counselor prior to discharge. The emergency and referral resources listed above are available to individuals located in the United States and are not operated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counseling, or legal consultation. Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation.

Delgado, of Lantana, joins a growing list of Palm Beach County residents charged with murder in the wake of customer overdoses. Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg promised in 2018 to “aggressively charge drug dealers who spread deadly fentanyl-laced heroin” and subsequently indicted a handful of people on first-degree murder charges. An undercover officer posing as a friend of Kangro arranged to meet with Delgado the following day to buy drugs. During their meeting, Delgado told the officer he’d sold Kangro drugs “for a while,” and that Kangro sometimes consumed so much of it that he overdosed.

Specific routes of cocaine administration can produce their own adverse effects. They also may experience allergic reactions, either to the drug itself or to additives in cocaine, which in severe cases can result in death. These combined effects make the people more likely to focus on seeking the drug instead of relationships, food, or other natural rewards. Individuals who enter inpatient programs are monitored by medical staff 24/7.

If you opt to use cocaine anyway, some things you can do to avoid an overdose are listed below. The Better Health Channel says the effects of cocaine last between 15 and 30 minutes. Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider. It’s popular for its stimulant effects, such as high energy and decreased appetite. The officer bought $7,000 worth of cocaine from Delgado over six months, according to his arrest report. He charged Delgado on July 9 with first-degree murder and 11 counts related to drug trafficking.

Opioid-related overdoses can range in severity, with many non-fatal overdoses occurring more often than fatal events. Even still, the opioid epidemic in the US still poses a major threat to public health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tracked a recent increase in deaths involving cocaine and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. One of the leading causes of cocaine overdose deaths is related to the substance’s cardiovascular effect on the body.

Mixing cocaine with alcohol or other drugs also increases the risk of overdose. Speedballing, or mixing heroin and cocaine, is more likely to cause an overdose than using either of the drugs exclusively. A cocaine overdose can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as paranoia, aggression, vomiting, temperature spikes, and seizures. In severe cases, a cocaine overdose can lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart attack, coma, and even death. A new CDC report finds that many stimulant drugs now also contain fentanyl. This mix of fentanyl and stimulants is linked to a significant rise in overdose deaths.

A cocaine antidote has been studied in mice, according to a 2016 article published in the journal Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters. Most people want to feel energetic, happy and focused when they use cocaine. A cocaine overdose is characterized by uncomfortable effects, such as irritability, anxiety or tremors. When the ambulance arrives, tell the paramedics about your symptoms and about your cocaine use. Cocaine is often mixed with strong and dangerous opioids, such as fentanyl, that can increase your risk of accidental overdose. When injecting, the effects of the drug enter the bloodstream and get to the brain in a few seconds.