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- $Unique_ID{BRK00948}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{What Happens to a Person Who is Addicted to Cocaine and Tries to Stop?}
- $Subject{cocaine withdrawal Community Social Problems physical psychologic
- dependence depression muscle tremors severe headache ravenous hunger sleep
- patterns drug drugs addiction addictions headaches}
- $Volume{Q-23}
- $Log{}
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- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- What Happens to a Person Who is Addicted to Cocaine and Tries to Stop?
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- QUESTION: A lot is written about the dangers of cocaine use, but I have seen
- little that describes the problems that go with trying to stop. What happens
- to a person who is addicted to the stuff and then tries to stop? If there are
- any bad results, are there any treatments to help?
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- ANSWER: It sounds like you are seeking answers that will help you to an
- important decision, and though I am going to provide some information for you
- here, you are going to need much more good advice, wise counsel, and someone
- to help you through. That means finding a family doctor or other physician
- with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to assist you. The problem
- of cocaine abuse has really grown in the last 15 years, from 5.4 million
- people reported to have tried it at least once back in 1974, to an estimated
- 30 million people in 1989. While the physical dependence on cocaine is less
- dramatic than with heroin and other drugs classified as opiates, the
- psychologic dependence is severe. This leads to withdrawal symptoms that can
- affect both mind and body. The most common and most serious is depression,
- but muscle tremors, severe headache, ravenous hunger and a change in sleep
- patterns are also frequent. The symptoms of withdrawal usually begin rapidly,
- within 24 to 48 hours after the last sniff of cocaine, and they can continue
- for as long as seven days. As yet there is no one specific method or
- medication to help the patient, but medications which are useful in treating
- other types of depression may also be helpful here to relieve the symptoms and
- help with lessening the disturbances of the sleep patterns. It may mean a
- period of time away from normal activities, but that is a decision for you and
- your physician. If you are really hooked, this is not a task to take on
- without help, and you may need some additional help to get you started. Try
- the national hot line 1 800-COCAINE. If it is busy when you call, don't quit
- trying. There are a lot of people seeking help these days, and you will
- eventually get through to a most valuable source of valuable information and
- help.
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-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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