Can You Overdose On Cocaine? Learn The Risks

Can you overdose on cocaine?

It is possible and highly dangerous to overdose on cocaine. The most common reason that a cocaine overdose occurs is due to taking too much cocaine, taking too concentrated a dose of cocaine, or mixing cocaine with other drugs.
A cocaine overdose can result in a heart attack, stroke, seizure, and death. If you suspect you or a loved one is experiencing a cocaine overdose, seek emergency medical treatment immediately by calling 911.

What is Cocaine?

Cocaine is an addictive, illegal stimulant drug made from the leaves of the Coca plant found in South America.[1]  It affects a person’s central nervous system, causing the brain to release higher-than-normal amounts of chemicals into the body (including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine).

Cocaine is available in two primary forms: a water-soluble hydrochloride salt and a water-insoluble cocaine base, known as freebase. The hydrochloride salt form can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected, while the freebase form, which does not dissolve in water, is typically smoked. Cocaine Injected intravenously enters the bloodstream the quickest, increasing the effects felt. Smoking is the second fastest way to have cocaine enter the bloodstream, followed by snorting or rubbing the cocaine on one’s gums.

All ways of administering cocaine can result in lethal overdose side effects of heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and death.

Some people use cocaine recreationally or occasionally, while others use it regularly and compulsively.

Using cocaine typically results in feelings of euphoria and a high; however, excessive use can lead to cocaine intoxication, characterized by severe impairment and adverse physical symptoms. Reasons for cocaine intoxication or overdose  include [2]

• taking too much cocaine or too concentrated of a dose of cocaine
• used cocaine during hot weather, if a person is dehydrated, they will experience more harmful side effects
• mixing cocaine with other drugs.

The risk of overdose with cocaine is high due to its unknown potency to the user, and cocaine users need higher doses of the drug to experience a high the more they use.

Symptoms of cocaine intoxication include [3]

• Feeling high: excited, excessive talking, rambling- about bad things happening
• Anxiety: agitation, restlessness, confusion
• Muscle tremors: often in the face and fingers
• Enlarged pupils: pupils do not get smaller when a light is shone into the eyes
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Lightheadedness
• Paleness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever, sweating

Signs of a Cocaine Overdose

A cocaine overdose involves severe, life-threatening side effects that require medical attention immediately. [4]

• Seizures
• Loss of awareness of surroundings
• Loss of bladder control
• High body temperature, severe sweating
• High blood pressure
• Very fast heart rate or irregular heart rate
• Lack of circulation: blue skin
• Fast or difficulty breathing
• Death

Different Treatments for Stimulant Addictions

You are unique. Your physical and mental health levels are unique. The severity of your addiction to a stimulant is unique as well. As such, the treatment plan you use to fight your addiction must also be unique.

We do not suggest you go to a rehab center if it is going to give you a pre-manufactured recovery program that does not consider your needs and expectations. Instead, please come to SOBA New Jersey to discuss how to create a recovery plan that is fitted to you and that focuses on your comfort, too.

We offer a variety of customizable stimulant addiction treatments, such as:

Family therapy programs

Family therapy programs focus on the entire family unit, bringing together you and your loved ones to work together towards recovery. Family members are educated about addiction and how it affects both you and the family as a whole. They learn how to communicate effectively and develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage any challenges that may arise during the recovery process.

Adventure therapy

Adventure therapy, a type of active therapy that involves physical activities such as hiking, camping, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities, can be an effective tool for those struggling with stimulant addiction. Adventure therapy can help you build self-esteem, develop positive coping mechanisms, and strengthen your commitment to recovery. Moreover, adventure therapy encourages you to develop a sense of empowerment that can translate to other areas of your life.

Short-term residential programs

Short-term residential programs provide intensive, focused treatment in a structured environment. These programs typically last 30-90 days and offer individual and group therapy sessions, as well as education on addiction and relapse prevention. Short-term residential programs can help you build a strong foundation for recovery and provide you with the tools you need to transition to an outpatient setting or other ongoing support.

