When a person has developed an addiction to cocaine, they may be afraid to try to stop using it for various reasons. They may be unsure of what the cocaine detox experience will be like or wonder “How long does it take to detox from cocaine?†Brentwood Springs Detox in Nashville provides professional, compassionate care for anyone who has an addiction to cocaine and needs to go through the detox process. We not only help them through detox but also assist in putting a plan in place that takes them from the next step in recovery all the way through an aftercare plan. We accept UHC and Aetna insurance for those who qualify.
How Does Cocaine Work?
Cocaine is formulated from coca leaves, which are found in South America. Cocaine is used in powder form by snorting, smoking, or injecting it. It can also be turned into a rock form called crack and smoked. Cocaine is classified as a Schedule II drug, which means it has a high potential for abuse.
Cocaine is illegal in the U.S. in great part due to the dangerous effects this stimulant drug can have on the central nervous system. This drug interferes with the natural production of dopamine in the brain, which is responsible for creating feelings of joy, pleasure, and mental alertness. Users point to enjoying experiencing the initial effects of euphoria and increased energy that cocaine provides, but they often fail to predict how easily they may develop an addiction to this narcotic.
The effects of a dosage of cocaine are typically short-lived, sometimes lasting only a few minutes. This causes people to feel the urge to take repeated dosages of the drug over a short period of time to try to keep the high going. The more often they use cocaine, the higher their tolerance for it becomes. This creates the need to increase the dosage in order to achieve the same high, which in turn contributes to the development of cocaine addiction.
How Long Does It Take to Withdrawal From Cocaine?
The answer to how long it takes to detox from cocaine depends on a few things. These include how long the person’s addiction has existed, how much cocaine they normally consume, and any previous attempts at detoxing. Other factors that come into play include the person’s physical and mental health at the time of beginning cocaine detox. The average length of time for cocaine detox lasts about seven to ten days.
Cocaine withdrawal symptoms can begin within a couple of hours after the last dosage. The first few days often include feeling irritable, depressed, and lethargic. Some people may experience shaking and arrhythmia. Many people begin to experience insomnia, restlessness, and nightmares around day four. Cravings for cocaine become more intense during this period and some people become dehydrated. These symptoms last approximately one week.
Withdrawal symptoms typically abate or end after about a week and a half of detox. Some people may continue for another two or three weeks.
Can I Detox From Cocaine at Home?
While it may be tempting to attempt cocaine detox at home, this can be dangerous and even deadly. When a person detoxes from cocaine, they will likely experience difficult and uncomfortable physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms. When a person tries to detox at home, they usually end up unable to endure the withdrawal symptoms and return to using cocaine.
Professional cocaine detox programs provide the assistance needed to address withdrawal symptoms, including both medical and psychological support. Many detox programs offer the option of medication-assisted treatment, which involves using FDA-approved medications in conjunction with therapy to help reduce or eliminate withdrawal symptoms.
A person attempting to detox alone at home may experience dangerous withdrawal symptoms and either not recognize them or be unable to call for help. When a person enters cocaine detox in an addiction facility, they are surrounded by trained clinicians who can immediately respond to any needs or concerns the person exhibits.
Cocaine Detox Withdrawal Symptoms
Another common question after “How long does it take to detox from cocaine?†pertains to what withdrawal symptoms to expect. Most people undergoing cocaine detox experience some kind of withdrawal symptoms. Some of the physical and behavioral symptoms include:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Slowed thinking and activity
- Muscle aches
- Chills
- Tremors
- Restlessness
- Exhaustion
- Increased appetite
- Cravings for cocaine
- Nightmares
- Difficulty feeling pleasure or sexual arousal
Many people also experience emotional side effects during the detox process, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Moodiness
- Paranoia
- Hostility
- Suicidal thoughts
The Dangers of Using Cocaine
Using cocaine even just one time can cause physical damage and even death. One of the dangers of cocaine usage comes from the fact that many dealers often add non-psychoactive substances to their products. They may add household items like flour, baking soda, or talcum powder in order to increase the amount of the batch of cocaine they make.
Dealers often add poisonous substances or other drugs like amphetamines or heroin to the mix. The person consuming the cocaine will have no way of knowing the mixture of ingredients they may be ingesting, nor how dangerous they can be.
Other dangerous side effects of cocaine usage include:
- Nose bleeds
- Nasal cartilage damage
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Respiratory illness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Decreased appetite
- Weight loss
- Seizures
- Overdose
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Moodiness
Start Cocaine Detox in Nashville, TN
Addiction to cocaine can drain a person of their physical and emotional health, leaving them in need of professional treatment. We provide skilled, compassionate treatment designed for your specific needs that will help you detox from cocaine and have a plan in place for the next step in your recovery. We can provide medication-assisted treatment to help ease the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and help you complete the detox process.
Contact Brentwood Springs Detox to get help in areas such as Nashville, Dickson, and Columbia today and learn how we can help you leave cocaine addiction in the past.