Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Cocaine?Signs of Cocaine UseSigns of Cocaine IntoxicationSigns of Cocaine OverdoseTreatment and Prevention

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Cocaine?

Signs of Cocaine Use

Signs of Cocaine Intoxication

Signs of Cocaine Overdose

Treatment and Prevention

What is the most important information I should know about cocaine?Cocaine is a powerful illicit stimulant drug that was the third leading cause of overdose deaths in 2021.If someone you know exhibits symptoms of cocaine toxicity or overdose, contact emergency services immediately.

What is the most important information I should know about cocaine?

Cocaine is a powerful illicit stimulant drug that was the third leading cause of overdose deaths in 2021.If someone you know exhibits symptoms of cocaine toxicity or overdose, contact emergency services immediately.

Cocaine is a stimulant drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America.According to a 2022 study, close to 25 million people around the world use cocaine.

Cocaine is an addictive substance that triggers the brain to release a chemical called dopamine, which produces a euphoric high. This high can be addictive, causing people to consume more and more of the substance.The drug can be found in powdered or rock forms.

Recreational use of cocaine is illegal because it is dangerous and can lead to severe health consequences, including stroke, heart attack, and overdose.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 24,000 people died from cocaine overdose in 2021.

This article lists the physical, behavioral, and psychological signs of cocaine use and the symptoms of cocaine intoxication. It’s essential to be aware of these signs, symptoms, and health effects of cocaine use to break the habit and get treatment if needed.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Listed below are some of the physical, behavioral, and psychological signs of cocaine use.

Physical Signs

These are some of the physical signs of cocaine use:

Psychological Signs

These are some of the psychological signs of cocaine use:

Behavioral Signs

These are some of the behavioral signs of cocaine use:

Long-Term Effects

In the long-run, cocaine use can lead to health issues such as:

Some of the long-term effects of cocaine can vary depending on the way it is consumed:

Cocaine intoxication is a state where someone is not just high on cocaine but also develops other physical symptoms that make them ill.

Cocaine intoxication can occur as a result of:

These are some of the signs and symptoms of cocaine intoxication:

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), cocaineoverdoseoccurs when a person consumes enough of the drug to cause serious adverse effects, life-threatening symptoms, or even death.NIDA also notes that a cocaine overdose can be intentional or unintentional, and can occur even on the first occasion of use, or at any time thereafter.

Signs that a person is overdosing on cocaine include:

Severe cocaine intoxication, or cocaine toxicity, can cause permanent damage that leads to:

There is currently no medication that can reverse the effects of a cocaine overdose. However, medical professionals can provide treatments to stabilize a person’s symptoms. If a person is experiencing an overdose of a combination of cocaine and an opioid such as fentanyl, administering Narcan (naloxone) can reverse the effects of the opioid overdose. This medication will not, however, treat the effects of cocaine overdose.

If you believe someone has overdosed on cocaine or another substance, take them to the nearest emergency room or call 911 immediately.911

If you believe someone has overdosed on cocaine or another substance, take them to the nearest emergency room or call 911 immediately.

911

The only way to prevent cocaine intoxication and overdose is to avoid using cocaine altogether. If you or someone you know is struggling with a cocaine addiction, there are treatment options that can help.

There are currently no medications that have been approved for the treatment of cocaine addiction, but there are several behavioral interventions that can be effective. Some of these include:

How to Overcome an Addiction

13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.U.S. overdose deaths in 2021 increased half as much as in 2020 - but are still up 15%.Drake LR, Scott PJH.Dark classics in chemical neuroscience: Cocaine.ACS Chem Neurosci. 2018;9(10):2358-2372. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00117Cenci D, Carbone MG, Callegari C, Maremmani I.Psychomotor symptoms in chronic cocaine users: an interpretative model.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(3):1897. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031897National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are the long-term effects of cocaine use?National Institute on Drug Abuse.Cocaine drug facts.National Library of Medicine.Cocaine.Medline Plus.Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Tennessee.Warning signs of drug abuse.Indiana Department of Health.Signs and symptoms of drug misuse.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Commonly used drugs.National Library of Medicine.Cocaine intoxication.Medline Plus.Miró Ò, Dargan PI, Wood DM, et al.Epidemiology, clinical features and management of patients presenting to European emergency departments with acute cocaine toxicity: comparison between powder cocaine and crack cocaine cases.Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2019;57(8):718-726. doi:10.1080/15563650.2018.1549735Zimmerman JL.Cocaine intoxication.Crit Care Clin. 2012;28(4):517-526. doi:10.1016/j.ccc.2012.07.003National Institute on Drug Abuse.Cocaine Research Report.

