How to Manage Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms

The first days after quitting cocaine can be really tough, and withdrawal often hits harder than people expect. Cocaine withdrawal symptoms are mostly psychological rather than physical, and this can make them easy to underestimate. While cocaine withdrawal can be rough, it does pass, and there are things you can do to make it easier on yourself.

What is cocaine withdrawal?

Cocaine withdrawal is the reaction of your brain and body when you’re dependent on cocaine and you stop or cut down. Every time you use cocaine, your brain releases more dopamine (the chemical behind pleasure and drive) than it can quickly replace.

If this continues, your brain runs short, and you need cocaine just to feel normal and to avoid withdrawal. This is cocaine dependence, and it’s the physical part of cocaine addiction.

Some people mistake cocaine withdrawal for a comedown, but they’re different. A cocaine comedown is the low day or two after a single session. Cocaine withdrawal is what a regular user experiences after stopping altogether, and it’s more intense and lasts a lot longer.

What is the cocaine crash?

The first stage of cocaine withdrawal is sometimes called the crash. It begins soon after your last dose, and during it you may feel low, sleep for hours, eat far more than usual, and feel exhausted no matter how much rest you get. You may not crave the drug much at first, because your body wants to sleep more than it wants cocaine at this stage. The crash usually runs its course within a few days, though it rarely feels quick while you’re in it.

What are the symptoms of cocaine withdrawal?

The wider symptoms of cocaine withdrawal outlast the crash, and it’s this slower middle stretch that can really wear you down. Cocaine withdrawal fatigue can last a couple of weeks, making all the everyday things you do feel much harder than usual. Cocaine withdrawal anxiety and irritability are common too, and you might feel constantly restless and become annoyed at nothing.

You may find it hard to concentrate or motivate yourself to do anything, and either sleep a lot or not at all. Cocaine cravings usually come back during this stage, and they can be really hard to resist (we explain some cocaine craving strategies below).

It can be a scary time that feels like it will never end, but the middle weeks feel this way for nearly everyone going through cocaine withdrawal.

When does cocaine withdrawal turn dangerous?

Stopping cocaine doesn’t cause the seizures or the kind of physical medical emergency that alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal can. The strain with cocaine falls mainly on your mental health, but you should take that just as seriously as a physical risk.

There is one exception where the physical part of cocaine withdrawal can be very dangerous, and that’s when you regularly drink alcohol while using cocaine. Stopping both at once brings the risks of cocaine and alcohol withdrawal at the same time, including the possibility of seizures and delirium tremens. Get medical advice or speak to UKAT before you start if this applies to you.

How long does cocaine withdrawal last?

Nobody can honestly give you a fixed cocaine withdrawal timeline. The withdrawal phase that follows the crash can run for weeks, and cravings can keep returning on and off for months after that. How long it runs depends on the size of your cocaine use, how often you used, how many years it went on for, your general health, and so does whether other drugs or alcohol were involved.

It will usually take weeks rather than days, with good and bad patches mixed in. It’s important to know that symptoms can fluctuate, because a tougher spell after a decent one doesn’t mean you’re back at the beginning.

Managing cocaine cravings

Cocaine cravings usually build fast, peak, and then pass after a couple of minutes if you let them. Your job at this stage is really to see out those minutes until the intensity fades.

You can start by just delaying your response. Tell yourself twenty minutes and find ways to distract yourself. That time can feel like an age, so move to a different room or go for a short walk so you’re up and moving and not sitting there dwelling on the discomfort. You can also ring someone and talk about anything at all, and give your hands a job, like cooking, cleaning, exercising, or playing a game on your phone.

It may not seem like it at first, but cocaine cravings get easier, and every urge you outlast tends to make the next one a little more manageable.

How can you quit cocaine safely?

For some people, cocaine withdrawal at home is workable, as long as you plan it properly. Sleep when your body asks, even if that’s twelve hours at a time. Eat proper meals, drink plenty of water, keep a simple daily routine going, and steer well clear of the people and places tied to your use, at least for now. Keep someone close who knows you’re quitting cocaine, so they can give you some support during the more difficult days.

Try not to lean on alcohol, sleeping tablets, or anything else to soften the symptoms, because swapping one substance for another tends to start the same cycle again.

It’s safer to quit cocaine with support in place first, especially if you’ve been using regularly for a while. You can speak to your GP, or contact our team at UKAT for free advice.

When does cocaine depression become dangerous?

Cocaine withdrawal depression is one symptom that does have the potential to become very dangerous, especially during the crash. For most people, the low mood lifts gradually as the weeks pass, but if it persists, gets worse, or you start having thoughts of harming yourself, it needs people trained to help.

The NHS route for urgent help is 111, where you can ask for the mental health option. If you can’t keep yourself safe, go straight to 999 or A&E. You can also talk to the Samaritans any hour of any day on 116 123. Paranoia, seeing or hearing things that aren’t there, or extreme agitation also need urgent medical help.

When to get professional cocaine withdrawal treatment?

In some cases, a residential cocaine detox may be necessary. This is usually for people with other health issues, who have been using cocaine heavily for a long time or have multiple substance addictions.

NHS community drug services can help, but they’re in high demand, and waiting lists are often long. That wait can leave you managing cravings and low mood on your own, right when you’ve decided to stop.

At UKAT, a proper assessment comes first, covering your use, your general health, and any attempts to quit you’ve tried before. Cocaine doesn’t have a standard detox medication, so we provide support for the emotional and physical discomfort, particularly during the crash and the weeks that follow it.

Our teams are hugely experienced with cocaine withdrawal, and understand exactly what you’re going through. You will be in a safe environment away from your usual triggers, and receive monitoring for low mood and other safety concerns during the hardest days.

Begin cocaine addiction treatment with Sanctuary Lodge

If you’re in the middle of a hard crash, or you’re done with the cycle and ready to stop, contact Sanctuary Lodge today and tell us where you’re at. You don’t need to hit rock bottom before you ask for help, and with the right support, cocaine withdrawal can be smoother and safer.