Withdrawal from Stimulants

Symptoms of Withdrawal from Stimulants

Withdrawal from stimulants
is almost mirroring opposites of the acute effects. Thus, someone who
has been using stimulants and stops will experience irritability,
weakness, marked reduction in energy, hypersomnia, depression, loss of
concentration, and increased appetite. These symptoms are more severe in
those who have taken higher doses over longer periods. They usually
disappear within 2 to 3 days, but sometimes last for a week or more.

Dangers of Withdrawal from Stimulants

Stimulants can produce other serious
adverse effects, in addition to the withdrawal symptoms described above.
One of the most common is paranoid ideation in which the person becomes
very suspicious and fears that people are watching or following him. It
may even result in auditory hallucinations (hearing voices) and
delusions where, for example, the individual becomes convinced that
people are plotting to kill him. These mental effects are identical to
the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, a serious mental disorder.
Individuals vary in their susceptibility to these adverse effects. Some
can get them from only one or two low doses of a stimulant, while others
become paranoid only after using large doses for a long time. It is
difficult to predict how any one individual will respond to stimulants;
therefore, these psychoactive chemicals are regarded by psychiatrists as
very toxic. It is believed that anybody who takes stimulants can become
paranoid if high enough doses are used for an extended time. The
paranoid effects, if they occur, usually disappear within 2 to 14 days,
but occasionally they last much longer.

Medical Issues from Withdrawal from Stimulants

Stimulants can also induce seizures due
to stimulation of the nervous system and can cause sudden death. This is
thought to result from the effects on the heart, which can lead to
irregular heartbeat, a heart attack, inflammation of the heart muscle,
or even cardiac arrest (a sudden stopping of the heart). Cardiac arrest
appears to have caused the death of Len Bias, the All-American
basketball star at the University of Maryland who died from cocaine use
in the summer of 1986. It is impossible to predict when cardiac toxicity
will occur. Like the mental effects described above, it may occur after
taking only small doses. This is another reason why stimulants are
regarded as extremely dangerous when abused.

Still another serious adverse effect of
stimulants, especially cocaine, is elevated blood pressure. This is
probably the underlying cause for the cerebrovascular accidents (CVA)
being observed with increasing frequency in hospital emergency rooms in
association with cocaine use. A CVA involves the rupture or clotting of
one or more blood vessels in the brain, often resulting in the death of
brain tissue. A large number of cocaine-related cerebrovascular
accidents, some resulting in permanent neurological defects or even
death, are well documented.

A final and tragic adverse effect
associated with cocaine use is fetal damage. Premature delivery, low
birth weight, respiratory difficulties, and an increased risk of sudden
infant death syndrome all appear to be more common in children of
cocaine-abusing women.

Alcohol and Cocaine Withdrawal from Stimulants

Last, of all, it is important to know
that cocaine is commonly abused in combination with other psychoactive
chemicals, especially alcohol. Data from the Cocaine Hotline operated by
NIDA consistently indicates that a large number of callers have
problems with alcohol abuse in addition to cocaine. Other sedatives,
such as benzodiazepines (see next sections) and narcotics, are also
often combined with cocaine. The high level of poly-chemical abuse seen
in cocaine users probably reflects the user’s effort to reduce the
intense arousal produced by the chemical. Cocaine users should routinely
be asked questions about their drinking habits and their use of other
chemicals. It is often necessary to detoxify cocaine abusers and addicts
from alcohol or other sedatives as part of their rehabilitation
program.

Remember, Intervention Services is on
hand 24 hours a day to help you to help your loved one who may be
abusing drugs or alcohol.  If you have questions or need to speak with
someone, understand that most of our employees are recovering
professionals who can speak with you as someone who once abused drugs
themselves.