Cocaine is not selective as it affects people from all walks of life regardless of their age, economic status, ethnicity, gender, and religion. Its popularity is derived from the quick high that a person attains when they inject or snort it. Unfortunately for the recreational user, the high doesn’t last that long and leaves the user craving for more once their tolerance builds up and they become addicted to or dependent upon the drug.

If you suspect that a family member or loved one has a cocaine problem but you are unsure what to look for, here is a list of cocaine side effects to look for to confirm your suspicions:

Nosebleeds become a common thing– snorting the drug dries out the nostrils and the sinus cavities while at the same time destroying the delicate membranes inside the person’s nose. When this happens, nosebleeds become common and the person begins to have a continually runny or stuffy nose.

collapse of the nasal septum andnosebleeds resulting from the repeated snorting of cocaine

The individual crashes once the high wears off – after prolonged binges, one of the more common cocaine side effects is that the individual runs out of energy and sleeps for excessively long periods, sometimes for days at a time.

Financial problems develop – cocaine abuse or addiction is not cheap. It is one of the more expensive drugs on the street and individuals have been known to run out of money and even blow through their life savings in order to feed their habit. When the persons starts borrowing money or selling off their possessions, this is definitely a warning sign that they are addicted to cocaine.

Cocaine takes control of the individual’s life – they will lose interest in their closest friends and start performing poorly on the job or in school. Everything activity and responsibility that was once important to them has taken a back seat to cocaine and maintaining a steady supply of it. They may flunk out of school, lose their jobs, but most importantly, they will hurt the ones they love.

The abuser or addict will run with a different group of peers – as old friends are tossed to the wayside, they will start hanging out with individuals who are abusing cocaine or are addicted to the drug. This new group of friends act in co-dependant ways, never condemning their fellow abusers or addicts.

Panic attacks and paranoia sets in – as the addiction or dependence upon cocaine progresses and becomes more severe, changes in the brain and its functions occur. Different psychological symptoms such as thinking that people are out to get them or that the walls are closing in around them start occurring with regularity. The person may also start suffering with chest pains and heavy sweating.

Individuals who are under the influence of cocaine tend to talk rapidly – this is primarily due to the euphoric “rush” that people experience when they are using cocaine. When cocaine side effects kick in, one of them is referred to as a manic energy episode where they experience periods of grandiose thought and talk extremely fast.

Immediate and long-term cocaine side effects

One of the more common aspects of cocaine side effects is that they will occur in several different systems of the body. These affected systems include:

• Cardiovascular
• Gastrointestinal
• Nervous
• Ocular
• Respiratory

More importantly, side affects exhibited by cocaine can be immediate as well as long-term depending on the severity of the abuse, addiction, or dependency.

The immediate cocaine side effects that one typically experiences or feels include aggression, the desire to have sex, a feeling of increased alertness, increased energy levels, loss of appetite, a propensity to take risks, and a sensation of being excited. Other side effects include dilated pupils, an increase in heart and respiratory rates, rapid body movements, and a rise in body temperature.

Larger doses of cocaine can have more serious results or side effects including:

• agitation
• aggression
• chest pain
• difficulty concentrating
• dizziness
• heart attack
• headaches (resulting from an increase in blood pressure)
• loss of sexual interest
• nervousness
• panic
• psychotic episodes (the person begins hearing and seeing things that really don’t exist)
• restlessness

When the abuse, addiction, or dependence on the drug becomes more severe, the risk of developing long-term cocaine side effects increases. These long-term effects include:

• collapse of the nasal septum and nosebleeds resulting from the repeated snorting of cocaine
• daily dependence on cocaine in order to function everyday
• increased risk of blood poisoning, Hepatitis B or C infection, HIV, and skin abscesses
• poor interpersonal relationships because of being overly aggressive
• housing, money, and work problems

Additionally, when an individual smokes crack cocaine (the freebase form of cocaine), they can develop breathing difficulties, chest pain, a long-term cough, and lung damage. Even more dangerous is the possibility of suffering a cocaine overdose. This can result in breathing problems; a fast, irregular or weak heartbeat; heart failure; a rupture the brain’s blood vessels; and most importantly, a death due to overdosing.

The bottom line is that if you or a loved one is suffering with cocaine side effects due to abuse of, addiction to, or dependency on the drug, you should get professional help immediately by contacting a reputable addiction treatment and recovery center. The addiction specialists and medical staff members of these facilities specialize in all aspects of substance abuse, addiction, and dependency. Their expertise involves helping you overcome and recover from your problems.

The Delray Recovery Center is here to help you 24/7/365

If you have been searching for a cocaine abused, addiction, or dependency rehab program, our facility can help you. Please contact one of our caring staff members today to discuss our 5-Phase Step Down Model or Strength to Change programs by calling the toll-free phone number listed above at the top of this page. We are here to help you with your problems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.