Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms & Timeline

What Are The Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms?

The physical withdrawal symptoms of cocaine include:

Changes in appetite and weight

This happens because you’re not taking in the nutrients your body needs, and that can lead to weight loss. You might get intense cravings for food, especially sugar and carbs such as bread or pasta.

Increased blood pressure and heart rate

Cocaine reduces blood flow while increasing blood pressure and heart rate. When you stop using it there’s a rebound effect where blood flow returns to normal while the other two factors increase suddenly. This leads to some potentially dangerous cardiovascular issues like hypertension or a stroke.

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disorder

This happens because cocaine disrupts normal REM cycles during sleep. This will lead to insomnia since it interferes with your ability to get restorative sleep. Waking up throughout the night is common.

Muscle aches, pain, and tension

Cocaine constricts blood vessels leading to muscle cramps all over the body, especially in the back and legs. They can be very painful and exhausting even though you’re not exerting yourself physically.

Restless leg syndrome (RLS)

This happens because of cocaine withdrawal’s effect on dopamine levels. With lower dopamine levels comes an inability to stay still or control your muscles as well as before — which leads to constant fidgeting nearly all day long until your system returns to normal. 

It can be uncomfortable at times but RLS isn’t dangerous like other symptoms are.

Extreme fatigue

Withdrawal from cocaine usually leads to a lack of energy and an inability to focus. You might feel like you have the flu all over again, even though you’re just going through withdrawal.

Sinus And Naval Cavity Issues

Sinus problems are a common side effect of cocaine use which can become exacerbated during withdrawal. It’s very common to have a very stuffed nose making it difficult to breathe. Snorting cocaine for an extended period of time puts extra stress on the nose which can become inflamed during withdrawal.

Nausea and vomiting

You may also get queasy or even vomit from the pain in your muscles, cramps, and stomach upset. Nausea typically gets better after a few days, but vomiting can go on for up to two weeks depending on how long you abused the drug. If not treated properly it can lead to dehydration or other health problems.

Extreme anxiety

This is one of the most dangerous symptoms because it’s an overwhelming sense of fear that doesn’t go away no matter what you do. It can feel like you’re on the brink of death, even when nothing is wrong with you. Other symptoms include:

• restlessness
• irritability
• panic attacks 

Paranoia

This happens because your brain is trying to make up for a lost time while processing information properly. You might hear things that aren’t there or think people are out to get you – these feelings typically fade as time goes on though some people may need counseling or anti-anxiety medication during this process.

Hallucinations

These also happen because the brain wants to make up for lost connections after it’s been blocked by cocaine abuse for so long. You might hear things that aren’t there or see things that aren’t real, but they typically fade as the brain regains its natural balance.

Some people have experienced the phenominon of formication which is commonly referred to in slang as “coke bugs” which is an auditory and visual hallucination that bugs are crawling on your skin.

Suicidal thoughts

This is more of a mental health issue than a direct symptom of withdrawal, but it’s very dangerous and can lead to an accidental overdose if you don’t seek medical help right away. Suicidal thoughts are common in people who quit cocaine because their reality doesn’t match their expectations for what life should be like without the drug.