Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms
Cocaine is a white powdery substance usually ingested by snorting through the nose and is also known by street names like snow, crack cocaine, and coke. Cocaine users find it difficult to discontinue using cocaine because the withdrawal symptoms, also known as the crash, can begin almost immediately after you stop feeling the effects of the substance.
Even though cocaine withdrawal symptoms often don’t come with physical symptoms such as the shaking and vomiting that accompany alcohol or heroin withdrawal, the mental symptoms and strong cravings make cocaine withdrawal symptoms difficult to endure. These symptoms of withdrawal include agitation or restlessness, depression, fatigue, lack of pleasure, mood swings, and sometimes paranoia.
The Cocaine Withdrawal Timeline
Cocaine has one of the shortest time periods where users are actually feeling the effects of the substance. This can be anywhere from 1-2 hours but many habitual users report wanting to take another dose after only 30-45 minutes. If someone is attempting to detox from cocaine use, they may start feeling symptoms as soon as 90 minutes after their last dose, which is why cocaine has such a high rate of addiction and relapse, and users find it difficult to quit cold turkey.
The initial withdrawal phase involves intense cravings to use again as well as agitation, irritability, poor concentration, anxiety, and other erratic behaviors. As time without use goes on, the intensity of withdrawal symptoms may worsen due to the recovering user going through additional symptoms like fatigue, sadness, depression, lethargy, increased appetite, and inconsistent sleep patterns. Withdrawal symptoms peak around day 5 or 7 with many going through detox reporting that they start to feel better after that initial week.
How Long Does it Take to Detox Cocaine?
The length of the withdrawal process and to stop feeling the symptoms of cocaine use varies depending on the user’s history with the substance such as the amounts they would ingest when using and how long they have used for. If you have been using cocaine for years, you may continue to feel the psychological effects of discontinued use for months or years after the substance has completely left your system due to the way the drug changes the neural pathways in your brain.
Heavy users can test positive for up to two weeks after their last dose on a urine test and feel the physical symptoms of withdrawal for that length of time as well. Typically though, the detox process takes anywhere from 7-10 days before the recovering user stops feeling intense cravings to use cocaine again. From there, the healing process begins by attending rehab or behavioral therapy to help you to stay clean and not relapse.
Drug Rehab After Cocaine Detox
After the initial detox from cocaine, it is highly recommended that a recovering user enters a substance abuse rehab program at an accredited treatment center to help them develop coping skills and methods to prevent relapse. If you are handling the detox well and aren’t experiencing intense withdrawal symptoms or cravings, you can participate in an outpatient rehab program so you can resume your day-to-day activities and work on living a healthy lifestyle without cocaine use.
For those who are still struggling with cocaine cravings and are concerned that returning to their previous routine will trigger a relapse, considering additional types of treatments like individual therapy, inpatient or intensive outpatient programs, and possibly entering a sober living aftercare program will be the best option for relapse prevention and to facilitate a successful recovery.
Cocaine Detox and Rehab at The Detox Center of LA
At the Detox Center of LA, we understand that cocaine addiction is a complex problem that affects a person’s mind and body, as well as has an effect on their social environment from the habits that develop through habitual use. When going through detox programs at our professional detox center, we will provide you with the support and tools you need to return your body to a toxin-free state after quitting cocaine use and manage your cocaine withdrawal symptoms with medical and psychological support.
Many people find that after going through the medical detox process, they are not driven back to cocaine use due to the initial withdrawal symptoms but because mental health symptoms arise and they do not have the tools to deal with those issues. The Detox Center of LA focuses on dual diagnosis treatment plans for co-occurring disorders along with substance abuse counseling to target these underlying ailments and improve the success rate of going through detox. We offer both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs at our recovery center that are customized to fit the healthy lifestyle you will return to after detox.
