Aa
Anxiety / Panic - Cocaine Induced?
Hi all,
So here it goes, i've experimented with Cocaine on three occasions. The first two times I had no dramas, I was feeling the positive effects of Cocaine and was able to easily fall asleep etc etc.. However, the third occasion (months apart) I was having a good time with my mate we were just talking but have had a few lines of Cocaine, my dose for the night did not exceed 400mg and in fact was probably less than this amount. On other occasions we had used excess of 500mg over the course of a few hours. Anyway, on this occasion we used from 12am until approx 4am.
At first I was feeling fine and as the morning progressed I started to feel agitated (not talkative) and very cold however it was quite a cold night, I just couldn't seem to get warm. I went to bed at 4am and couldn't sleep. The next day at roughly 10:30 am so at least 6 hours after my last line I was having a 1 on 1 testing / training and just progressively started to feel unwell (light headed) then I sat down and started to get sharp shooting like chest pain distal to the heart. I thought I was having a heart attack even though it was the opposite side, the pain was sharp in nature and sort of "surged" almost like electricity. It feels like adrenaline was rushing through my chest it was a very uncomfortable experience.
I went to the hospital and had ECG/EKG, Chest X-Ray, Cardiac Enzyme Tests and Troponin's and everything was normal. They were aware of the Cocaine but thought it was unusual to have effects this long after (at this stage it was up to 12 hours later). Anxiety was mentioned, however I have never suffered from anxiety issues, at the time I didnt feel anxious or anything? The doctor gave me Lexapro to help treat the anxiety which happened to give me massive side effects of Anxiety which was remarkably different to when I first had the chest pain. I had since seen the cardiologist where he performed a secondary ecg and a chest echo which were all un remarkable.
One can more than likely assume that Cocaine is responsible even though the episode was 7 hours after the last line and the amount was very small. I am sort of stuck, I dont know wether to pursue testing with cardiologists or should I be happy with the Anxiety diagnosis even though I dont feel overly Anxious? I only feel the physical effects if that?
I am aware that cocaine is bad for your health but It was my mistake.
So here it goes, i've experimented with Cocaine on three occasions. The first two times I had no dramas, I was feeling the positive effects of Cocaine and was able to easily fall asleep etc etc.. However, the third occasion (months apart) I was having a good time with my mate we were just talking but have had a few lines of Cocaine, my dose for the night did not exceed 400mg and in fact was probably less than this amount. On other occasions we had used excess of 500mg over the course of a few hours. Anyway, on this occasion we used from 12am until approx 4am.
At first I was feeling fine and as the morning progressed I started to feel agitated (not talkative) and very cold however it was quite a cold night, I just couldn't seem to get warm. I went to bed at 4am and couldn't sleep. The next day at roughly 10:30 am so at least 6 hours after my last line I was having a 1 on 1 testing / training and just progressively started to feel unwell (light headed) then I sat down and started to get sharp shooting like chest pain distal to the heart. I thought I was having a heart attack even though it was the opposite side, the pain was sharp in nature and sort of "surged" almost like electricity. It feels like adrenaline was rushing through my chest it was a very uncomfortable experience.
I went to the hospital and had ECG/EKG, Chest X-Ray, Cardiac Enzyme Tests and Troponin's and everything was normal. They were aware of the Cocaine but thought it was unusual to have effects this long after (at this stage it was up to 12 hours later). Anxiety was mentioned, however I have never suffered from anxiety issues, at the time I didnt feel anxious or anything? The doctor gave me Lexapro to help treat the anxiety which happened to give me massive side effects of Anxiety which was remarkably different to when I first had the chest pain. I had since seen the cardiologist where he performed a secondary ecg and a chest echo which were all un remarkable.
One can more than likely assume that Cocaine is responsible even though the episode was 7 hours after the last line and the amount was very small. I am sort of stuck, I dont know wether to pursue testing with cardiologists or should I be happy with the Anxiety diagnosis even though I dont feel overly Anxious? I only feel the physical effects if that?
I am aware that cocaine is bad for your health but It was my mistake.
Given you know what happened (a bad reaction to taking cocaine for a long period of hours and having a bad hangover from it) I wouldn't go for the antidepressants just yet. Just another drug, after all. Most of us don't know why we're anxious, but you do, so I'd recommend working with a therapist on it -- think of it as a kind of PTSD, where the incident so disturbed you it's hanging on. You can always take medication later if you need it, but I'd try to work this out first.
This all started in early July, the chest pain has mostly stopped however I have been getting palpitations on occasions and I still get that adrenaline taste in my mouth from time to time. I also get muscle twitching throughout my body but predominately in my calves, now and then my lips or shoulder.
As per anxiety symptoms I have digestive upset which has progressively been getting better. It seems that all of my initial symptoms have progressively been getting better as time goes on. I am however worried that the initial chest pain may have been a "Coronary Artery Spasm" which may have carried ongoing complications? I am not overly "anxious" or worried about my situation as you may expect with the possibility of Anxiety, it seems to only manifest itself physically.
As per anxiety symptoms I have digestive upset which has progressively been getting better. It seems that all of my initial symptoms have progressively been getting better as time goes on. I am however worried that the initial chest pain may have been a "Coronary Artery Spasm" which may have carried ongoing complications? I am not overly "anxious" or worried about my situation as you may expect with the possibility of Anxiety, it seems to only manifest itself physically.
I'm sure you already know this, but cocaine is an extremely dangerous drug. It can cause high blood pressure, stroke, heart problems, just to name a few.
It sounds like you had an anxious reaction to the cocaine, which isn't surprising because it's a stimulant. Unfortunately, many times when people have had a drug induced anxious reaction, the anxiety hangs around long after the drug is gone.
If you cannot seem to shake the anxiety, the next step would be to seek out professional help, to assist you in learning coping mechanisms. It goes without saying, that you should steer clear of cocaine completely, for lots of reasons. Also, alcohol can exacerbate anxiety terribly as well, so until you get a hold on this, I would stay away from that as well.
Good luck, update us when you can!
It sounds like you had an anxious reaction to the cocaine, which isn't surprising because it's a stimulant. Unfortunately, many times when people have had a drug induced anxious reaction, the anxiety hangs around long after the drug is gone.
If you cannot seem to shake the anxiety, the next step would be to seek out professional help, to assist you in learning coping mechanisms. It goes without saying, that you should steer clear of cocaine completely, for lots of reasons. Also, alcohol can exacerbate anxiety terribly as well, so until you get a hold on this, I would stay away from that as well.
Good luck, update us when you can!
This is an illegal drug and you never know what could be mixed with it. The first couple of times you did it there could have been a lot less actual cocaine compared to the last time you took it. Who knows what could be mixed and added to cocaine.
I'm not a Dr and can only give you my opinion. You had a really bad experience the last time you took cocaine. It scared you and this can cause a cycle of anxiety and anxiety related symptoms. I'm not sure if you need an anxiety med or not. I do highly recommend that you never touch illegal drugs again because you can't be sure what will happen.
How long has it been since this all happened? Are you having any other symptoms other than the chest pain?
I'm not a Dr and can only give you my opinion. You had a really bad experience the last time you took cocaine. It scared you and this can cause a cycle of anxiety and anxiety related symptoms. I'm not sure if you need an anxiety med or not. I do highly recommend that you never touch illegal drugs again because you can't be sure what will happen.
How long has it been since this all happened? Are you having any other symptoms other than the chest pain?
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
