Cocaine addiction is a complex problem that creates changes in a person’s brain as well as social, familial, and other issues. Treating an addiction starts with stopping all drug use. However, withdrawal symptoms can appear, which often leads to relapsing when a person quits on their own. Cocaine detox in Los Angeles, California, at LA Detox gives people the help they need to successfully quit cocaine and start their recovery.

Man attending a cocaine detox in los angeles California

What is Cocaine? 

Cocaine goes by the names of coke, crack, blow, snow, and flake. It is a drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to countries in South America. Cocaine is classified as a stimulant, increasing the activity in the body’s central nervous system. 

As a drug and substance with highly addictive properties, dependency and addiction can develop quickly, even after only trying it a few times. While recreational use of cocaine in America is illegal, statistics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), showed that about 15% of people in the United States tried cocaine.

As a result, the majority of men and women who abuse cocaine, are most likely to develop polysubstance abuse. Therefore, cocaine detox in Los Angeles can help a person overcome complex addictions.

What is Cocaine Detox?

Cocaine detox is the process of returning to a “pre-addiction” state. First, a person must stop using cocaine and other substances altogether. After that, their body and mind will readjust from cocaine abuse. During this time, a person could have intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Thus, during cocaine detox at a professional rehab center such as ours in Los Angeles, a person gets the care they need to manage withdrawal symptoms. They also get the support they need to deal with cravings to prevent relapse. The supportive environment of a detox program can help people stay accountable for their recovery goals.

Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms

Most often, cocaine detox causes withdrawal symptoms similar to the “crash” many users have when they are no longer high. Since cocaine causes unnatural flooding of feel-good chemicals in the brain, these chemicals are depleted after using the drug. Thus, cocaine users “crash” as these chemicals need time to restore. Many users resort to using more cocaine to avoid this crash resulting in addiction.

Withdrawal symptoms during cocaine detox include the following:

  • Headaches
  • Restlessness and irritability
  • Agitation
  • Depression
  • Mood swings
  • Sleeping problems
  • Fatigue
  • Increased appetite
  • Feeling uneasy
  • Slow thoughts and actions

Many people struggle to quit cocaine because of these symptoms. Thus, cocaine detox at a rehab center can help ease this discomfort to get a person through these symptoms safely.

Medications Used for Cocaine Detox in Los Angeles, California

Currently, the FDA has not approved any medications specifically for cocaine detox. However, some people find that other medications help to manage withdrawal symptoms. Some of these medications include psychiatric drugs for anxiety and depression, which are common withdrawal symptoms.

Medications that a person might use for cocaine detox include the following:

  • Gabapentin restores well-being by decreasing excitement in the brain 
  • Vigabatrin helps to reduce cravings for cocaine
  • Modafinil promotes healthy sleep patterns during detox
  • Disulfiram ideal for alcohol detox and may prevent relapse during cocaine detox.
  • Topiramate reduces activity in the central nervous system, which helps people manage agitation during detox
  • Baclofen enhances feelings of well-being during detox

These medications primarily help a person manage specific symptoms of withdrawal. In addition, since cocaine addiction is often the result of self-medicating for underlying mental health issues, a person might have a return of mental health symptoms. Therefore, their treatment team could recommend anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications during detox.

Medications used at cocaine detox Los Angeles California

Cocaine Detox and Withdrawal Timeline in California

Cocaine detox takes time as a person goes through withdrawal. Many people have some degree of withdrawal, and the severity of symptoms depends on the level of addiction, amount of cocaine used, length of cocaine use, and underlying mental or physical health issues. However, most people will complete our California based cocaine detox within seven to ten days.

Generally, cocaine detox will go through the following timeline:

  • Withdrawal symptoms could appear within 90 minutes after a person stops using cocaine. These symptoms feel like the initial crash and include anxiety, agitation, and fatigue.
  • Symptoms continue to worsen over the next few days. Things like sleeping issues and trouble thinking clearly are common at this time, along with increased irritability and feeling sluggish or slow.
  • After that, symptoms continue to worsen until they peak by about day five to seven. These symptoms can include physical issues, like decreased blood pressure or trouble breathing. 
  • Most people start to feel better after about five to seven days of detox. Their symptoms continue to taper off for the next few days. However, after about a week, they have gone through the worst of it.

Some withdrawal symptoms could continue to linger after detox. Usually, mental health symptoms can persist, especially when left untreated. Without getting help for these lingering symptoms, a person is at a high risk of relapse, even after cocaine detox.

Can I Detox From Cocaine at Home?

Detoxing from cocaine at home is not recommended, as most people don’t know what kind of symptoms they will have during withdrawal. They could feel fine at first. However, when intense symptoms appear, they could relapse to relieve themselves of discomfort. Without anyone to intervene, they can easily cave to cravings, as they don’t have any barrier to accessing cocaine.

Therefore, getting help from a professional detox facility offers a person the best chance for success. 

Begin Cocaine Detox in Los Angeles, California

There’s no better day to begin our cocaine detox program in Los Angeles, California than today. Our experienced staff are here to help you every step of the way. Through a range of programs, you can take control of your life. Contact us at LA Detox today to get your life back on track.