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Cocaine Side Effects Long-Term: What You Need to Know

Learn more about the cocaine side effects long-term on your body, occupation, finances, and relationships.

Cocaine Overview

Cocaine use can have serious long-term effects on a person’s physical and mental health. Common cocaine side effects long-term include damage to the brain, heart, respiratory system, etc. These damages can cause difficulty sleeping, paranoia, anxiety, and depression.1

Cocaine side effects long-term can thus increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular issues. It can also impair cognitive function leading to memory problems, confusion, and even seizures.

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What is Cocaine?

Cocaine is a stimulant drug derived from the leaves of the South American coca plant. Cocaine can make you feel happy and excited, but it can also make you feel anxious, scared, and restless.

People who use cocaine are more likely to get it because they might share needles with other people using cocaine.2

Is Cocaine Addictive?

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug that is extremely addictive, even with only one-time use. It works by inducing a flood of feel-good chemicals in the brain, leading users to experience brief feelings of euphoria.

Cocaine use can hurt your body and mind in the long term. It can cause high blood pressure, paranoia, sudden weight changes, a decrease in appetite, and trouble sleeping. It is really hard to stop using cocaine because it is so addictive.

What are the Long-Term Side Effects of Cocaine?

Cocaine use has both long-term and short-term side effects on the body. Some of these side effects are detailed below.

Cocaine Side Effects Long-Term on the Heart

One of the cocaine side effects long-term is on the cardiovascular system. It can raise your blood pressure and cause you to get coronary artery disease. Cocaine can cause an irregular heartbeat, which can lead to cardiac arrest or death if not treated quickly.

Cocaine use can also increase the risk of blood clots in the coronary arteries or other organs, leading to an increased risk of stroke. It is, therefore,  important to be aware of cocaine side effects long-term and seek necessary help.

Cocaine Side Effects Long-Term on the Brain

Chronic cocaine use can have long-term effects on the developing brain. Cocaine can cause changes in your brain over time. It can lead to poor motor skills and smaller hippocampal volume.3

Cocaine also affects dopamine receptor sites, which are important for communication between neurons in the brain. As a result, people who use cocaine might have trouble with things like memory, making decisions, and flexible thinking. Consequently, cocaine use can seriously impair an individual’s ability to perform everyday tasks. Cocaine users should be aware of the risks posed by their continued use of the drug and take active measures to protect their mental health.

Cocaine Side Effects Long-Term on the Respiratory System

Cocaine use can cause serious, extensive, long-term damage to the respiratory system. It may cause chronic cough, make it hard to breathe, weaken your immune system, and damage the tissues in your nose.

Cocaine Side Effects Long-Term on the Sinuses

Long-term cocaine use can have serious implications on the sinuses. It causes swelling and pain and can cause the tissue inside the nose to die.

Cocaine use can also cause a hole in the bone between your nostrils. If not treated with medicine or surgery, these side effects could last forever.

Impacts of Cocaine Use

Cocaine use can impact you socially, physically, financially, and emotionally.

Social Impacts

Cocaine is a highly addictive and dangerous drug, and its effects on social wellness can be devastating. Cocaine addiction can cause you to push away your friends and family. It can also make it hard for you to provide for yourself or others because it can affect your work or study.

Financial Impacts

Long-term cocaine use can have significant effects on your financial health. It can make you lose your job, get into debt, and even break the law.4

Studies show that cocaine affects how people think and make decisions. People might do things to get a high that cost them a lot of money over time.5

Emotional Impacts

While most people use cocaine because of its energy-boosting and mood-enhancing effects, it can also cause feelings of depression, extreme irritability, increased anxiety, and paranoia that may last for days and even weeks after use. Cocaine side effects long-term on emotional wellness like paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions can complicate recovery from the addiction.6

Cocaine use can make it harder for you to control your emotions. You might do things without thinking about them first. If you have mental health issues, cocaine use will intensify the symptoms.

Physical Impacts

Cocaine use affects your heart by making it beat faster and raising your blood pressure. It also causes you to sweat too much, which makes you lose water. You can get dehydrated or malnourished because of cocaine, and it can also hurt your teeth. Cocaine users often grind their teeth which can cause the enamel to wear away and the gums to be damaged.

cocaine side effects long term

Why Should You Seek Treatment for Addiction?

Cocaine addiction can be dangerous and even fatal if left untreated. It can hurt your body and mind and increase the chance of catching a serious sickness. Seeking treatment for cocaine addiction is crucial to your overall well-being.

Treatment can help you understand your addiction and provide you with strategies to get and stay sober. You can also find people to support your goal of not using cocaine anymore.

Treatment Options for Long-Term Cocaine Use

Cocaine addiction can cause physical and mental health problems. It is important to get help from a professional. Treatment could include talking with a therapist and taking medicine to help manage cravings.

The treatments should be tailored for the person so that the symptoms of cocaine use can improve their life. People who need help with cocaine addiction must talk to qualified professionals. Treatment options include inpatient and outpatient programs, support groups, and partial hospitalization.

Overcoming Cocaine Addiction with Essence Healthcare

Cocaine side effects long-term can be extremely detrimental to both you and the people around you. However, overcoming cocaine addiction can be overwhelming to tackle alone. Luckily, Essence Healthcare is here to help.

Our Mission

At Essence Healthcare, we understand the difficulty of overcoming addiction. We focus on the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of your addiction when developing your treatment plan. We provide evidence-based therapies proven effective in diminishing cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

What We Offer

Our team of doctors, counselors, therapists, and nutritionists work together to tailor your treatment plan to your specific needs. By addressing cocaine side effects long-term, we are able to provide a holistic approach that can help end cocaine abuse for good. We offer a variety of treatment options, including inpatient and outpatient programs, detoxification, and support groups.

Contact Essence Healthcare Today

If you or someone you know is struggling with cocaine side effects long-term, please reach out to us today for more information about our available treatment options.

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Questions About Treatment?

We are a patient-first substance abuse and mental health treatment facility located in Los Angeles, California. At Essence Healthcare, we provide different levels of care from detoxification to drug rehab aftercare. Our team is standing by to address your questions. Your call is confidential and no obligation is required.