A cocaine comedown can be the roughest ride in your life. More like a crash. And a cocaine hangover can have you regretting your decisions.
Are you or a loved one suffering from a cocaine addiction? Getting help is a life-changing step in the right direction to taking back your life. Keep on reading to learn more.
The Cocaine Comedown
Benzoylmethylecgonine, otherwise known as cocaine, coke or blow comes from the coca plant but is often mixed with “cutting agents” which can be any white powdery substance to make it stretch farther. These cutting agents are often what makes cocaine so unpredictable and dangerous.
Cocaine has been a prescribed drug by doctors for treating depression, and other health issues, and was even used in Coca-Cola until the late 1950s. Mainly it is sold as an illegal street drug, now.
Cocaine is considered to be a controlled substance that is highly addictive and can lead to overdosing and can even be life-threatening. The comedown means the feeling as the effects of the drug is wearing off and can be anywhere between mild to severe.
Typically one will try to avoid the comedown by doing more of the drug. Even if they have run out, they will do what they can to acquire more. It is very common for cocaine users to go out looking for more drugs, and this can quickly become a dangerous situation if they try to drive or go into an unsafe environment out of desperation.
Cocaine Hangover
Getting over a cocaine comedown can still leave you with aftereffects of a cocaine hangover later on.
How long does a cocaine hangover last? Some people seem to bounce back from a cocaine comedown quicker, and more smoothly than others. However, when used with other substances such as alcohol or other drugs it can change the hangover severity.
When partying or otherwise not paying attention to what you are putting into your body, mixing substances such as cocaine and alcohol forms cocaethylene in the blood causing seizures, liver damage, and other serious health risks.
Cocaine Hangover Tips
A cocaine hangover can happen after heavy use, for someone that has never used it before, or from a batch that was mixed with a dangerous cutting agent.
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat a healthy meal
- Get extra rest
- Be gentle with yourself
- Take vitamins
- Avoid drugs and alcohol
The aftereffects of cocaine can make you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. The best thing you can do to recover is rest and treat yourself to something healthy and comforting. A cocaine hangover cure that never fails is staying away from the drug.
Physical After-Effects
Cocaine is a hard drug that is very hard on every part of your body. Even in its most pure form, cocaine is harmful to your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Here are some of the physical after-effects that you might experience from cocaine:
Sore face and jaw- Cocaine causes people to grind their teeth, clench their jaw tightly, and in general keep tension in their bodies. This can cause a wide array of issues, including TMJ problems, headaches, and even damage to your teeth.
Tightness in your chest and heart palpitations (irregular heartbeat) during cocaine high, and after coming down are common because cocaine is a serious stimulant.
Sweating- You may notice excessive sweating from cocaine because it increases your body temperature and causes your heart rate to rise.
Nasal dryness and pain- Cocaine is typically administered through snorting and can cause the nasal passages to become dry, cracked, and even bleed. Cocaine can make you develop sinus issues and often makes you sniff constantly due to the feeling of postnasal drip.
Mental and Emotional After-Effects
Coming down off of cocaine can often have detrimental mental and emotional aftereffects.
Depression- Even though cocaine was once medically prescribed for depression, the after-effects can actually cause deep depression, especially compared to the high that you feel when you are on the drug.
Brain damage- Cocaine mixed with dangerous cutting agents, or excessive amounts of cocaine can cause brain damage and negative effects on the grey matter of the brain in some people. It can give them paranoia, schizophrenia, and hallucinogenic visions.
How Much Is Too Much?
There is no direct answer for how much cocaine is too much because every person processes it differently. One person could be addicted their whole life and never suffer any outward serious effects, while another person could have a serious effect from trying it once.
Signs that you may be doing too much:
- Spending a lot of money
- Wasting time on drugs
- Neglecting responsibilities
- Disregarding your wellbeing and safety
Ask yourself if it feels like you are in control or if the situation with your drug habit has become out of control.
Substance Abuse or Addiction?
Cocaine is a highly addictive substance and can be very easy to fall victim to it. The difference between substance abuse and addiction is not always seen as a decipherable difference and may be used interchangeably. The main difference is that people who abuse substances still have control over it, whereas those who are addicted have no control.
Types of Treatment
Addiction can be hard to beat on your own, and impossible for some people. Professional help from a treatment center is often the only way out. Treatment for cocaine addiction comes in several ways.
Depending on the severity of the addiction, and the person who is addicted each method of treatment has its benefits. The two main options for treatment are inpatient and outpatient.
Inpatient treatment is when the person is admitted into a facility so that they can receive their treatment surrounded by medical professionals while they detox and go through rehabilitation.
Outpatient treatment is when the person goes through a medical detox process but then receives the rest of their treatment when they go to their appointments each week. They are not admitted into the treatment facility, but live at home and are surrounded by their family or support system.
The main difference is that with inpatient treatment, the person is completely cut off from outside influences and access to any substances. This is the more common type of treatment administered to cocaine addicts.
Getting Help
Recognizing that your cocaine or substance addiction has become a problem is the first step to recovery. Before your next binge, cocaine comedown, or cocaine hangover, reach out to someone that you can trust to talk about your addiction. Healthy Life Recovery offers outpatient drug rehab for cocaine addiction.
