Cocaine Addiction: Health Risks, Signs, and Treatment

What Is Cocaine?

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug derived from coca plant leaves, which grow in South and Central America. ^2,3 However, what cocaine is made of can vary. After coca leaves are processed into cocaine, the resulting product looks like white powder. It can then be cut and diluted with one or more of several products making cocaine impure. These products include:^2,3

• Boric acid.
• Household goods like cornstarch, flour, or talcum powder.
• Levamisole.
• Anesthetics, such as lidocaine or procaine.
• Other illicit drugs, such as methamphetamines, heroin, or fentanyl.

Cocaine is a widely used recreational drug that has many dangerous side effects. While it may not get the attention that some drugs like methamphetamine or fentanyl do in the media, an estimated 5.2 million people in the United States use cocaine every year.¹

Cocaine can be used in numerous ways, including snorting, injecting, or rubbing it on your gums.³ People typically use cocaine on binges, where they will ingest cocaine repeatedly, sometimes at higher doses, to keep their high going.³ Some people also smoke cocaine, typically in the form of a rock-like crystal, commonly referred to as crack cocaine, or “crack,” which produces a rapid, intense sense of euphoria that disappears quickly.³

Signs of Cocaine Use

It is important to note that while these may be signs someone is using cocaine, only a professional can diagnose someone as having a cocaine addiction or a substance use disorder. However, whether a person smokes, injects, or snorts cocaine, there are symptoms and signs of cocaine misuse that include:^3,4

• Elevated energy or euphoria.
• Excessively talkative.
• Dilated pupils.
• Hypersensitivity to light and sound.
• Restlessness, irritability, or paranoia
• Less need for food and sleep.
• Rapid heartbeat.
• Elevated body temperature.

Risk Factors for Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine use affects different areas of the brain, including the mesolimbic dopamine system – or the brain’s reward center. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps us to feel good when we do things like eat or exercise. Dopamine can also be released when drugs or alcohol are used.⁴

Cocaine is an addictive substance, primarily because how cocaine stimulates the brain to release dopamine, which reinforces the use of cocaine.³ When a person repeatedly uses cocaine, they can develop a tolerance to it, which means that their brain gets used to the effects of cocaine and then requires more and more cocaine to keep experiencing the pleasurable sensations it gives them. ³

While cocaine is considered a highly addictive substance, the use of the drug will not necessarily always lead to addiction. Addiction is a complex interaction between a number of factors that include: ⁵

• Family history of substance misuse and addiction.
• Exposure to drug use, especially during childhood.
• Age of first use.
• Genetics.
• Brain chemistry.
• Mental health disorders.
• Environmental influences, including experiencing discrimination or racism.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Cocaine Addiction?

Not everyone experiences the same type or severity of long-term effects of cocaine use. Still cocaine is a dangerous substance with many potential complications.²

While any use of cocaine can be dangerous and result in a heart attack or stroke,² the long-term dangers of cocaine can include:³

• Parkinson’s disease.
• Malnutrition from reduced appetite.
• Paranoia.
• Hallucinations.
• Nosebleeds and loss of smell from snorting cocaine.
• Asthma and other respiratory diseases if smoked.
• Bowel decay if taken orally.
• Higher risk of HIV and hepatitis if cocaine is injected.
• Skin infections and damaged veins from injecting cocaine.