In terms of this central stimulatory effect, cocaine and cocaethylene appear to be equipotent [13], but cocaethylene’s longer half-life makes its effects more persistent [25]. This ability to prolong the cocaine high may help explain why many cocaine users drink alcohol while using cocaine, even if they are unaware of extending cocaine’s psychoactive effects by consuming ethanol [26]. Central to the psychoactive effects of cocaine is the nucleus accumbens (NA) region of the brain, a major part of the ventral striatum that helps to mediate emotions, motivation, reward, and pleasure. In another example, a person with great thirst who is given water will experience a rush of dopamine to the NA. Cocaine can cause dopamine build-up and dopamine activity in the NA that exceeds the levels of dopamine that might occur naturally [24].
Treating addiction
This is a very dangerous alcohol and cocaine interaction, as this metabolite increases the risk of sudden death by up to 25 times when compared to the use of cocaine on its own. The intersection of cocaine and alcohol addiction presents complex challenges, requiring a multifaceted treatment approach. Effective recovery strategies must address both the physical and psychological components of co-addiction, as well as any co-occurring mental health disorders. One promising avenue is contingency management, which incentivizes positive behaviors and has shown efficacy in treating opioid use disorders, potentially applicable to co-addiction scenarios ( APA ).
Why people take both
These heightened effects and misconceptions can put people at high risk for addiction and dependence, as well as significant health problems. That substance is called cocaethylene, which is produced by the liver in the presence of cocaine and alcohol. Cocaethylene is a metabolite which is much more toxic than cocaine alone (Julien et al., 2011). As indicated above, this combination can result in death much more quickly than cocaine does when taken in isolation. This is in part because of the opposing physiological effects of each drug. Cocaine can increase anxiety, whereas alcohol acts as a depressant, which relieves anxiety.
Treatment for Stimulant and Alcohol Addiction
Professor of addiction psychiatry Julia Sinclair, who is chairwoman of the faculty of addictions at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, explained that alcohol and cocaine were very different pharmacologically. Figures show there has been a rise in the number of alcohol-and-cocaine-related deaths over the past two decades, plus an increase in cocaine use. Steve says he believes “100%” that taking cocaine and alcohol together caused his death. The charity Inquest uses the term “self-inflicted” to describe deaths where a person had injured or harmed themselves, resulting in death. If you’re worried about your cocaine use and want help, you have options. Consider talking to your primary healthcare provider if you’re comfortable doing so.
- For this reason, it is critical to avoid using alcohol and cocaine together.
- Small amounts of cocaine usually make people feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, mentally alert, and hypersensitive to sight, sound, and touch.
- Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.
- Because cocaine is a stimulant and alcohol is a depressant, many people believe that cocaine and alcohol can balance each other out.
- Sodium channel blockers can reduce the speed of action potential transmission in the heart, reducing conduction velocity [25].
Further information and support
Additionally, the severity of clinical symptoms was not related to blood levels of either cocaine or CE [74,75,76]. Also, between cocaine alone and cocaine–alcohol, no significant difference was observed in their risk for developing chest pain [23,73]. Confusingly, on the one hand, CE was reported with both a lower [70] and a higher association with myocardial injury [71].
Cessation of alcohol and cocaine use may need to begin with detoxification. Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous and potentially fatal, so medically managed detox is often essential. In contrast, withdrawal from cocaine and other stimulants, while often extremely uncomfortable, is not life-threatening. Treatment for alcohol and cocaine use can help you overcome addiction and regain control of your health and your life. Treatment can take place in inpatient or outpatient settings, depending on individual needs, and involves different forms of support, medication, and therapy. Concurrently using alcohol and cocaine can cause many adverse neurological and physical side-effects, including a steep increase in overdose risk.
Over the course of time, benzoylecgonine achieves similar concentrations in the serum following the use of cocaine alone or cocaethylene alone, suggesting that benzoylecgonine is the major metabolite of cocaethylene as well as cocaine [19]. In many ways, cocaethylene produces effects similar https://sober-house.org/your-guide-to-cocaine-withdrawal-symptoms-and/ to those of cocaine. Compared to cocaine, cocaethylene had slower clearance, larger volume of distribution, and longer elimination half-life [10]. If people have severe side effects from cocaine, alcohol, or both, or they have taken an overdose, they will need immediate medical treatment.
Cocaethylene also inhibits the reuptake of dopamine and serotonin in the brain.7 As a result, euphoric effects are heightened, which can raise the risk of addiction. On the flipside, this combination may worsen panic attacks or existing anxiety and depression. Using cocaine and drinking alcohol separately can cause several long-term health effects. Combining alcohol and cocaine causes the liver to form a metabolite known as cocaethylene.
Even if a patient is forthcoming about the quantity and timing of taking cocaine, the effects of the drug may be significantly prolonged when alcohol is involved. Clinicians treating patients with acute or chronic cocaine exposure should ask about alcohol consumption to get a more realistic assessment of their risk. It acts as a central nervous system depressant, influencing mood, cognition, and motor skills. Short-term effects include altered judgment, coordination, and speech, while long-term consumption can lead to a range of health issues, such as liver disease, cardiovascular problems, and neurological damage.
The cessation of use of illicit opioids correlated to decreases in cocaine and alcohol use in these subjects [43]. In a study of 66 adults in a methadone maintenance program who reported cocaine use, about 60% of subjects said they often took alcohol to help ease the discomfort or unpleasant transitions involved in the use of cocaine or crack [42]. Among polysubstance users, the use of alcohol, opioids, and cocaine is particularly prevalent.
Although known to science for decades, cocaethylene has not been extensively studied and even its metabolic pathways are not entirely elucidated. Like its parent drug, cocaethylene blocks the reuptake of dopamine and increases https://rehabliving.net/motivational-enhancement-therapy-uses-benefits/ post-synaptic neuronal activity; the parent drug may also block reuptake of serotonin as well. Cocaethylene has been studied in animal models in terms of its pharmacology and its potential neurological effects.
Cocaine overstimulates your body, giving you abnormally increased energy. When its effects are gone, it leaves you feeling very tired because you have spent a lot of extra energy and no longer feel the additional stimulation. Someone coming down from cocaine may sleep how long does marijuana stay in your system blood urine and hair for many hours or even a day or more. Using cocaine can cause sudden death, whether someone has been a long-term user or only recently begun using it. Start your recovery journey today and contact a treatment provider to explore treatment options available to you.
Because cocaine is a stimulant and alcohol is a depressant, many people believe that cocaine and alcohol can balance each other out. This assumption may lead to individuals using both substances together, without realizing the multitude of short- and long-term effects they may experience. Many who seek to stop using cocaine and alcohol choose to enter medical detox, which is an intervention designed to help you safely and comfortably eliminate both substances from your body. While medical detox services may be available on an outpatient basis, when the risks of withdrawal severity are relatively high, inpatient withdrawal management may be needed to keep a person as safe and comfortable as possible. While stopping use of both alcohol and cocaine is in a person’s best interest, it can be dangerous to go through detox without the supervision of a medical professional.
