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If you are in an immediate emergency, call 911. If you are looking for more information on substance abuse treatment and it is not a medical emergency, call our 24/7 Cocaine Helpline at 407-680-1226.
When a person uses cocaine regularly, they can become physically dependent on the drug, with the body feeling ill without it. Cocaine withdrawal occurs when someone who has been using the drug cuts down on their use or stops taking it.
Cocaine produces an extreme mood elevation by causing the brain to release higher amounts of chemicals than usual. However, cocaine’s effects on other parts of the body can be severe and even deadly. When a person stops using cocaine, a “crash” follows almost right away. Many experience strong cravings for more cocaine during the cocaine detox, in addition to the following symptoms:
Cocaine detox usually doesn’t have visible physical symptoms, such as the vomiting and shaking that accompany withdrawal from other substances like heroin or alcohol.
Co-occurring mental health disorders may also affect the withdrawal process. Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and personality disorders can make the detox process more complicated.
The timeline for cocaine withdrawal symptoms varies depending on several factors:
Cocaine withdrawal symptoms can last for one to two weeks. Although the specific timeline will vary based on the person, these are the expected withdrawal symptoms by the hour:
The length of time that cocaine stays in your system depends on the way you consumed the drug. If you snort the drug, it lasts longer in your system than if you ingest or inject it. Cocaine’s half-life, or the length of time it takes for your body to remove half a dose of cocaine from your system, ranges from 0.7–1.5 hours.
However, cocaine also contains breakdown products like benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester, which have half-lives ranging from 3.5–8 hours.
Because it generally takes five half-lives to totally remove a drug from your body, cocaine itself may be out of your system within eight hours, while its breakdown products may remain in your system for up to two days. During this 2-day period, cocaine can show up in urine tests and saliva tests. The drug may also show up in hair tests for up to 90 days.
Any addiction recovery plan begins with detox and withdrawal. Cocaine detox focuses on stabilizing physical health while working through psychological withdrawal symptoms. Medications may be prescribed to help balance symptoms of cocaine withdrawal, but this is not the only approach to cocaine addiction treatment. Therapy, support groups, nutritional support and more are also typically offered.
After detox, it is easier for the patient to focus on the next step in their recovery. Rehab, which can take place in an inpatient or outpatient setting, is recommended.
It is possible to experience only minor effects of withdrawal, but many people face extreme discomfort during detox, and their symptoms can become severe quickly. For this reason, cocaine detox should be completed under medical supervision. Treatment specialists at Orlando Recovery Center help patients manage cocaine detox and withdrawal symptoms in a medically supervised setting. Medication management plans allow patients to feel more at ease so that they can focus on their recovery.
If someone you know is currently using cocaine and needs help, the Orlando Recovery Center is here. To learn more about our wide range of treatments for cocaine addiction, give us a call today to speak with one of our skilled, compassionate representatives.
The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.