In 2020, 5.3 million people reported abusing cocaine in the past 12 months. Cocaine is a stimulant drug that can have many side effects. It’s also highly addictive and has been known to cause stroke, heart attack, and even death. Learning about cocaine withdrawal symptoms is crucial because it may urge the user to start the treatment. Likewise, it should be noted that self-withdrawal from cocaine is not an easy thing and can push you towards relapse.
Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms
The symptoms of withdrawal from cocaine depend on how long you have been using, your physical health, and other factors. If you think someone might be suffering from cocaine withdrawal, it is best to seek help immediately.
If you’ve recently stopped taking cocaine and want to know how long it takes before your symptoms go away, here’s what we found:
- The average duration of withdrawal is between 12 and 20 days (depending on how long you were using).
- Cocaine withdrawal symptoms last about seven days on average for first-time users who have only taken small amounts of the drug before quitting; however, this time increases slightly with each use level and becomes longer at higher dosages over time.
If you or someone you know has used cocaine and is suffering from the following cocaine withdrawal symptoms, it’s important to seek help immediately:
Irritability
Irritability is a common symptom of cocaine withdrawal. It can result from other withdrawal symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, as well as the inability to get cocaine. This irritability can also result from disrupted sleeping patterns (due to insomnia) or an underlying medical condition like heart disease or diabetes.
Irritable people tend not to want to be around others; this can make them feel isolated and alone in their daily lives.
So if you have just left using cocaine, then irritability s a sign that you need treatment.
Treatment does not mean you have to go through cocaine detox, but therapy or counseling can also help to manage cocaine withdrawal symptoms. To learn about what exactly can help you recover from cocaine addiction, feel free to contact us.
Panic attacks
Panic attacks are common in cocaine withdrawal. Panic attacks are an intense, sudden rush of fear that can lead to chest pain, sweating, and shortness of breath. They’re also accompanied by feelings of weakness and numbness in your extremities—a condition known as “pins and needles.”
The most effective treatment for panic attacks during drug withdrawal is a medication prescribed by a doctor or therapist. But you should know that there’s more than one way to manage these symptoms: if you’ve been using drugs for years on end without any problems before now, it might be best not to treat them with drugs at all; instead, try psychotherapy (which involves talking about your feelings) or exercise (to reduce stress).
That’s why addicted recovery provides options for medication-assisted treatment and therapies. We can help you find the best addiction treatment program near you if you are struggling with cocaine withdrawal symptoms.
Restlessness
Restlessness is a common symptom of cocaine withdrawal. This feeling of inner agitation, or a desire to move around, can be caused by the drug itself, but it’s also normal for people who have recently stopped using cocaine.
The good news is that restlessness can be treated with medication and therapy. The first step in treating restlessness is deciding which form of treatment works best for you.
Instead of researching on the internet which treatment suits you best, trust our addiction specialist, who will listen to your needs and provide the treatment the way you need it.
Cravings
Cravings and a strong desire to use cocaine again is also cocaine withdrawal symptom. They can be triggered by certain people, places, or things. Cravings are usually strongest in the first few days of withdrawal and usually last for months after you stop using cocaine.
What you need to know about cocaine cravings:
- Cocaine cravings typically start within 24 hours of stopping your last dose of the drug
- It may continue for several days until your body has cleared out enough stored chemicals from previous uses
- You may need to go through a detox program to better cope with cravings
- Therapies can also help you go through this phase
Are you or someone you know struggling with cocaine withdrawal symptoms? Feel free to contact us.
Fatigue
Fatigue is a common but often overlooked symptom of cocaine withdrawal. While it’s not surprising that fatigue would occur during the initial stages of quitting cocaine, such symptoms can persist long after you’ve gone cold turkey and are no longer using.
Fatigue may be due to low blood sugar levels or depression, which are common side effects when you stop taking cocaine. Other possible causes include:
- Lack of sleep (even if you’re getting enough rest)
- Feeling tired all the time (even when doing things that don’t require much effort)
Insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much or too little)
Insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much or too little) are common cocaine withdrawal symptoms. A person who has never experienced this before might think that if they were sleeping more than usual, it would be a good thing.
But since, the goal of drug use is to feel high or have an altered state of consciousness and not wake up feeling rested and ready for the day. It makes sense that when you’re using cocaine regularly, your brain will become accustomed to functioning at lower levels of arousal than what is considered normal sleep patterns.
This imbalance can cause disturbed sleep patterns in subsequent months after quitting cocaine—and even long after stopping altogether.
Anxiety or paranoia
Anxiety is a feeling of worry or uneasiness. It can be
- Mild
- moderate
- or severe.
Anxiety may also accompany physical symptoms such as stomach upset and sweating.
Paranoia is a state of mind in which you think others are trying to harm you or your loved ones. Paranoia may range from mild to severe; however, it’s important to note that paranoia is not the same as anxiety.
Slowed blood flow and cold sweats
Cocaine is known to cause vasoconstriction, which is when the blood vessels narrow. This can cause cold sweats, a feeling of heaviness in your limbs and hands, and sometimes even death.
Vasoconstriction is a sign of cocaine withdrawal because it’s caused by the same thing that makes people addicted to cocaine in the first place: decreased dopamine levels.
Seek Help For Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms
Cocaine withdrawal symptoms can be severe, and they can even be deadly. If you have experienced cocaine withdrawal, it is important to seek help for these symptoms as soon as possible.
When seeking treatment for cocaine addiction or recovering from an overdose caused by using drugs like ecstasy or marijuana (marijuana does not cause physical addiction), many options are available that can help get you back on track with life again!
Addiction treatment programs include:
- counseling sessions
- residential detox programs
- Medications such as buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone), which helps prevent cravings while working slowly toward recovery goals;
- group therapy sessions led by trained professionals
Once you decide to live an addiction-free life, then the second thing you may worry about is where to start the treatment. Through Addicted Recovery, you can get help in choosing the best cocaine detox program near you. All you need is to call us, and we’ll connect you with the best treatment program near you.
