Long-Term Effects of Cocaine Abuse

Cocaine abuse can have long-term effects on your mental and physical health. Recognizing the signs of cocaine abuse and seeking treatment is essential to avoiding life-threatening consequences.

This article will explore the long-term risks of cocaine. You will learn:

• How cocaine abuse and addiction develop
• The long-term effects of cocaine use
• Where to find comprehensive treatment and support

If you or someone you love struggles with cocaine abuse or addiction, you are not alone. Comprehensive treatment and support are available at Archstone Behavioral Health. Contact our intake specialists to learn about our rehab and recovery support programs.

Cocaine Abuse and Addiction: An Overview

Cocaine is a potent, illicit stimulant drug derived from the South American coca plant. People typically use cocaine for its stimulant, energizing effects. The mood and energy-boosting side effects of cocaine make it a popular club or party drug.

Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) showed that in 2020, about 1.3 million people lived with cocaine use disorder.

Cocaine is highly addictive. This powerful stimulant causes the brain to release more dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) related to pleasure and reward. Substances that increase dopamine, including cocaine, have a high risk for dependence and addiction.

Users ingest cocaine in several ways, including snorting a powdered form or injecting it. People may also smoke crack cocaine, which is a solid form of the drug.

Cocaine reaches the brain and begins to have an effect shortly after users ingest it. The effects of cocaine last for a short period, which increases the risk of frequent use.

Prolonged, heavy, or frequent cocaine abuse can lead to dependence. Over time, cocaine abuse changes how the brain and body function. People who become dependent on cocaine may feel sluggish, tired, or depressed when they aren’t using it.

It can be very challenging to stop using cocaine once you become addicted to it. Most people with cocaine addiction require comprehensive treatment to quit and avoid relapse.

What are the Long-Term Risks of Cocaine Abuse?

Cocaine abuse can strain your body and damage your mind. People with chronic cocaine abuse can experience long-lasting complications.

Here is an overview of some of the long-term risks of abusing cocaine.

Cardiovascular effects

Smoking, injecting, or snorting cocaine can deliver the drug into the bloodstream quickly. Cocaine has an immediate effect on a person’s cardiovascular system. People may experience elevated heart rate and high blood pressure.

Heavy or ongoing cocaine abuse can cause long-term cardiovascular issues. The long-term cardiovascular effects of cocaine include:

• Chronic high blood pressure
• Irregular heart rate
• Death of the heart muscle
• Blood clots that may cause heart attack, pulmonary embolism, stroke, or deep vein thrombosis

The risk of heart attack is significant among people who have a history of cocaine abuse. A heart attack is responsible for about 25% of deaths in people aged 18-45 with a history of cocaine abuse.

Facial bones and sinuses

Snorting cocaine is the most common method of ingestion. Heavy or frequent cocaine use can cause permanent damage to a person’s nasal bones and sinuses.

Cocaine is highly corrosive. It damages the soft tissue in nasal passages and sinuses. Over time, this delicate tissue can die, causing the facial structure to collapse.

Sinus and facial damage can lead to long-term respiratory problems. In some cases, the damage is irreversible, even with surgery.

Breathing problems

Smoking crack cocaine or snorting cocaine can damage the lungs and respiratory system. Repeated cocaine abuse can damage blood vessels in the lungs that carry oxygen. This can result in lower blood oxygen levels.

Cocaine abuse can also put people at higher risk of:

• Respiratory distress
• Chronic cough
• Pain
• Increased white blood cell count
• Increased body temperature
• Pneumonia
• Tuberculosis
• Asthma
• Pulmonary edema

These respiratory effects can last for many years or be permanent.

Brain effects

Cocaine abuse can damage the lungs and heart, reducing oxygen levels in the bloodstream. This can have a profound negative effect on the rest of the body, including the brain. Ongoing low blood oxygen levels can damage the brain, putting people at increased risk of:

• Transient ischemic attacks (TIA)–also known as mini-strokes
• Dangerously high fever
• Aneurysm
• Seizures
• Cognitive changes, including impaired decision-making, vocabulary, attention, problem-solving, etc.
• Weakness, tremors, gait changes, and other movement problems
• Cerebral atrophy (shrinking brain)
• Inflammation of the blood vessels in the spinal column and brain

People who experience brain damage related to cocaine abuse may never fully regain functioning. Many of the effects are permanent and may impact their health and quality of life forever.

Find Treatment Now

Cocaine abuse can have lasting consequences for your physical and mental health. If you or someone you love needs treatment for cocaine abuse or substance use disorder (SUD), you are not alone.

Reach out to the Archstone Behavioral Health specialists to explore our holistic rehab and recovery support programs. Contact us with questions or to set up an intake appointment as soon as possible.

References:

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Cocaine
2. National Institute of Health (NIH): Adverse health consequences of cocaine abuse.
3. Translational Psychiatry: Effects of long-term cocaine self-administration on brain resting-state functional connectivity in nonhuman primates
4. National Institue of Health (NIH): Long-Term Outcomes of Patients With Cocaine Use Disorder: A 18-years Addiction Cohort Study