Symptoms of Cocaine Overdose

Written By

Dominic Nicosia

November 6, 2020

Knowing the symptoms of cocaine overdose is critical to both getting help for yourself and saving your loved one’s life, in the event of an emergency. That National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that there were over 13,000 cocaine overdose deaths in 2018. Many more users came within inches of never waking up and leaving behind entire communities of friends and loved ones. Very often, this difference between life and death lies in the ability of friends and loved ones to identify signs and symptoms of cocaine overdose. If you or someone you care about is struggling with cocaine addiction, it’s important to be able to recognize the signs and act accordingly.

What Does Cocaine Overdose Look Like?

Cocaine overdose symptoms aren’t always immediately obvious, but there are some physical signs:

• Sweating and Changes in Body Temperature
• Rapid Heart Rate
• Chest Pains and Tightness
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Constricting Headache

If you experience these or any other symptoms after using cocaine, or your friend or loved one complains of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Cocaine overdose symptoms can range from moderate to severe, but it’s important to get help immediately after experiencing them.

Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Cocaine Addiction

The behavioral and psychological symptoms of overdose can sometimes be even more dangerous than the physical, can often include:

• Anxiety and Panic Attacks
• Extreme Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Delirium
• High-Risk Behavior Such as Driving under the Influence

Try and monitor your loved one if you know they’ve used cocaine recently to ensure they don’t engage in any high-risk behavior or do anything dangerous in the throes of a panic attack.

What Do I Do If My Loved One Overdoses?

If your loved one is exhibiting cocaine overdose symptoms, call 911 immediately. If they’re unconscious, stay on the phone with the operator until the help arrives. When they’re safely recovered from their overdose, work with them toward getting into a treatment program so they can begin to address the physical and behavioral aspects of your substance use.

It’s important to realize that cocaine is not a harmless drug, and it’s entirely possible to overdose again. Recovery Unplugged offers compassionate and effective cocaine addiction treatment in Florida, Texas and several other locations across the country. We provide medically supervised detox, comprehensive behavioral rehab, and a variety of supplemental therapies. You don’t have to spend another second struggling with cocaine abuse on your own.

Dominic Nicosia

The Senior Content Writer here at Recovery Unplugged, Dominic Nicosia oversees the maintenance of our online blog while also handling and overseeing all written communications within Marketing. He also writes articles, thought leadership pieces, and basically everything written regarding web content. Dominic has over seven years of writing experience in the addiction care field and a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing from the University of Arts in Philadelphia. Dominic has been writing and playing music for years and is the proud owner of a Jack Russell/Pitbull mix named Jack. His favorite books are The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre, and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.