Key Takeaways:
- Cocaine use affects nearly every system in the body, including the heart, lungs, brain, digestive tract, and immune system, leading to serious health complications when used long term.
- What are the long-term effects of cocaine use? Chronic cocaine use can cause heart attacks, strokes, brain damage, respiratory illness, gastrointestinal tissue death, and weakened immunity.
- Over time, reduced oxygen and blood flow caused by cocaine constricting blood vessels can lead to permanent organ damage and cognitive decline.
- Long-term cocaine use also impacts mental health, increasing the risk of mood disorders, paranoia, and violent behavior due to changes in neurotransmitters.
- While withdrawal from cocaine isn’t typically life-threatening, it often includes fatigue, depression, and agitation, making professional detox and psychological support important for recovery.
Cocaine is a stimulant drug made from leaves of the coca plant found in South America. It can be snorted through your nose, smoked, rubbed into your gums, or injected into your bloodstream via intravenous needle.
Cocaine affects nearly every part of the body, so cocaine addiction can lead to serious, sometimes irreversible damage. It impacts the cardiovascular system, sinuses, respiratory system, brain, gastrointestinal tract (including the kidneys and liver), and the immune system. And beyond the physical effects, it can take a huge toll on your career, finances, relationships, and overall quality of life.
If you or a family member is struggling with the side effects of cocaine or any type of substance abuse disorder, you are absolutely not alone. Reaching out for help with substance use disorder (SUD) takes courage, and New Leaf Detox and Treatment is here to help. The sooner you get help, the sooner you and your loved ones can start to live the life you truly deserve.
Short-Term Effects of Cocaine Use
That first hit of cocaine feels like a desirable sensation to prolong. It’s very addictive for this very reason; it causes a surge in dopamine, the reward signal in your brain that says, “This is fantastic, let’s do it again!” That’s great if you’re hitting a homerun or acing a test, but when you’re engaging in chronic cocaine use to maintain that dopamine high, you’re setting yourself up for a big drop in mood, sooner rather than later. And then you want more.
In the short term, cocaine can produce several stimulating effects that some people find appealing, such as:
- Feelings of euphoria
- Increased energy
- Talkativeness and
- lowered inhibitions
- Reduced need for food or sleep
- Heightened alertness
However, these effects often come with a downside. Cocaine abuse can cause unpleasant and potentially dangerous short-term symptoms, including:
- Anxiety
- high blood pressure
- increased heart rate
- nose bleeds
- Stomach pain
- Irritability
- mood swings
- Paranoia
- Dizziness
- Violent behavior
There are plenty of people who have tried cocaine once or twice and never experienced cravings. But others do become addicted, often using the drug for years at a time. This is when it becomes really dangerous, and sometimes the effects cannot be reversed.
Long-term Effects on the Heart
All that high energy, fast heart rate, stress, and anxiety takes a toll on the heart. Long-term effects can include:
- Blood clots, leading to heart attacks, embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and stroke.
- Chest pain, or Angina caused by the tightening of the vessels
- The death of the heart muscle, called a Myocardial infarction (heart attack), is caused by a lack of oxygen
- Permanently increased blood pressure
- Fast heart rate, or Tachycardia
Long-term Effects on the Respiratory System
Snorting cocaine causes damage to your mucus membranes, which affects the throat and upper respiratory system. Smoking crack cocaine causes more damage, though, because oxygen cannot enter the bloodstream very well, meaning it doesn’t get to the rest of the body. Chronic cough, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and pulmonary edema can all be a result. Symptoms include:
- Black sputum
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Pain
- Raised body temperature
Long-term Effects on the Brain
Constricting blood vessels minimizes the amount of oxygen that makes it to the brain, which leads to brain damage. It can also lead to an aneurysm because there is damage to the walls that feed the brain. Long-term effects can be:
- Seizures, or mini-strokes.
- Brain shrinking or cerebral palsy.
- Damage to the prefrontal and temporal lobes affects problem-solving, decision-making, learning, and memory.
- Mood disorders are due to changes in neurotransmitter production and absorption.
- Issues in movement, such as tremors, muscle weakness, or changes in gait.
Long-term Effects on the Gastrointestinal Tract
Once again, reduced blood flow to the body, including the stomach and intestines, can lead to pain, reduced appetite, nausea, vomiting, and constipation. And this is short-term damage. Over time, the long-term damage may lead to:
- Necrotic bowel (death of important tissues)
- Ulcers
- Ischemic colitis (injury of the large intestine, which can lead to death)
- Liver damage
- Kidney damage
Long-term Effects on the Immune System
Increased risk-taking, sharing needles, poor decision-making, and enhanced sex drive (leading to risky sexual behaviors) all increase the likelihood of several infectious diseases in those who have been using cocaine for a prolonged period of time, including:
- HIV
- Hepatitis
Also, cocaine hurts the immune system itself, so diseases tend to spread much more quickly through the body, and your body can’t fight them.
Withdrawal Symptoms from Cocaine
While cocaine withdrawal isn’t usually life-threatening like alcohol withdrawal can be, the symptoms can still be extremely uncomfortable. For people who have been using cocaine heavily or for a long time, a medical evaluation may be necessary. In some cases, doctors might recommend tests such as:
- Blood tests – to check for organ damage or other health issues
- Heart tests (like an ECG) – to assess for any heart-related complications
- Liver and kidney function tests – since long-term use can strain these organs
- Mental health evaluations – to check for depression, anxiety, or other psychological effects of withdrawal
This shows just how deeply cocaine use can impact your entire body and its systems. And while withdrawal isn’t usually life-threatening, it can still come with a range of difficult symptoms, including:
- Agitation and restlessness
- Depressed mood
- Fatigue
- General discomfort
- Increased appetite
- Unpleasant or vivid dreams
Start Your Recovery Today at New Leaf Detox
New Leaf Detox is a treatment center dedicated to compassionate, holistic care. We don’t just treat the addiction — we care for the whole person. We understand that everyone has a unique story, background, and set of needs—and we have treatment options to help anyone learn to live a drug-free life. We offer inpatient and outpatient care.
If you or someone you love is ready to begin your recovery journey—free from cocaine or other substances—please reach out to us today. You don’t have to face this journey alone. Everyone deserves a fresh start and a life free from addiction.
