Cocaine/Crack Use: Effects, Addiction & Rehab

Cocaine is an illicit drug that has a high risk of abuse. Known as a “club drug,” cocaine is often taken in social settings by people who want to experience the stimulant drug’s accompanying feeling of euphoria. A person using cocaine risks many adverse effects from using the drug, including a potential for overdose. The threat of overdose is very real and has increased in recent years, as more cocaine is mixed with deadly substances like fentanyl and other opioids.¹

At Empowered Recovery Center in Kansas City, we design personalized treatment plans to help people overcome their cocaine addiction and enjoy a life of peaceful sobriety. 

What is Cocaine?

Cocaine is a stimulant that is taken primarily for its euphoric effects. Cocaine often appears in the form of a white powder, which is either snorted or dissolved in water and injected. The other main form of cocaine is white, irregular rocks, which are smoked.²  

Some common street names for cocaine include: coke, crack, snow, blow, crank, and rock. Cocaine is a Schedule II drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse. 

Cocaine vs Crack

While cocaine and crack are often thought to be two separate drugs, they’re both forms of cocaine. The main difference between the two comes from how they’re used and how they look. 

Cocaine is derived from coca leaves grown in South America. The addictive substance is extracted from the plant in remote labs, often hidden in the jungle. In the 1980s, drug lords began transforming the white powder into a solid that could be smoked. It was soon referred to as “crack.” 

Crack cocaine is made by dissolving cocaine powder into water and ammonia or baking soda.³ This liquid is boiled until a solid forms, which is then removed from the remaining liquid, dried, and broken into smaller pieces. This gives crack its signature rock-like look. 

While cocaine is typically snorted and sometimes injected, crack is smoked. Smoking or injecting the drug reaches the brain almost immediately, resulting in a “rush.”⁴ Snorting cocaine is a slower process and yields a less intense high. 

Effects of Cocaine Use

While many people seek out cocaine’s euphoric properties, the cocaine drug’s effects impact the mind and body in many ways. While users report feeling more alert, awake, and excited after taking the substance, they can also experience anxiety, irritability, and a feeling of restlessness.⁴  

After the cocaine has worked through their system, a person often experiences a “crash,” where they feel mentally drained, physically exhausted, and depressed. These lethargic symptoms can last for several days.⁴

There are other physical side effects that take place after using cocaine. Short-term cocaine effects or crack effects include:

• Dilated pupils
• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Loss of appetite

Regular cocaine use increases the risk of long-lasting health complications. Long-term cocaine side effects can include:^4,5,6

• From smoking the substance: a unique respiratory syndrome, damaged lungs, and worsened asthma
• From snorting the substance: erosion of the upper nasal cavity, loss of smell, nosebleeds, trouble swallowing 
• Damage to the heart
• Panic attacks
• Paranoia 
• Psychosis 
• Poor sleeping patterns

Cocaine Addiction & Dependence 

Cocaine is the most widely used “party drug” in the United States.⁷ Many people’s experience with cocaine starts by snorting it at a club, rave, or social gathering to feel that heightened level of euphoria. 

Tolerance to cocaine builds quickly, meaning that a person needs to take more and more to experience the same level of those desired effects.4 After continued use, even if it’s only at social settings, a person may begin to develop a physical dependence on cocaine. 

To avoid experiencing those day-long “crashes” after using cocaine, a person may increase their usage of cocaine. This can shift into taking cocaine in other forms, such as injecting it or smoking it, to experience the more intense reactions of the drug.

When a person continues their cocaine use even when it’s negatively affecting their relationships, work, or life, they have likely developed a cocaine or crack addiction. Signs of a cocaine addiction can include:⁸

• Constant runny nose
• Noticeable loss of appetite 
• Weight loss
• Frequent upper respiratory infections
• Sleeping less (or more) than normal
• Changes in personal hygiene
• Loss of interest in friends and social activities they used to enjoy
• Loss of interest in food, sex, and other pleasures 
• Personality changes, such as being angry frequently 
• Depression
• Paranoia 

Risks of Mixing Cocaine & Other Substances 

While someone may believe they are using pure cocaine, that is often not the case. Cocaine is often “cut” with other, cheaper substances. One of the main substances added to cocaine is phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole, which used to be taken as an anti-worm medication in the U.S. but is no longer approved for use.⁴  

Cocaine can also be mixed with other illicit substances, including heroin and fentanyl, without the user’s knowledge.⁹ This combination of powerful drugs can lead to severe health complications, including an overdose.  

If a person willingly mixes cocaine with other substances, they significantly increase the cocaine dangers at play. Combining alcohol and cocaine can create a toxic chemical in the body called cocaethylene, which can impact the cardiovascular system.⁶ Taking cocaine with heroin and other opioids can overwhelm the nervous system and heart, resulting in an overdose. 

Risks of Cocaine Overdose

Cocaine has a high risk of overdose, whether it’s used on its own or with other substances. If you suspect someone may be at risk of overdosing, here are common cocaine overdose signs to look for:¹⁰  

• Chest pain
• Seizure
• Altered mental state
• Blurred vision
• Headache
• Hyperthermia
• High blood pressure

There are three stages of cocaine or crack overdose, also called acute cocaine toxicity:10 

• Stage 1 includes headache, nausea, paranoia or euphoria, and hyperthermia.
• Stage 2 includes seizures, incontinence, and irregular breathing.
• Stage 3 includes coma, cardiac arrest, and respiratory failure. 

