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Cocaine and stimulant withdrawal: getting through the crash
Cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA: on stopping, the main risk is depressive and suicidal, not cardiovascular. Here are the signs of withdrawal, the care at the clinic and the indicative durations; the protocol itself is decided after examination.
The signs of withdrawal
- Mood collapse, slowing.
- Hypersomnia.
- Intense hunger.
- Violent craving.
- Thoughts of death, a plan, or an attempt narrowly avoided: dial 190 (SAMU), then call the clinic.
One of these signs alone is enough to justify a call — and the call commits you to nothing. When in doubt, the test “What to do, right now?” points the way in thirty seconds.
The care at the clinic
For cocaine and stimulants, withdrawal rests on monitoring mood and suicide risk, restarting sleep, treating a depressive episode if one sets in, and therapy for the craving.
It follows the same protocol as every withdrawal:
- Admission assessment: clinical examination, assessment of how severe the dependence is and screening for associated disorders — anxiety, depression, sleep, suicide risk.
- Medically supervised withdrawal, then stabilisation: the withdrawal syndrome is treated, not endured; sleep falls back into place, mood lifts or reveals what it was hiding.
- Work on craving: motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural therapy, group sessions, a written plan for the tipping moments.
- After discharge: close follow-up consultations, a family meeting, referral to a peer-support group — the first month outside is followed closely.
The detail, step by step, is on the home page: the protocol, from the first day to the last.
How long?
The crash stretches over 3 to 10 days; the depressive vulnerability persists for several weeks. These durations are indicative: they vary with how long use has gone on, the quantities, age and general health. The protocol is decided after examination.
The cocaine entry also appears among the other substances on the home page.
For the family
You do not need the person’s consent to ask for advice: a first call serves to describe the situation, gauge how urgent it is and prepare what comes next. If he refuses to hear about it, the page “He refuses to come. What can you do?” details what to say, what to avoid, and when the emergency outweighs consent. If life is in danger — suicidal talk, a violent act, loss of consciousness — dial 190 (SAMU) first, then call the clinic.
Two questions people don’t dare ask
How long does a hospital stay for withdrawal last?
The acute phase generally lasts a week. A stay of two to four weeks additionally allows sleep to stabilise, the underlying disorder to be treated and the work on craving to begin. The duration is reviewed every week with the patient.
Is relapse a failure of the treatment?
No. Relapse is part of the history of most addictions; what matters is how long it takes to come back. Coming back after three days of using again is nothing like coming back after six months — and no one here reproaches you for either.
Before admission: preparing the stay, what to bring.
Other substances: alcohol · benzodiazepines · opiates · cannabis · pregabalin.
The information on this page is general and does not replace a medical consultation. No treatment, no stop and no dose change should ever be decided from this website.