A very deadly, addictive drug with a number of unpleasant side effects, cocaine abuse and the resulting cocaine effects can range from irritating to fatal. Cocaine affects the body in many dangerous ways, putting your body at risk for serious problems related to these cocaine effects. Cocaine effects can be divided into two groups: short-term and long-term cocaine effects.

Short-Term Cocaine Effects
Short-term cocaine effects appear almost immediately after a single use. Short-term cocaine effects can cause serious bodily damage and, in some cases, lead to death, which is often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest. Users will experience the following short-term cocaine effects:

· Mental alertness
· Dilated pupils
· Constricted vessels
· Decreased appetite
· Increased blood pressure
· Increased temperature
· Increased heart rate
· Increased energy

Some cocaine effects seem fun, drawing many first-time users into cocaine use. For example, increased energy and the accompanying quick high will keep you up longer and can increase your endurance in many physical activities.

Other cocaine effects, such as increased work productivity and the supposed increase in creativity, seem great at first, but may lead to increased usage that leads to becoming addicted. Models and actors have been known to take cocaine so they can experience the cocaine effects of decreased appetite and eventual weight loss. Large doses of cocaine will intensify short-term cocaine effects and can sometimes cause the cocaine user to display erratic and violent behavior.

When first-time cocaine users continue to take the drug, despite the unpleasant side effects they may experience, they become cocaine addicts and begin to experience long-term symptoms.

Long-Term Cocaine Effects
As cocaine abuse continues and tolerance builds, users begin to experience long-term cocaine effects. Cocaine is a highly addicting drug, which can lead to enormous medical complications, including heart disease, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures and various gastrointestinal complications. Other physical effects are convulsions, nausea, blurred vision, chest pain, fever, muscle spasms and coma, as well as the following:

· Addiction
· Irritability
· Restlessness
· Mood Disturbances
· Paranoia
· Auditory Hallucinations

Cocaine effects are not just physical and emotional; cocaine can also affect your social and family life, causing you to lie to others about the use of cocaine. Cocaine addicts also lie to themselves about becoming addicted, stealing to support the expensive cocaine habit. Absenteeism at work and school can also become a problem, endangering the future for cocaine addicts.

If you decide to stop taking cocaine once you are addicted to it, you will experience withdrawal symptoms, which may include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes and involuntary leg movements. To become free from cocaine addition, you need treatment, counseling and outside help.

If cocaine addiction might be a problem for you or someone you love, we encourage you to give Treatment Referral a call today to learn more about our treatment referral options.

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