Cocaine has a reputation as a “glamorous” drug, favored by artists, musicians, and celebrities. However, it’s also true that cocaine effects on your body are no joke: The drug can be both damaging and addictive.
Short-Term Cocaine Effects
The short-term cocaine effects vary between individuals but may include:
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Anxiety, restlessness, and paranoia
- Possible heart attack or stroke
If a cocaine user has an existing medical condition or is using other prescription or street drugs, there’s a greater risk of a dangerous or potentially fatal reaction to cocaine.
Long-Term Cocaine Effects
Long-term use of cocaine can be serious and may not be reversible. These effects include:
- Damage to internal organs, including lungs, stomach, and heart
- Chronic inflamed and runny nose; serious sinus problems
- Increased chance of seizures, stroke and brain hemorrhage
- Compromised cognitive function, including memory loss and decreased motor skills
Other Consequences of Using Cocaine
The effects of regular cocaine use can also affect your life in other ways. Over time, you’ll need to increase the amount of cocaine you use to get the same effects. This means that you’ll be spending more money on the drug, which can wreak havoc on your finances.
In addition, the results of cognitive impairments from regular cocaine use can cause you to make mistakes at work. Repeated errors could cause you to lose your job or to miss opportunities for promotions and raises.
Your social life and interpersonal relationships may also suffer. This is particularly true if cocaine causes you to become paranoid or triggers erratic behavior. Friends and family, even those who love you dearly, may avoid you out of fear or confusion.
Getting Help From Crestview Recovery
If you’re sick of your cocaine addiction controlling you, now is the time to get help. Connecting with a cocaine addiction rehab program is often the first and best step on your path to healing.
Crestview Recovery is a comprehensive treatment program in the Portland, Oregon area. We offer an individualized approach to treatment under medical supervision and provided by masters-level professionals. Treatment options and programs include:
- Drug treatment
- Alcohol treatment
- Dual diagnosis therapy
- Gender-specific treatment options
- Outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment
- Aftercare options
If you need to detox before entering a recovery program, we can refer you to a local provider. After this stage in your recovery is complete, you have the option of entering one of our programs.
Through our addiction treatment programs, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy yoga as well as outdoor activities including skiing and white water rafting.
Contact us today at 866.262.0531 for more information about our programs. We offer compassionate, nonjudgmental help in getting you into treatment and onto the next phase of your life.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
