Cocaine use disorders
Also known as: Disorders due to use of cocaine, unspecified
General information only. Anpheros does not diagnose and does not recommend treatment. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your situation. In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number).
In short
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant made from the leaves of the South American coca plant, which is mostly used illegally to get high but is rarely prescribed for anesthesia during certain surgeries. Short-term effects of cocaine use include increased energy and alertness, restlessness, irritability, anxiety, paranoia, and potentially violent behavior, as well as serious health risks like heart attack, stroke, or coma. Long-term use can lead to tolerance, physical dependence, and cocaine use disorder, which is a chronic brain disorder where use continues despite causing life problems. Stopping cocaine use after becoming dependent causes withdrawal symptoms such as depression, restlessness, fatigue, increased appetite, sleep disturbances, and slowed thinking.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
AI-generated summary of the sources cited on this page, checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a clinician; not medical advice.
Codes
Description
What is cocaine?
Cocaine is a very addictive drug that is made from leaves of the coca plant found in South America. It is mostly available as an illegal drug that some people use to get high. In rare cases, it is also used as a prescription drug for for anesthesia during certain surgeries.
As a street (illegal) drug, cocaine is usually a fine, white, crystal powder. Street dealers sometimes mix it with cornstarch, talcum powder, or flour to make it look like they have more cocaine. That way they can make more money. They may also mix it with other illegal drugs. Another form of the drug is crack cocaine. Crack cocaine has been heated to make it into a rock crystal.
How do people use cocaine?
People snort cocaine powder through the nose or rub it into their gums. Others dissolve the powder and inject it into the bloodstream. Some people inject a combination of cocaine and heroin, called a "speedball." Crack cocaine is smoked.
What are the short-term effects of cocaine?
Cocaine is a stimulant that can make people feel like they have more energy and are extra alert. But it can also make people feel restless, irritable, anxious, and paranoid. Large amounts of cocaine can lead to bizarre, unpredictable, and violent behavior.
Cocaine's effects appear almost immediately and disappear within a few minutes to an hour. How long the effects last and how intense they are will depend on how the person used it.
In some cases, cocaine can cause very serious health problems such as a heart attack, stroke, or coma.
What are the long-term effects of cocaine?
People who use cocaine over the long term may develop health problems. Which problems they have will depend on how they used the cocaine:
- Snorting it can lead to a loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, nasal damage, and trouble swallowing.
- Smoking it can cause a cough, asthma, trouble breathing, and a higher risk of infections like pneumonia.
- Injecting it with a needle can lead to skin or soft tissue infections, as well as scarring. It can cause collapsed veins. When a vein collapses, the blood cannot flow through it. Injecting cocaine also puts a person at higher risk of getting diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C.
Other long-term effects of cocaine use may include malnutrition and movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease.
Repeated use of cocaine can lead to tolerance. This means users need more and more of the drug to have the same effect. At higher doses over time, the body becomes dependent on cocaine. If someone who is dependent on cocaine stops using it, they will have withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can include:
- Depression
- Restlessness
- Fatigue
- Increased appetite
- Bad dreams and insomnia
- Slowed thinking
Repeated use of cocaine can also lead to cocaine use disorder, also called addiction. This is more than physical dependence. It's a chronic (long-lasting) brain disorder. When someone has it, they continue to use cocaine even though it causes problems in their life. Some examples include health problems and not being able to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home. Getting and using cocaine becomes their main purpose in life.
Can a person overdose on cocaine?
It's possible to overdose on cocaine. This happens when a person uses so much cocaine that it causes a life-threatening reaction or death. Some people use cocaine along with other drugs or alcohol. This can increase the risk of an overdose.
A cocaine overdose can cause health problems such as:
- Stroke
- Seizures
- irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Heart attack
There is no specific medicine to treat an overdose. Health care providers will focus on treating the specific health problems caused by the overdose.
What are the treatments for cocaine use disorder?
The treatments for cocaine use disorder are different types of behavioral therapies. There are no medicines which can treat it.
NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Next to it in ICD-10
- F11Opioid use disorders
- F12Cannabis use disorders
- F13Sedative or sleeping-pill use disorders
- F17Tobacco use disorders (nicotine dependence)
- F18Solvent (inhalant) use disorders
- F20Schizophrenia
Neighbouring codes in the classification, not a medical link.
External resources
Questions
What is the ICD-10 code for Cocaine use disorders?
F14 (WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision).
What is the ICD-11 code for Cocaine use disorders?
6C45.Z: Disorders due to use of cocaine, unspecified (WHO, ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics).
Sources and attribution
- ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, © World Health Organization, licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0 IGO.
- Names other than the official source titles: Anpheros translations and plain-language names, made with AI assistance and checked automatically; the source names are in English.
- Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- ICD-10 codes and titles © World Health Organization. Source: WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (2019).
Anpheros Search catalog 2026.10.5, published 17 October 2026. About the data →
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