The most addictive form of cocaine is crack. Crack cocaine is a crystal-free base form of cocaine that can be smoked on injected, and it is also known as rock or crack. Crack gets its name from the cracking and popping sound it makes when heated. It fluctuates in pigment from white to light rose or yellow. It stimulates the brain’s reward system, dopamine, and generates instant effects throughout the central nervous system.
Crack cocaine addicts build a dependence swiftly because their bodies get used to the drug. Therefore more of the substance is necessary to deliver the consistent results of reaching a high. A crack cocaine addict’s physical brain function is dependent on the sense to be able to function normally.
What are the Symptoms of Crack Cocaine Withdrawal?
There are both physical and psychological withdrawals with crack cocaine, and the complications of crack cocaine withdrawals are range from seizures to suicidal thoughts and actions. The National Institute of Health explains that not only is crack cocaine lethal, but mixing it with other substances can cause an even more unintentional overdose.
Some of the most frequent and severe health consequences of overdose are irregular heart rhythm, heart attacks, seizures, and strokes. Other symptoms of cocaine overdose include difficulty breathing, high blood pressure, high body temperature, hallucinations, and extreme agitation or anxiety. (NIH)
Mentally the addict will experience withdrawal symptoms such as depression, irritability, vivid, unpleasant dreams, severe drug cravings, or psychosis. Physically the addict will experience withdrawal symptoms such as extreme fatigue, increased appetite, or increased need for sleep. Long after the addict has been clean, they might experience post-acute withdrawal symptoms. These include but aren’t limited to anhedonia, which is the inability to experience pleasure, difficulty sleeping, panic attacks, difficulty with short-term memory, and mood changes, including depression and anxiety.
What is the Timeline for Crack Cocaine Withdrawal?
Between the first 24-72 of cocaine withdrawal, the user will experience paranoia, body pain, and hallucinations. A general lack of motivation will set in during the first week, including troubling sleeping, extreme fatigue, and irritability. In the second week, the depression will set in, and the more intense cravings for the drug because the brain is still processing the withdrawal reactions.
There won’t be dopamine in the second week for the user to sense positive emotions; therefore, anxiety will tell the user. The user’s mood will often fluctuate throughout weeks three and four because the body’s chemistry is still changing. During this time, the physical craving will subside, but the depression and anxiety will remain.
How Can Allure Detox Help With Addiction?
At Allure Detox, our patients will be taken through detox to eliminate drugs and alcohol from their system gradually. It will be a medical process that includes an umbrella of medication to alleviate the physical withdrawal symptoms where the person will be closely monitored. An expertly trained team of medical professionals will administer these medications on a decreasing schedule, and sometimes the patient will remain on certain drugs until the cravings have tapered off.
Even if the patient is not facing life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, it is best to lean on the safe side. It is crucial to consider the inherent fatal dangers of stopping crack cocaine, primarily if used for a prolonged period and mixed with other substances. Our trained medical doctors can say with confidence when detox is suggested for a patient. Please reach out to us here at Allure Detox in West Palm Beach, Florida, if you or a loved one has a crack cocaine problem. Our detox specialists will explain our solution-focused program.