The person’s stage will determine which treatment they receive once they get to a medical facility. 

Can You Withdraw From Cocaine?

While a regular cocaine user can experience cocaine withdrawal when they abruptly stop or decrease their usage, it can look different from the detox process for other illicit drugs. 

Cocaine or crack withdrawal has a few physical symptoms, such as fatigue, increased appetite, and a generalized feeling of discomfort. However, the majority of symptoms are psychological. These cocaine withdrawal symptoms can include:¹¹  

• Depression
• Agitation 
• Feeling restless
• Vivid and unpleasant dreams

Since cocaine withdrawals run a relatively low medical risk, some people may be able to detox at home. However, this can prove to be detrimental to their sobriety, as they may turn to other substances to cope with the difficult feelings and thoughts that come up. 

It’s best to consult a medical professional and follow their recommendation for a cocaine detox. Regardless of where the detox takes place, it’s essential to start addiction treatment as soon as possible to address the deeper reasons that led to cocaine use in the first place. 

Treating Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine addiction treatment can be customized to best fit the patient. For example, while a medical detox may be the safest option for some, others may not need to be in a medically supervised facility. 

Once a person has committed to a life without cocaine, they have several avenues for long-term cocaine treatment that can begin after or during their detox. 

Inpatient rehab

At a residential facility, a patient lives on-site as they address their addiction. This is often a good fit for patients with severe addictions or health conditions that need to be supervised.

Outpatient rehab

At an outpatient program, a patient continues to live at home and has the option to continue working, going to school, or fulfilling any household responsibilities. Outpatient programs can be a good choice for patients who have a moderate addiction, have already completed higher levels of care, or have completed treatment in the past. 

Outpatient treatment is often completed in mornings and evenings, which allows patients to plan any other commitments around these times. 

There are three main kinds of outpatient programs:

• Partial hospitalization program (PHP): Consists of 25–30 hours of addiction treatment per week.
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP): Includes 9–20 hours of treatment per week.
• Standard outpatient: Consists of nine or fewer hours of treatment per week. 

Whether a patient goes through inpatient or outpatient care, they will typically experience a combination of different treatment methods, including individual and group therapy, dual diagnosis care, and life skills classes. The exact structure of their treatment plan will depend on the specific facility.

After completing their cocaine or crack addiction treatment, a patient will typically join an aftercare program to help them transition back into their normal lives. Aftercare often comes in the form of weekly therapy sessions, often with the clinical team the patient worked with while in treatment. 

At Empowered Recovery Center in Kansas City, we offer a year’s worth of aftercare for free to all our patients. 

Cocaine Addiction Treatment in Kansas City

Your addiction to cocaine may have happened subtly, over a long period of time. At Empowered Recovery Center in Kansas City, we understand that addiction is complex and nuanced, and our experienced clinical team is equipped with the skills to help you replace your cocaine addiction with sustainable sobriety.

The first step toward sobriety is reaching out to speak with our admissions team. Our empathetic team members will assist you with any questions you have. They can verify your insurance benefits and explain the different ways our program accepts payment outside of insurance. They can also share the various, evidence-based techniques we use at our programs and lay out what the admissions process looks like.

If you’re not sure which level of care would be best for you, one of our clinical team members can speak with you and give their recommendation based on your history and current situation.

To finally move on from your cocaine addiction, give us a call or fill out our form so we can help you move forward in your recovery.

References

1. Drug overdose deaths: facts and figures. (2024, September 30). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved May 9, from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates#Fig8
2. Cocaine. (n.d.). DEA. Retrieved May 9, from https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/cocaine
3. Crack Cocaine Fast Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, from https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs3/3978/index.htm
4. Cocaine. (2021). Retrieved May 9, from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/Cocaine-2024-Drug-Fact-Sheet.pdf
5. Cocaine. (2024, September 27). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved May 9, from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/cocaine#long-term
6. Cocaine. (2024, May 14). NHS Inform. Retrieved May 9, from https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/drugs-and-drug-use/common-drugs/cocaine/
7. Ramo, D. E., Grov, C., Delucchi, K. L., Kelly, B. C., & Parsons, J. T. (2011). Cocaine use trajectories of club drug-using young adults recruited using time-space sampling. Addictive Behaviors. Retrieved May 9, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3184016/
8. Professional, C. C. M. (2025, April 15). Cocaine (Crack). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved May 9, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/4038-cocaine-crack
9. Cocaine/Fentanyl Combination in Pennsylvania. (2018, February). DEA. Retrieved May 9, from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-07/BUL-061-18%20Cocaine%20Fentanyl%20Combination%20in%20Pennsylvania%20–%20UNCLASSIFIED.PDF
10. Richards, J. R., & Le, J. K. (2023, June 8). Cocaine toxicity. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. Retrieved May 9, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430976/
11. Cocaine withdrawal: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000947.htm