Deviated Septum from occasional Coke use?

[drloomis82]

Hi,

During the past year, I’ve used cocaine occasionally approximately 6-9 times.  Each time I used it, I’d do like 4-5 lines in my right nostril.  I don’t think that I did a “lot” in one sitting, but who knows.  There were always at least two weeks between use and, many times, months.

Anyway, last time I did a really small amount and seemed to get a “sinus infection.”  I went to the doctor and then to an ENT specialist and they said that I have a deviated septum.  I was up-front with the doctor about the occasional use of cocaine, but he didn’t seem to think that was the cause of the deviated septum.  (I’ve never been hit in the face or had any facial trauma.)  But, I’m still convinced that I’ve somehow done some serious damage.

What does everyone think?  Can someone who’s used cocaine less than 10 times deviate or perforate their septum?  Or does it take a LOT of money and cocaine to actually do that type of damage?

Needless to say, I will never touch it again, as this has scared me completely straight!

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

BTW, I’ve never had access to a “lot” of the stuff, so it wasn’t like I was blowing massive rails.  At most it may have been like ~1 gram per 3 people – and I always did less than everyone else.

Drloomis82

[Jordy]

A deviated septum is structural, meaning your nose is either genetically formed that way or it was broken or bluntly traumatized into that position.  Cocaine use cannot cause that. It WILL cause holes to burn right through your septum, but I believe you'd be having nose bleeds.  I don't know how much usage would cause holes in the septum, but if you had any, your ENT would have spotted them.

[jtswolf]

I did have a deviated septum or so I thought but it could have been the begining of my septum being eaten away from years of cocaine use.  Now I have a hole about the size of a dime that goes through my septum.  I am so worried about my nose caving in.  I think that the use of the drug and using it up the same side all the time could have caused it, because I only did it up one side and at frist I would always get sinus infections and bad headachs.  
Maybe you should go to see another ENT Dr or a Rino Dr.  Keep your nose clean.....  :)
I know that telling the Dr that I use to use drugs made one just tell me to get out of his office and wouldn't help me.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

All the doctors I worked with didn't even blink at the knowledge of someone abuseing illegal drugs. I remember one fellow asking a doctor how soon he could smoke pot again, the doctor responded, in a month....

Now me, I was floored...  but that is what happened.

But this is not to say that the use of drugs is an accepted practice, what is accepted is that people will continue to use drugs despite being told not to.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

PS

The diviated septom is not related to snorting cocaine.

[nick341]

need some advice too please .... haven't snorted cocaine in about 8 yrs ... but did for the first time since about  7 weeks ago ... next day came down with the worst cold virus / sinus infection for over a decade. ... OK so I put this down to bad luck / timing.
anyway hung out with the same group of friends again on Sunday and just had a small line. Guess what ... I have a really bad sinus infection / cold again ...left side of my nose is tweaked ... swollen and running clear mucus from my left nostril. this is the side I snorted in. I FEEL AWFUL ! Like I have another terrible cold virus ...
what the heck is going on ?
am I allergic to cocaine ? no one else has the same issue ..
is my immune system shot ?
any thoughts would be appreciated ..

thanks

[elltkeen]

I have the same problem.  A month ago I snorted about 3-4 lines at a party (2nd time in 7 years).  I've been dealing with sinusitis (sinus infection) ever since.  I'm now on my third antibiotic that is being prescribed for a month.  The doctor also prescribed FLONASE & some other oral steroid after looking up my nose with a small tube with a light on the end.

I've still get frequent discomfort/numbness right on the top of my nose right where the bone is.  That is the only symptom of the infection.  No runny nose or bleeding.  There isn't pain anywhere else other than my ears are slightly ringing.  If this last prescription doesn't work I'm going to see an ENT.  I hope I can get over this soon so I can move on with life.

Nick341:
How long did your sinus infection last and did you seek treatment for it?

drloomis82:
How long did your sinus infecion last and what treatment did you go through to clear it?

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Folks when you ask are you allergic to cocaine....?

Hard to say, because it is unique in every form. In other words, how was it manufactured, what additives were used? It is not like there is a patent on cutting/producing cocaine and it is the same no matter where you buy it!

This is not to say I am an expert on cocaine, this is only to say that cocaine is an illegal underground drug & when you use it, you don't know what you are sticking up your nose or body for that matter.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

even infrequent use of cocaine is very dangerous, but it's not a reason for a deviated septum.  erosions from the vasoconstriction would not lead to deviation, it leads to a hole.

[Randeep]

I have the cure to your ailment!

STOP SNIFFING COKE YOU FIENDS!!!

[Enoch Choi, MD]

that's not that helpful...  

i find that my patients who are addicted find the most help by participating in communities such as narcotics anonymous.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Snorting, pill popping, shooting or whatever is bad, wrong, deadly etc.

But the bottom line is, people will continue to do it, and when they need help, who can they turn to if the medical community shuns them?  

[Enoch Choi, MD]

that's exactly right, it's important to find a doctor who's sensitive and understanding

a good doc isn't enough.  you need a community to rely on every day, to deal with the cravings.

[elltkeen]

I'm still searching for answers to my problem.  I found the following on the net.  Based on the symptoms I listed above, could this be what I have?  It made the most sense of all of them.  Symptoms are the same.  Swelling in the nasal passage, pressure on the ears that causes ringing.  No fluid coming out of my nose.  I don't dare blow my nose because then it makes everything tight and sore on the inside.