13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.U.S. overdose deaths in 2021 increased half as much as in 2020 - but are still up 15%.Drake LR, Scott PJH.Dark classics in chemical neuroscience: Cocaine.ACS Chem Neurosci. 2018;9(10):2358-2372. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00117Cenci D, Carbone MG, Callegari C, Maremmani I.Psychomotor symptoms in chronic cocaine users: an interpretative model.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(3):1897. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031897National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are the long-term effects of cocaine use?National Institute on Drug Abuse.Cocaine drug facts.National Library of Medicine.Cocaine.Medline Plus.Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Tennessee.Warning signs of drug abuse.Indiana Department of Health.Signs and symptoms of drug misuse.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Commonly used drugs.National Library of Medicine.Cocaine intoxication.Medline Plus.Miró Ò, Dargan PI, Wood DM, et al.Epidemiology, clinical features and management of patients presenting to European emergency departments with acute cocaine toxicity: comparison between powder cocaine and crack cocaine cases.Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2019;57(8):718-726. doi:10.1080/15563650.2018.1549735Zimmerman JL.Cocaine intoxication.Crit Care Clin. 2012;28(4):517-526. doi:10.1016/j.ccc.2012.07.003National Institute on Drug Abuse.Cocaine Research Report.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.U.S. overdose deaths in 2021 increased half as much as in 2020 - but are still up 15%.Drake LR, Scott PJH.Dark classics in chemical neuroscience: Cocaine.ACS Chem Neurosci. 2018;9(10):2358-2372. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00117Cenci D, Carbone MG, Callegari C, Maremmani I.Psychomotor symptoms in chronic cocaine users: an interpretative model.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(3):1897. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031897National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are the long-term effects of cocaine use?National Institute on Drug Abuse.Cocaine drug facts.National Library of Medicine.Cocaine.Medline Plus.Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Tennessee.Warning signs of drug abuse.Indiana Department of Health.Signs and symptoms of drug misuse.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Commonly used drugs.National Library of Medicine.Cocaine intoxication.Medline Plus.Miró Ò, Dargan PI, Wood DM, et al.Epidemiology, clinical features and management of patients presenting to European emergency departments with acute cocaine toxicity: comparison between powder cocaine and crack cocaine cases.Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2019;57(8):718-726. doi:10.1080/15563650.2018.1549735Zimmerman JL.Cocaine intoxication.Crit Care Clin. 2012;28(4):517-526. doi:10.1016/j.ccc.2012.07.003National Institute on Drug Abuse.Cocaine Research Report.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.U.S. overdose deaths in 2021 increased half as much as in 2020 - but are still up 15%.

Drake LR, Scott PJH.Dark classics in chemical neuroscience: Cocaine.ACS Chem Neurosci. 2018;9(10):2358-2372. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00117

Cenci D, Carbone MG, Callegari C, Maremmani I.Psychomotor symptoms in chronic cocaine users: an interpretative model.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(3):1897. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031897

National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are the long-term effects of cocaine use?

National Institute on Drug Abuse.Cocaine drug facts.

National Library of Medicine.Cocaine.Medline Plus.

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Tennessee.Warning signs of drug abuse.

Indiana Department of Health.Signs and symptoms of drug misuse.

National Institute on Drug Abuse.Commonly used drugs.

National Library of Medicine.Cocaine intoxication.Medline Plus.

Miró Ò, Dargan PI, Wood DM, et al.Epidemiology, clinical features and management of patients presenting to European emergency departments with acute cocaine toxicity: comparison between powder cocaine and crack cocaine cases.Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2019;57(8):718-726. doi:10.1080/15563650.2018.1549735

Zimmerman JL.Cocaine intoxication.Crit Care Clin. 2012;28(4):517-526. doi:10.1016/j.ccc.2012.07.003

National Institute on Drug Abuse.Cocaine Research Report.

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