How long does cocaine withdrawal last?

Cocaine withdrawal can last for up to a week, or two. But psychological cravings can persist. A timeline for cocaine withdrawal here.

3
minute read

Are you addicted to cocaine or know someone who is? Here we explore how long cocaine withdrawal lasts and what you can do to help ease the effects. Then, we invite your questions about cocaine withdrawal or signs of cocaine addiction at the end. We try to answer all legitimate questions about cocaine personally and promptly.

How long until cocaine withdrawal starts?

Cocaine is an incredibly effective stimulant and withdrawal symptoms usually start just hours after stopping cocaine. What are symptoms of cocaine withdrawal? Symptoms of cocaine withdrawal can include agitation, increased appetite, and fatigue, vivid and unpleasant dreams. While these acute symptoms usually resolve within a week or two of last dose, other symptoms linger. For example, cocaine cravings can persist for the rest of your life. And other psychological withdrawal symptoms of cocaine can last years.

Cocaine withdrawal timeline

How long to withdraw from cocaine? Cocaine withdrawal timelines can last from days to weeks to months after last use. Here’s a general cocaine withdrawal timeline to help guide you during this period.

24 – 72 hours: Within twenty four to seventy two hours you can expect to start to crash and feel remorse and depression. The brain will be severely sleep deprived and while you may be extremely fatigued, it may be difficult to get rest. Some people sleep heavily during this period but wake feeling awful.

Week 1: During week one of cocaine withdrawal, you will probably start feeling a lot better and the cravings will seem easy to manage. The effects of cocaine will seem to be wearing off and you may start to regain confidence in your ability to handle cocaine addiction. Symptoms present during this time generally include agitation, unpleasant dreams, and increased appetite.

Week 2: After about two weeks into cocaine withdrawal, the cravings for the drug can start to return and you will experience hunger, anger and depression. During week two you may experience vivid dreams and think about using again.

Week 3-4: After three to four weeks you may start to experience mood swings. Sleep may still be a problem, as can depression. Exercise and a healthy diet will help to address these issues. Many drug abusers cannot handle stress without abusing a substance, so a lot of drug addicts relapse during this time. If needed, you can seek help from a medical doctor or psychiatrist to address underlying mental health issues.

How long do cocaine withdrawal symptoms last?

Protracted cocaine withdrawal symptoms can last six months to two years. The amount of time that the symptoms last depends on the amount of time that cocaine was used, which will determine the severity and length of the withdrawal period. Typically, you can seek mental health treatment for persistent symptoms which can help to greatly reduce the effects of protracted withdrawal.

Cocaine withdrawal: how long?

How long cocaine withdrawal lasts fluctuates depending on how frequently you used the drug and how large the doses were. If you were a heavy user, then you could experience cocaine withdrawal for years.

People who have used cocaine for extended period of times may experience PAWS, which stands for post acute withdrawal syndrome. Symptoms of PAWS will appear usually three to six months after cessation of cocaine. PAWS occurs when the brain needs additional time to restore normal functions after long periods of drug dependence.

Duration of cocaine withdrawal questions

If you have further questions about how long cocaine withdrawal lasts, please ask them in the comments section below. We will try our best to respond promptly.

Reference Sources: PubMed: Cocaine withdrawal
NCBI: Cocaine withdrawal
VA: Treatment of Acute Intoxication and Withdrawal from Drugs of Abuse
NHTSA: Cocaine
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
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