Is this something the body can recover from on it's own?  What kind of time frame are we looking at?  One doctor in the e.r. said that since I smoked it takes 2 months for the cilia in the mucouse membrane to grow back and recover.

Drug-induced rhinitis

Several medications are implicated in rhinitis, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, reserpine, guanethidine, phentolamine, methyldopa, beta-blockers, chlorpromazine, gabapentin, penicillamine, aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, inhaled cocaine, exogenous estrogens, and oral contraceptives.

Rhinitis medicamentosa represents a different etiology. This is a drug-induced rhinitis resulting from prolonged use (ie, >5-10 d) of nasal sympathomimetics. During this process, alpha-receptors in the nose are gradually desensitized to endogenous and exogenous stimulation. Patients with this disease typically present with extensive nasal congestion and rhinorrhea resulting from loss of adrenergic tone rather than from the original cause of rhinitis. Normal nasal function should recover within 7-21 days after sympathomimetics are discontinued. Topical nasal steroid spray may ease the transition from the sympathomimetic agents, and some suggest allowing the patient to continue using the offending agent at night for a few days or weaning 1 nostril at a time.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

sounds like you took cocaine in 11/07

yes, the body can recover

if you're still feeling bad, 2 months later, visiting your regular doctor would be a good start.  if you need to they'll send you to the ENT, but it doesn't sound like they would.

[TonyFace]

Ok Im so glad I found this site where people are discussing the same issue that Im facing. I too fckd up my nose from snorting coke for about 4 yrs. Now I have a hole in my septum the circumference of a pencil.  and slightly above the hole on one side of my nostril, the nasal passage is deformed to where it connects on both sides. not the entire side is close but there is a mending of flesh together so one hole in my nostril is smaller than the other.

Based on what I just described, you can image how much this is freaking me out. i can't believe I made myself deteriorate that easily. I'm sure I saw it coming and should have stopped along time ago but you really have no clue until you experience it first hand. I'm just learning the hard way

So here I am scared ******** to get some help. I realize I really have to now.  Can someone shed some light on the treatment? I recently purchased this flesh, bone & cartilage herbal formula hoping for the best, but my research is indicating that cartilage does grow back. Is surgery the only option?

Wow, who would have thought recreational drug use would lead to surgery. Sooo not worth it.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

cartilage doesn't grow back.

i agree.  sooo not worth it.

[TonyFace]

thats even more depressing.. can you shed some light on what will be/can be done once I see a doctor? what are my options at this point? thanks...

[Enoch Choi, MD]

    * Nasal douching with saline lavages. Keep the nasal mucosa moist, minimizing bleeding.

    * Nasal silastic buttons are sometimes tolerated for many years; Silastic buttons can be custom fitted.

    * Use a humidifier in bedroom day & night with the bedroom door closed.

    * Nasal emollients (Bactroban, Ponaris nasal emollient) applied to the inside of the nose.

    * try not to use nasal steroids or try to reduce the dose if necessary for long-term therapy of allergic rhinitis.

    * Nasal topical estrogen can help reduce build up of the nasal mucosa and can strengthen arterial walls of vessels in the nose. This can help decrease bleeding in the nose. This is an off-label use for estrogen.

    * Surgery can help.

[2003_ESCALADE_GUY]

dont know.. but ive only did coke about 10 times and it was all within the last 2 months and my cartilage is almost worn right away and  If i was to do it  maybe 3 more times im sure id have a hole...anyways sorry i cant help u more but.... i dont have much experience with cocaine either... and everytime ive ever done it (bout a HG each night) it was ALWAYS free and getting hooked lines everytime friends of mine who did coke wanted one. But ive quititcold turkey last week and have been clean... I only did itto save my nose, my life, and quit b4 i waste my money on it because ive seen it draaaaaaaaaain people for everything.

[2003_ESCALADE_GUY]

and to all the people with F*kd up noses...

your nose.. or atleastmine does not run or clog or evern get ****** up UNLESS the **** your doing is cut. My budd gets lots at a time and just takes lines PURE w/o cutting it and i never have problems.. but when its cut, my nose is niagarafalls, yellow, and I get bad headaches. Its the chance u gotta  take and to be honest only advice to say right now is dont do coke.. but its not like I can stop You. wish u the best.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

the more pure the coke, the less cut it is with other impurities, the more vasoconstriction (tightening of the blood vessels) and quicker to form a hole.

"don't do coke" -- great advice!

[hun123]

all these people who have a hole in their nose - surely you were doing loads ?
can it be just unfortunate? can you honestly see a proper hole?

[Enoch Choi, MD]

not just loads, any use at all.  even a little, over time, can thin the septum to the point there's a hole

[scaredstraight550]

I have used Cocaine for about 10 years, off and on..and im sure it was seriously cut most of the time.  I never really got bloody noses, on occasion id have a little blood, but this was unusual and never flowed like a bloody nose.  Recently ive noticed a kind of slit inside my right nostril on the bottom of the cavity, sort of where the base of the septum(i think thats the divider of the cavities) meets the bottom of the nostril...it looks like a little chip in my nostril, like a tiny valley between two hills, rather than smooth across.  It's terrified me and is probably the only reason ive been able to stop using it.  I got addicted to using it when i drink, which was every weekend for YEARS. Im not even sure the coke did this sense i never bled but due to the prolonged use, i believe it must be the coke.

My question is, is this slit(or half hole)going to grow back, or fill up sense i have gone cold turkey? Or is this slit going to keep getting larger and eventually be a hole that im hearing about, even though i have quit?  What can i do to fix the damage if anything?