Have you ever been without cocaine for a few hours, and then it suddenly felt like it was 100 degrees inside your 68-degree office building? Perhaps you were drenched in sweat and needed to loosen your tie or remove your jacket, but you were thankful the black suit hid the whole experience. If you wondered what was happening, you might have experienced something called cocaine sweats.
Between 2021 and 2022, 553,000 Californians used cocaine. Not everyone who takes cocaine will experience sweating, but it can be a common symptom during cocaine withdrawal. At Pacific Sands, our clinical director and therapist are on-site 50 hours a week to ensure our clients are comfortable while on-site, so we’ve seen the effects of cocaine withdrawal firsthand. Today, we are going to talk about one of the potential symptoms you might experience during withdrawal – cocaine sweats.
What Are Cocaine Sweats?
The body can react to cocaine in several ways, one of which is excessive sweating, also known as hyperhidrosis. It results from either cocaine withdrawal or consuming the substance alongside other substances, which is known as polysubstance use. There are many reasons why the body produces sweat, including hot temperatures, stress, different foods, or medications. However, cocaine sweat is often more exaggerated than your everyday sweat, and it can make the person uncomfortable.
What Causes Cocaine Sweats
But why does cocaine result in sweating? When someone regularly takes cocaine, the substance can prevent the body from sweating. Instead, it traps heat under the skin, possibly leading to hyperthermia or overheating. It does this by elevating your body’s temperature and impairing heat dissipation. This can be very dangerous, as hyperthermia has serious consequences. A study showed that people were more likely to experience a cocaine overdose when the weather was hot than when it was cold, which is due to cocaine preventing the body from cooling itself through sweat.
Usually, the body removes this heat through sweating, but the constant presence of cocaine prevents that from occurring. So, when someone stops taking cocaine, the body feels the effects of the substance wear off and begins to allow sweat to escape to cool the body. After a few days away from cocaine, the sweats will stop.
However, it could be an indication that someone has taken multiple substances at the same time. Often, the person does not know they have taken anything other than cocaine as the substance may have been cut or mixed with an opioid, such as fentanyl. The addition of an opioid sometimes leads to sweat being released from the body. This combination is potentially hazardous, as combining two substances is unpredictable and increases the risk of overdose.
Is Sweating a Symptom of a Cocaine Addiction?
If you are experiencing sweating between cocaine doses, it could indicate a cocaine use disorder. When someone has this disorder, their body is used to the presence of cocaine. So, when it is no longer in the system, several withdrawal symptoms arise, including sweating. In addition, people could experience chills, shakiness, and trembling if sweating is associated with cocaine use disorder withdrawals.
Are Cocaine Sweats a Sign of Overdose?
By itself, sweating is not a sign of cocaine overdose. However, it may indicate an overdose caused by the combination of cocaine and opioids. Cocaine side effects, such as euphoria, are often short-lived. To make the substance last longer, people will mix it with fentanyl. Some might combine the two since cocaine is a stimulant and opioids are depressants in an attempt to cancel out the effects. This practice can be hazardous as the combination is unpredictable or even masks the effects of the substances, leading to an overdose.
Signs of an overdose caused by mixing cocaine and opioids include:
- Sweating
- Irregular heartbeat
- Seizures
- Unconsciousness
- Chills
An overdose is a medical emergency. If someone is experiencing an overdose, remain calm and call 911 immediately. In California, the Good Samaritan Law protects you and the person experiencing the overdose from being charged with a crime when you call for help. This means that if you have paraphernalia or a substance such as cocaine or fentanyl, you won’t get into trouble with the law.
You are also allowed to use naloxone under this law. This medication will only work for an opioid overdose. If you believe the person took opioids and cocaine, administering naloxone will reverse the effects of the opioid. The effects of cocaine are not reversed by this medication. However, it will buy them additional time as you wait for the first responders to arrive.
Long-Term Complications From Cocaine Sweats
Most people do not experience long-term complications from cocaine sweats when experiencing them from withdrawal. For some people, there are some. For example, few may develop what is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). This occurs when some people experience withdrawal symptoms for longer than a few weeks. With cocaine, it results in extended periods of sweating, depression, fatigue, and lack of motivation. Even if someone develops PAWS during cocaine withdrawal, their symptoms will eventually go away after several weeks or months.
While experiencing excessive sweating from cocaine, if you are not staying adequately hydrated, you have a higher risk of developing heat exhaustion or, eventually, heat stroke. Your body is readjusting to regulating its core temperature when you have stopped taking cocaine. Additionally, if you are experiencing excessive sweating, you have a higher risk of experiencing dehydration. This is because your body will not have enough fluids.
This combination may make the body less likely to cool down efficiently. If it does, you will experience heavy sweating, faintness, fatigue, and nausea symptoms. If left untreated, heat exhaustion may escalate to heat stroke. This is only sometimes the case. Immediate medical care is essential if you are experiencing a heat stroke. To prevent either experience from occurring, remember to stay hydrated by continuing to drink water and other non-dehydrating fluids throughout your cocaine withdrawal.
Getting Treatment for Cocaine Use Disorder in California
A cocaine use disorder impacts many essential areas of your life, such as your business. You may be at the point where you feel like you are ready to leave cocaine behind. Withdrawal symptoms, such as excessive sweating, might make you hesitant to take that step. Excessive sweating is often uncomfortable or may make you feel embarrassed. When you attend a treatment program, you will receive the attentive care you deserve that will make this withdrawal symptom and any others you are experiencing more manageable.
While you are detoxing from cocaine, you will be surrounded by medical professionals who will step in if you are experiencing complications from cocaine sweats. Also, they will encourage you to maintain your liquid intake, lowering your risk of heat exhaustion. At the same time, you will learn skills and techniques that will provide you with the foundation for a successful recovery from cocaine use disorder. However, there are many programs in California. How can you know which one will help you the best?
When deciding what is important to you in your treatment, you will consider many factors. The most crucial factor you may be looking for is something that works or is solution-focused — one that best suits you and your needs. At Pacific Sands, you will receive one-on-one attention from our staff, ensuring individualized care that benefits you and your recovery.
At Pacific Sands, our intimate facility works with you to get to the root of your concerns. We offer 6 private rooms, ensuring you have a treatment experience focused on your recovery. To get started or for more information, contact us today at 949-426-7962.
Pacific Sands – The first step towards a new life.
