The stimulant directly affects brain function, and long-term addiction leads to extensive physiological and psychological problems. In recent years, a growing number of dealers and traffickers have started mixing fentanyl, a synthetic opioid pain reliever, with cocaine and other drugs. If cocaine is contaminated with fentanyl, overdose can result in cardiac arrest or permanent brain damage—and there’s no way to tell if the drug is laced. Many who struggle with cocaine addiction benefit from integrated treatment for co-occurring substance and mental health disorders.

• No one can predict whether they will become dependent and addicted, or whether the next dose will be deadly.
• Researchers have attempted to measure the addictiveness of cocaine and other drugs.
• An initial, short-term effect—a buildup of the neurochemical dopamine—gives rise to euphoria and a desire to take the drug again.
• Often, behavioral therapy is initiated right when you begin detox, or even before you stop using the drug.
• However, we believe in providing accessible and accurate information to reduce the harm that can occur when using.

Is it safe to use cocaine with alcohol?

Large amounts of the stimulant (several hundred milligrams or more) intensify the user’s high, but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, or violent behavior. Those using cocaine in such amounts may experience tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia, or, with repeated doses, a toxic reaction closely resembling amphetamine poisoning. Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. In rare instances, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or sometime thereafter. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest. Pure cocaine is a flakey white powder derived from the coca plant of South America.

What are the treatments for cocaine use disorder?

• Those using cocaine in such amounts may experience tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia, or, with repeated doses, a toxic reaction closely resembling amphetamine poisoning.
• In the author’s laboratory, work has focused on buildup of the genetic transcription factor ΔFosB.
• In order to prevent a potentially tragic outcome, it is beneficial to recognize the warning signs that a loved one or family member may be abusing cocaine.
• An increase in tolerance often leads to escalating patterns of use—drinking more or using more of a drug, which can drive compulsive drug use and is a risk factor for addiction.
• There is a potentially dangerous interaction between cocaine and alcohol.

Cocaine is an intense, euphoria-producing stimulant drug with extremely strong addiction potential that is derived from coca leaves. 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. But we need much more research into whether the  vaccine  is safe and effective over the long term. The drug disulfiram, which is used to treat alcoholism, has shown some promise for cocaine addiction.

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)

Health care providers will focus on treating the specific health problems caused by the overdose. It is important that patients undergoing treatment for substance use receive cocaine addiction treatment services that match all of their treatment needs. For example, if a patient is unemployed, it may be helpful to provide vocational rehabilitation or career counseling.

• Regular use of cocaine can cause someone to become tolerant to the drug, and higher doses must be taken in order to continue to feel the effects that are desired.
• John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine.
• Cocaine makes people feel good by changing the way the brain feels pleasure, making it more difficult to feel as good without the drug.

Behavior treatments show promising results for helping people through cocaine addiction. Treatment can be done on an outpatient basis or as part of a residential treatment program. Interventions focusing on behavior are often used along with medications. An in-depth look at the signs and symptoms of cocaine addiction, how to get help for your loved one, and what treatment options are…

• Some of these feelings can persist, or might even increase, during the comedown (“crash”) as the euphoria is wearing off.
• During a crash, a person will feel fatigued, depressed, anxious, irritable and profoundly tired.
• Some people are more vulnerable to cocaine addiction than others.

Cocaethylene: Cocaine and alcohol

What Does Cocaine Do to Your Body?