27 Dec. 23

Cocaine Crack: What It Is, Side Effects, Risks & Withdrawal

can you overdose on crack

Seek medical attention immediately if a crack cocaine overdose is suspected. Cocaine is a highly addictive drug, known for its stimulant effects. Overdosing on cocaine can cause unpleasant and fatal side effects. These can include changes in mood, such as paranoia and aggression, as well as physical symptoms, such as spikes in your body temperature, changes to heart rate, and vomiting.

If you or someone around you is experiencing a cocaine overdose, it’s important to call 911 or local emergency services. Out of these 2.2 million individuals, 473,000 were using crack cocaine. The proportion of cocaine users in 2017 was similar to that in 2016 (0.7%). Cocaine is a how to get someone fired very powerful stimulant that is used to produce feelings of euphoria and increased energy. Cocaine is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant and exists in the form of its hydrochloride salt (cocaine hydrochloride). Cocaine is generally snorted or injected, but tends to burst when heated.

can you overdose on crack

Cocaine Complications

American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. These unpleasant effects often make you want to use the drug again. The 2021 survey found no differences in rates of cocaine use among different ethnic and racial groups in the U.S. Others dissolve the drug in water and inject it with a needle.

Crack Addiction Symptoms and Rehab Treatment

  1. Such care may include keeping a seizing person safe from injury or using cold compresses to help reduce an elevated temperature.
  2. Cocaine use may make the brain’s stress receptors more sensitive to stress, so people react more strongly to stressful situations.
  3. For this reason, you might hear the terms “crack” and “freebase” used interchangeably.
  4. There are several potential risk factors for a crack overdose, beginning with a person simply using an excessive amount of the drug.

While traditional cocaine is expensive, crack is immensely cheap in comparison. This, along with its addictive nature, has made it a catastrophic force in neighborhoods of lower socioeconomic status across the United States. Its affordability also means that its victims skew on the younger end of the scale. Cocaine is a powerful drug that can cause serious side effects that can happen very quickly after you start using the drug. Outpatient treatment allows a person to continue living at home while visiting the treatment facility for a set number of hours per week.

What are the side effects of cocaine use?

Withdrawal can be difficult, so it may be best to do it with the help of a medical professional. Some of the side effects of cocaine depend on how you take the drug. If you snort it, you might have nosebleeds, list of foods that contain alcohol loss of smell, hoarseness, nasal irritation, runny nose, or trouble swallowing. Smoking crack can damage your lungs and worsen asthma symptoms. If you inject it, you could develop tracks (puncture marks on your arms) and infections, such as HIV or hepatitis C. Changing your relationship with a highly addictive substance like cocaine can feel overwhelming, but you don’t need to do it alone.

Crack, rather than being a different kind of drug, is simply a different way of administration of cocaine. Use of crack cocaine may result in an overdose due to its rapid effects and inability to monitor the amount smoked. For continued addiction treatment, outpatient treatment programs are designed to keep the person away from using again while providing a supportive, judge-free environment. This option should follow a stay at an inpatient facility or after completing a higher level of care. A person’s mental health will start to deteriorate when using crack long-term, which could eventually lead to psychosis.

Can You Overdose on Crack?: Overdose Symptoms

Inpatient residential treatment programs are perfect for those who have undergone detox and now need to enter a program to keep from relapsing. Crack is most commonly obtained by young adults from friends or by buying it on the street. They inhale the vapor produced by heating it in a pipe while smoking it. The heated pipes can occasionally cause burns on the lips or hands of those who use them. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. Select a state to find options for rehab centers in your area.

Treating the overdose only addresses the immediate medical needs of a person and doesn’t promote lasting change, whereas long-term recovery can yield lasting improvement. Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug that’s extracted and drug rehab success rate statistics processed from coca plant leaves in South America. Healthcare providers may occasionally use cocaine as anesthesia.