Messed up man with hand over face suffered a cocaine overdose.Cocaine overdose is a common problem for people who abuse or become addicted to this drug. Typically, cocaine overdoses are the result of not knowing the strength of the drug. Since cocaine is illegal, people have to buy it on the street. However, they don’t know the strength or quality of what they purchase.

What Is Cocaine?

Before getting into a discussion of a cocaine overdose, it’s important to know what cocaine is. Basically, cocaine is a stimulant. The drug comes from the coca plant that is native to South America, and it’s highly addictive.

Despite cocaine being illegal, the drug first came about for medical use. Many hospitals used it as a local anesthesia during surgeries. Now, however, only street dealers buy and sell it.

Dangers of Buying Cocaine

Cocaine itself is a dangerous drug but not as dangerous as some other illegal drugs like heroin. Why do so many people die from cocaine overdoses every year? The main cause of cocaine-related deaths is that street drugs have no quality control.

When someone buys drugs off the street, they don’t know the potency of the drugs. From batch to batch, the same amount of cocaine can vary greatly in strength. The amount that people take from one batch might kill them in another batch.

Also, street dealers mix other ingredients such as talcum powder, cornstarch, and flour to extend their profits. This practice is an easy way to make a little cocaine go a long way. Mixing in these ingredients is one reason why cocaine varies so much in strength.

In some cases, street dealers also mix other drugs with the cocaine. These other drugs can cause dangerous reactions in some people. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know if cocaine contains another drug or not.

How Do People Use Cocaine?

The way that people use cocaine varies. Some people like to snort it through their nose. Others like to rub the drug into their gums. Dissolving it in water and then injecting it directly into the bloodstream is another method.

Some people even like to combine cocaine with other drugs, which creates unique and deadly combinations. For example, combining heroin and cocaine together creates what people call a speedball. Other methods include heating the crystal form of cocaine to produce a vapor and inhaling the drug.

No matter how people take cocaine, the drug is highly addictive. However, studies have found that some ways of taking cocaine are more dangerous than others. For example, injecting the drug into the bloodstream is more dangerous than snorting the drug.

Cocaine Overdose Symptoms

A cocaine overdose is a result of taking too much of the illegal drug. Even people who try to be careful with how much that they take can easily overdose. Once again, it’s so easy to overdose because it’s impossible to measure the potency of the street drug.

Once people overdose on cocaine, a number of health problems can occur. Since cocaine elevates heart rate, it’s not uncommon for people to suffer from heart attacks after overdosing. Some signs of cocaine overdose include:

  • Hallucinations
  • Delusions
  • Trouble breathing
  • Dehydration
  • Paranoia

Get Help for Your Cocaine Addiction at Beaches Recovery

At Beaches Recovery, we know how addictive and deadly cocaine is. If you know someone who has a cocaine addiction, it’s important to get him or her help quickly. Are you unsure if you or a loved one has a cocaine addiction? We can help you spot the signs of addiction and inform you of the best course of action.

We have a facility that offers 30 beds for our clients. We also have partnerships with some of the top insurance companies in the nation. These include Humana and Aetna. Some of the addiction programs that we offer include:

Beyond offering treatment options for cocaine addiction, we offer treatments for other drug addictions. These include alcohol, heroin, and meth. Our main focus is to help you overcome addiction so that you can live a happy, healthy life.

Don’t let a cocaine overdose happen to you or a loved one. Let us save your life and help you get over your cocaine addiction. Contact Beaches Recovery today at 8666050532.