Cocaine Addiction and Heart Problems

Cocaine use in the United States is common, with around 5 million people reporting cocaine use in 2023. Cocaine comes with many risks, including overdose. 1 in 5 of all overdose deaths in 2023 were cocaine-related. Cocaine addiction and chronic use can also lead to heart problems and other health conditions.

Immediate Effects of Cocaine Use on the Heart

Cocaine use produces a high fairly quickly, but at the same time it causes physiological changes that can be dangerous. Effects include constricted blood vessels, and elevated body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. It can also cause more serious cardiovascular effects including disturbances in the heart rhythm and heart attacks. Note that in rare cases, sudden cardiac death can even occur after the first use of cocaine. Most cocaine-related deaths are the result of cardiac arrest or seizures.

Long Term Abuse of Cocaine and Heart Problems

In addition to the immediate dangers of cocaine use, long-term use can lead to several heart conditions.

Coronary Artery Disease

Many studies have shown a link between long-term cocaine use and coronary artery disease (CAD), which is a narrowing of the blood vessels due to a build up of plaque. CAD creates an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and sudden death. Other heart damage that occurs with long term cocaine use combined with CAD creates an even greater risk of these events.

Elevated Blood Pressure

It’s well known that cocaine use has an immediate effect on blood pressure, but research also shows that long term use can cause permanently elevated blood pressure. This increases the risk of heart attacks and other heart damage.

Structural Heart Damage

Some evidence shows that cocaine use can cause changes in the structure of the heart, including enlarged ventricles and stiffening of the aorta. These changes can lead to an irregular heart rate and an increased risk of heart attack.

Arrhythmias

An arrhythmia is an irregular or elevated heart rate. Cocaine can change the sodium and potassium ions in the heart, which affects the electrical system of the heart, leading to arrhythmias. These arrhythmias, in turn, can lead to stroke, heart failure, or even sudden cardiac death.

Congestive Heart Failure

Long term cocaine use can lead to congestive heart failure, which is an inability of the heart to pump blood effectively. This can cause blood to accumulate in the lungs and legs and eventually lead to organ damage or organ failure. It can also lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

Heart Attacks and Stroke

The overall damage that cocaine does to the heart leads to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke due to many factors. This is even true in young people with no other cardiac risk factors.

Other Health Effects of Cocaine Addiction

In addition to heart issues, cocaine use can cause damage to other parts of the body.

• Nose, mouth, throat: Snorting cocaine damages the mucus membranes in the nasal system, which can lead to damage to the tissues and cartilage in the nose, and even a perforation of the septum. Snorting can also cause nose bleeds and difficulty swallowing.
• Respiration: Smoking cocaine keeps oxygen from being transported to the body, causing a risk of pneumonia, respiratory distress, and asthma.
• Brain: Cocaine reduces oxygen flow to the brain, which can lead to brain damage, aneurysms, strokes, and seizures. It can also impair cognitive functioning and memory.
• Gastrointestinal system: Reduced blood flow can lead to ulcers and damage to the intestines.
• Kidneys and liver: Prolonged cocaine use can lead to kidney and liver damage.

If cocaine is injected, it also brings an increased risk of infectious diseases like hepatitis and HIV.

Treatment of Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine is highly addictive, but the proper treatment can help you to recover. Treatment for cocaine addiction begins with an inpatient period of detox. Withdrawal from cocaine is not generally life threatening, but it does come with serious withdrawal symptoms, which include:

• Anxiety
• Extreme depression, even leading some to suicidal thoughts
• Irritability
• Inability to concentrate
• Slow thoughts and movements
• Fatigue
• Hypersomnia
• Cravings for cocaine
• Increased appetite
• Paranoia

Because of these symptoms, the risk of relapse is high, which is why inpatient detox is highly recommended.

While the detox period may only last for a few days to a few weeks, the inpatient treatment should be at least 28 days. Treatment will consist of individual and group therapy. The most common type of individual therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

In CBT, you will learn to recognize your irrational thoughts and negative emotions, and to challenge them with more logical thinking. For example, you might think that if you just use one more time, you’ll feel better and then you can quit. You’ll learn to recognize this as irrational and challenge it with a more reasonable conclusion like “I need to get through the withdrawal and then I will feel better. Treatment will help me to get healthy and live a better life.”

Group therapy is also critical to the treatment process, giving you the opportunity to learn about the nature of addiction and addictive behaviors. It’s also an opportunity to interact with people who are going through similar experiences, and to share your emotions, fears, and challenges.

In a full treatment program, the next step after inpatient treatment is a partial hospitalization program (PHP). PHP generally consists of four to six hours of therapy per day, five days a week, for eight to ten weeks.

Following PHP, you’ll start an intensive outpatient program (IOP), which is two to three hours of therapy per day, two to three days per week. This program will also last about eight to ten weeks.

Following your treatment program, it may be beneficial to you to continue weekly individual therapy and attend addiction support group meetings.

In Closing

Cocaine addiction can lead to a host of heart problems and other health issues, but with addiction treatment, you can begin to recover. At Bridges of Hope, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive, compassionate care. Our programs are designed to meet your individual needs and to put you on a path to lasting recovery. Reach out to us today to take the first step.