Cocaine: Effects, risks, and managing addiction

Using alcohol use disorder vs alcoholism together can be extremely dangerous and potentially life-threatening since combining the two substances raises the risk of polysubstance overdose or can present other dangers to your health and well-being. Here, we’ll review what cocaine is, the effects of cocaine use, signs and symptoms of cocaine addiction, and the effects of mixing alcohol and cocaine. We’ll also look at how to stop misusing alcohol and cocaine, treatment for co-occurring alcohol and cocaine addiction, and how to find polysubstance misuse rehab. The concurrent consumption of cocaine and alcohol can lead to complex psychological effects, including heightened risks of addiction, depression, and anxiety. When these substances are used together, they create a compound known as cocaethylene, which intensifies the euphoric effects of cocaine and may increase the addictive potential of both substances.

Reduced drug use is a meaningful treatment outcome for people with stimulant use disorders

The body can then eliminate these waste products, usually through urine. A recent study of cocaine use data from 2011 to 2015 found people who reported heavy alcohol use in the past month had higher rates of weekly cocaine use. One reason people use alcohol and cocaine together might be because they believe alcohol can curb the withdrawal and anxiety when cocaine’s effects start to wear off. The EtG test can produce a positive result from mere exposure to alcohol, which is present in many daily household products such as vanilla extract, mouthwash, medicine, cleaning products, cosmetics, and hair dye.

‘Increased impulsivity’

Alcohol is often used alongside other illicit substances, leading some people to wonder what happens when you mix alcohol and cocaine. Cocaine mixed with alcohol can lead to dangerous, even life-threatening consequences due to the formation of a toxic chemical called cocaethylene. For this reason, it is critical to avoid using alcohol and cocaine together. Moreover, CBT’s efficacy extends to addressing the social aspects of addiction. Interventions may incorporate psychoeducation, relationship counseling, and activities to enhance recognition of positive behaviors and reward drug-free days ( source ). The adaptability of CBT allows it to be tailored to the unique challenges of co-addiction, making it a cornerstone in the treatment of individuals with combined cocaine and alcohol use disorders.

What should I do if I find a drug interaction?

Recreational cocaine users have been found to have harder arteries, thicker heart muscle walls, higher blood pressure, and up to a 35 higher risk of a hardened aorta, compared with people who have never used the drug. These combined effects make the people more likely to focus on seeking the drug instead of relationships, food, or other natural rewards. Using alcoholism recovery stages at the same time is a dangerous practice that can result in potentially fatal consequences. When cocaine and alcohol are used together, the combination results in a cocaine metabolite that remains in the body for a lengthier period of time. The build-up of this toxic chemical is responsible for some of the dangerous side effects that occur when mixing cocaine and alcohol, including liver damage and cardiovascular and neurovascular damage. Using cocaine and alcohol together significantly increases the risk of an overdose.

Short-Term Physical Effects

Studies show alcohol and cocaine use during pregnancy have negative effects on both mother and fetus. These effects can have a lasting health impact on both mother ecstasy withdrawal and child. How frequently and how fast you drink, as well as the alcohol content in your beverage, can all influence how long alcohol stays in your system.

Getting Help for Cocaine Addiction

Alcohol itself shows little direct cardiovascular effects [30], which rules out an additive cardiotoxic effect of alcohol when combined with cocaine. Moreover, various studies have observed a small protective acute effect of alcohol on cardiovascular events, including AMI and cardiac arrhythmia [67,83,84,85]. Cocaethylene, like its parent drug cocaine, blocks the reuptake of dopamine and increases post-synaptic neuronal activity and reinforces the stimulating effects of dopamine [3,11]. This neuronal stimulation contributes to the powerful psychoactive effects of both cocaine and cocaethylene, producing feelings of energy, focus, and excitement.

As you get older, your liver works more slowly, so it takes longer to metabolize and excrete alcohol. Many aging adults also take medication that can affect liver function, slowing the process further. Like many other drugs, alcohol can be detected with a hair follicle drug test for up to 90 days. The following is an estimated range of times, or detection windows, during which alcohol can be detected by various testing methods.

Alcohol is a depressant while cocaine is a stimulant, and when these opposing substances are used at the same time, their side effects can quickly amplify to dangerous levels. Alcohol and cocaine should never be used together, as the risks greatly outweigh any potential reward. Due to the potential severity of cocaethylene detox, individuals seeking treatment for alcohol and cocaine addiction should utilize a professional medical detox program in which trained medical staff monitor and treat withdrawal symptoms. Treatment for cocaine and alcohol addiction may include residential or outpatient rehab, psychotherapy, support groups and medication-assisted treatment. Individuals often require a personalized treatment plan to help them recover from both cocaine and alcohol addiction. When you mix cocaine and alcohol, it can cause a cocaine and alcohol metabolite called cocaethylene to form.

Depending on the nature of the abuse, some patients who seek help will be advised to attend a residential rehabilitation program, or a structured day program. Normally, neurons release dopamine in response to a pleasurable stimulus, such as the smell of good food. Once the dopamine has passed on its message, it returns inside the neuron, and the signal stops. It is normally found as a white, crystalline powder or as an off-white, chunky substance. As the medical profession came to realize that cocaine was addictive, safer anesthetics were developed. You can also find out whether we accept your health insurance by filling out this quick and confidential .

Cocaine and alcohol amplify the effects of one another, and combining them can lead to life-threatening consequences. Recovery will depend on the frequency and severity of cocaine and alcohol use and the overall health of the person. This co-use may be due to the belief that cocaine and alcohol may counteract each other’s negative effects. Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it usually has the opposite effects to a stimulant such as cocaine. Other medications to treat cocaine dependence are being used off-label with limited success.

1. Healthline does not endorse the use of any illegal substances, and we recognize abstaining from them is always the safest approach.
2. It is important to recognize that the heightened risk of adverse effects is not merely additive but multiplicative when cocaine and alcohol are consumed together.
3. Professor of addiction psychiatry Julia Sinclair, who is chairwoman of the faculty of addictions at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, explained that alcohol and cocaine were very different pharmacologically.
4. This metabolite, cocaethylene, is considered more toxic to the cardiovascular and hepatic systems than cocaine, the parent drug, and it has a longer plasma elimination half-life (about 2 hours) than cocaine (about 1 hour) [3].

This tool explains what the interaction is, how it occurs, the level of importance and how to handle the drug interaction. It will also display any interactions between your chosen drugs, food, beverages, or a medical condition. If you think you may be experiencing a symptom or side effect due to a drug interaction, contact your healthcare provider right away for advice.

Group therapy helps battle the loneliness that addiction can cause and helps foster a sense of community and support necessary for successful recovery. Individuals who use stimulants like cocaine commonly use other substances, often alcohol. Just be sure to tell them about the specific symptoms so they can send the appropriate response.If you’re looking after someone else, get them into the recovery position by laying them on their side with their body supported by a bent knee. This position helps keep their airway open and can prevent choking in case they begin to vomit. The risk of addiction is even higher with crack cocaine because its effects are more immediate and more intense. The combo leads to the production of a metabolite called cocaethylene, which is considerably stronger than cocaine or alcohol alone.