While waiting for help, try to keep the person calm and reassured. If they’re unconscious but breathing, place them in recovery to prevent choking. If they stop breathing or their heart stops beating, start CPR if you’re trained. Remember, this dire situation needs swift action; any delay could worsen their condition. You’re not only potentially saving a life but also helping them get appropriate treatment and support for addiction issues in the future.
Can cocaine cause death after one use?
The drug disulfiram, which is used to treat alcoholism, has shown some promise for cocaine addiction. Scientists don’t know exactly how it works to reduce cocaine use. The most important part of any treatment plan is to give up the drug right away. Many people who are addicted to cocaine cbt for alcoholism and drug addiction go through a phase called withdrawal when they first do this. Withdrawal can be difficult, so it may be best to do it with the help of a medical professional. Another reason cocaine can lead to substance use disorder is that each time you use it, your body builds a tolerance.
What are the signs of drug overdose?
Because of its immediate and powerful effect on the body, it can be fatal. Although casual and even first-time users are still at risk, the risk of coke overdose increases significantly for chronic users. Regular usage can increase one’s tolerance, which can lead to increased dosage, which increases the chances of an overdose. Regular users can also develop sensitization, where less of the drug is needed to produce anxiety, convulsions, or other toxic effects.
Signs of Cocaine Use
These medications are only available in health care settings. It’s impossible to properly treat a cocaine overdose at home . Calling 911 is the only way to make sure you can save a person’s life. Well, the answer varies based on individual or unique circumstances. Unfortunately, many of the symptoms of a cocaine overdose go unacknowledged because the euphoria creates a façade of safety.
- How quickly an addiction develops may also depend on the form of the drug.
- If you’ve taken more than the recommended amount of a drug or enough to have a harmful effect on your body’s functions, you have overdosed.
- If a victim is struggling, the paramedics will work to restore normal heart rate and breathing.
- That is up from 3,222 in 1999, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
- Many people who are addicted to cocaine go through a phase called withdrawal when they first do this.
- Cocaine-related heart attacks are always a concern with use, as are strokes, seizures, and comas.
Medical professionals can help determine the best course of action to stabilize a person overdosing on cocaine. Do not worry that you will get in trouble or suffer legal consequences for trying to get someone professional help. Many states now have laws to protect individuals that attempt to help another person in need. The heart and brain are the organs most vulnerable to a cocaine overdose. Too much cocaine can cause death by heart attack or stroke.
Treatment may involve therapy, certain medications, or rehabilitation programs. Any amount of cocaine use can cause short-term and long-term health problems, so it is essential not to wait to seek treatment. There is no need to hit “rock bottom;” treatment is available for you.
They may also use medication to treat other complications you have. This makes you compulsively crave or use substances like cocaine. Some of the side effects of cocaine depend on how you take the drug. If you snort it, you might have nosebleeds, loss of alcohol use disorder symptoms and causes smell, hoarseness, nasal irritation, runny nose, or trouble swallowing. Smoking crack can damage your lungs and worsen asthma symptoms. If you inject it, you could develop tracks (puncture marks on your arms) and infections, such as HIV or hepatitis C.
Given cocaine’s highly addictive quality, this is easier said than done. Seeking out the proper treatment efforts can put you or your family members benzodiazepines detox northern california drug alcohol rehab on a path free of the fear of overdoses altogether. With rapid response, cocaine overdoses can sometimes be reversed and the victim saved.
To date, there is no drug to prevent or cure cocaine addiction. The key is to educate the patient when he or she presents to the emergency department. Those who intended to commit suicide should be referred to a mental health counselor prior to discharge.
Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. Aside from physical symptoms, a person may also exhibit psychological symptoms.
They can also add other drugs like amphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, or procaine. Research suggests that certain communities may be more prone to using drugs, including cocaine. For example, those who identify as LGBTQ are more than twice as likely to use illicit drugs as heterosexual people. LGBTQ adults are also more than twice as likely to have a substance use disorder. The scientists believe that the basal ganglia were already enlarged before the addiction began.
The best way to prevent a cocaine overdose is to not use it at all. People often overdose during a relapse, because they take the same amount of cocaine they used to, but their tolerance is lower from being sober for some time. When you help someone who has relapsed on cocaine, you’re also saving them from potential overdose.