Cocaine Overdose: Symptoms and Prevention

The faster you get medical attention, the higher the chances of survival are. Combining crack and other drugs can increase the risk of an overdose. The drug disulfiram, which is used to treat alcoholism, has shown some promise for cocaine addiction. Scientists don’t know exactly how it works to reduce cocaine use. Cocaine is often mixed with strong and dangerous opioids, such as fentanyl, that can increase your risk of accidental overdose. “Non‐fatal cocaine overdose among injecting and non‐injecting cocaine users in Sydney, Australia.” NDARC Technical Report No. 170, October 2004.

Cognitive behavioral therapy may help people recover from cocaine use disorder. Cocaine, being a stimulant, results in feelings of euphoria and increased energy and alertness. A crack cocaine overdose is characterized by excess stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response). Some of the common signs of a cocaine overdose may include tremors, dilated pupils, chest pain, nausea, palpitations and breathing difficulties. Some of the psychological symptoms may involve anxiety, panic, hallucinations and agitation. Other common effects of an overdose include hyperthermia and seizures.

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We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. Respiratory support may be necessary for breathing difficulties and intravenous fluids may help combat the adverse effects of rhabdomyolysis such as kidney failure. A crack cocaine overdose can occur at even low doses and in first-time users. Furthermore, cocaine is highly addictive and chronic cocaine use has tremendous negative consequences on the physical and mental health of the user.

1. If you inject it, you could develop tracks (puncture marks on your arms) and infections, such as HIV or hepatitis C.
2. Knowing the crack overdose symptoms can help you identify when you may need to seek emergency treatment for yourself or someone else.
3. The best way to prevent crack overdose is to stop using the drug altogether.
4. While a first-time user could die from one use, an experienced user could potentially use as much as 5 grams in a day before succumbing to the effects.
5. Unlike its powdery relative, crack is usually smoked rather than snorted into the nasal cavity.

Like cocaine, certain signs and symptoms are a common occurrence when a crack overdose strikes, and are easily identifiable with a little prior knowledge. Asking for help is a huge and important step toward recovering from cocaine use disorder. They may refer you to a substance abuse counselor or recommend community-based programs.

When asking what does crack look like, a crack ‘rock’ can take several forms, with purer varieties taking the appearance of a crystal-like plastic compound. When people take cocaine, their blood pressure goes up and their heart races. They may lose their inhibitions about doing things like spending lots of money on stuff they don’t really need. The first thing to do if a person is experiencing a crack overdose is to call 911. Emergency services may provide breathing assistance, CPR, or anti-convulsive medications if a person is having a seizure.

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While cocaine and crack cocaine highs are brief, the drug may stay in your system for up to three days. In early tests, a vaccine helped reduce the risk of relapse in people who use cocaine. The vaccine activates harbor house sober living your immune system to create antibodies that attach to cocaine and stop it from making its way into your brain. But we need much more research into whether the  vaccine  is safe and effective over the long term. The FDA hasn’t approved any medicine to treat cocaine addiction.

Resuscitation with the help of CPR may be helpful and in case of hyperthermia, cold compresses may be used to keep the individual’s body temperature down. Some of the common life-threatening cardiovascular toxicities caused by cocaine include arrhythmias, stroke, myocarditis, aortic dissection, myocardial ischemia and infarction. Death may also be caused by hyperthermia and psychotic agitation (delirium accompanied by agitation involving fear, panic, violence) and subsequent respiratory arrest. Substance abuse disorder does not need to define your life. If you or a loved one are seeking recovery services that accept your medical insurance, reach out to Infinite Recovery today.

Crack Overdose Signs and Symptoms

Given the dangers of both acute and chronic crack cocaine use, abstinence from cocaine use is recommended. Using it increases your risk of serious and sometimes life-threatening medical conditions like heart attack, stroke and drug overdose. Cocaine use disorder (addiction) can affect your personal relationships.

With cocaine use disorder, you may become both physically and mentally dependent on the drug. If you stop using it, you’ll likely have withdrawal symptoms. Even if you stop using it solution focused therapy worksheets for a long time, you could still have cravings for the drug. A cocaine overdose can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as paranoia, aggression, vomiting, temperature spikes, and seizures.

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Stay with the affected person and provide any care as instructed by the 911 operator until first responders arrive. Such care may include keeping a seizing person safe from injury or using cold compresses to help reduce salvia dosage chart an elevated temperature. Just how much crack it takes to overdose depends on myriad factors — tolerance being chief among them.