Dual diagnosis treatments

Dual-diagnosis treatment is an approach that addresses both addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety. People struggling with stimulant addiction may have underlying mental health conditions that are contributing to their substance abuse. Dual-diagnosis treatment can help these individuals by providing comprehensive care that addresses all aspects of their health at once, rather than separately.

Not seeing a treatment or program that catches your attention? Don’t worry! We have many more offerings and ways to personalize treatment, so it fits your expectations and needs.

Medical Detox for Stimulant Addiction

Medical detoxification, also known as detox, is a process that helps you safely and comfortably withdraw from an addictive substance like a stimulant. Stimulant addiction can cause physical dependence, which can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as exhaustion, depression, and increased appetite, among others. Medical detoxification takes place in a safe, medically supervised environment and involves the administration of approved and regulated medication to help manage withdrawal symptoms or prevent them entirely.

Responding to a Cocaine Overdose

Seek emergency medical attention immediately if you believe someone is experiencing an overdose of cocaine.[5] Call 911 – a cocaine overdose can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention.

Most states have enacted Good Samaritan Laws as a way to prevent drug overdoses.[6] In the past, people were reluctant to call for help if they or someone they were with was experiencing an overdose for fear of criminal prosecution. Good Samaritan Laws protect the person who calls for medical help and those who need medical help from criminal charges. Saving someone’s life is the priority.
Things to be aware of while you wait for emergency medical services to arrive:

• Excessive amounts of cocaine can make the person paranoid, as well as have delusions or hallucinations.
• If the person has a seizure, do not hold them down or put anything in their mouth. Focus on protecting them from injury by removing anything around them that could cause them harm; if possible, gently hold their head to protect it and roll them to their side should they vomit to prevent aspiration.
• If the person is experiencing a high body temperature and sweating, ways to help them cool down include slowly drinking cold water, placing a cold towel on the back of their neck, holding an ice pack, and sitting near a fan.

If the person becomes unconscious and you are unable to wake them up, you can give them a dose of naloxone (Narcan). Naloxone does not treat a cocaine overdose. However, many drug overdoses are due to multiple substances being used at the same time, sometimes without the person knowing. There has been an increase in cocaine overdose deaths, and it is due to an increase in the combination of cocaine and opioids.[7]

If the person stops breathing, you can begin rescue breathing; if the person’s heart stops, you can begin CPR. These should continue until the person’s heart begins beating on its own, they begin breathing on their own, or emergency medical services arrive and take over treatment.

Treatment for a Cocaine Overdose

Emergency department treatment for a cocaine overdose includes monitoring the person’s vital signs: temperature, pulse, breathing, and blood pressure. Treating symptoms as needed, including [8]

• Breathing support: this may involve providing additional oxygen, a breathing tube, or a ventilator.
• IV Fluids: these are used to treat dehydration and other symptoms.
• Medications: to treat pain, nausea, anxiety, agitation, seizures, and high blood pressure.
• Other treatments: depending on the medical needs of the person, they may require more intensive treatments to address complications involving the kidneys, heart, brain, or muscles.

Long-Term Treatment for a Cocaine Overdose

Long-term treatment for cocaine addiction and overdose includes substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, and possibly medical treatments should the person experience long-term health conditions due to cocaine use.[9]  There is no medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat cocaine addiction.

Seeking Treatment to Overcome Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine is a dangerous stimulant due to its high potential for overdose and death.  As soon as a person can enter recovery from cocaine, the less likely they are to experience long-term physical and mental health consequences. Seeking treatment also reduces one’s risk of death, accidents, and arrests.
If a person is experiencing a cocaine overdose, they need emergency medical treatment immediately. Once they are medically stable, treatment options that may involve inpatient or outpatient treatment can be explored. Cocaine addiction treatment is paid for by many insurance companies.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cocaine Overdoses