Cocaine detox · Tarzana, CA
Cocaine detox in Los Angeles, with the risk put where it belongs.
Cocaine detox in Los Angeles is mostly about getting through a mental and emotional crash, not a physical emergency. Expect exhaustion, long sleep, hunger, low mood, vivid dreams and strong cravings for days to a few weeks. The real dangers are depression with suicidal thoughts, and going back to a supply that may contain fentanyl.
What cocaine withdrawal is, and why it looks unlike other detox
Cocaine withdrawal is the brain and body resetting after heavy use stops, and it shows up mainly in mood, energy, sleep and appetite rather than in shaking or vomiting. MedlinePlus points out that it often has none of the visible physical signs families may know from alcohol or heroin withdrawal.
That difference shapes everything on this page. SAMHSA’s guide to treating stimulant use disorders (TIP 33) finds no consistent physical disruption that would call for a gradual, tapered stop. It names a different hazard as the greatest one: harm to self, through the depression that can follow the drug. Detox here is about watching mood, rest and safety, and NIDA is clear that the medical phase is a first stage of treatment, not the whole of it.
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Symptoms
What are cocaine withdrawal symptoms?
The main cocaine withdrawal symptoms are low mood, tiredness, restlessness, a bigger appetite, vivid and unpleasant dreams, slowed movement and intense cravings, according to MedlinePlus. TIP 33 adds a longer list, grouped here by what a family is likely to notice.
Mood
Dysphoria, a heavy, uneasy unhappiness, is the core of it. TIP 33 says it can deepen into depression and, in some people, suicidal thoughts. Anxiety, irritability and anhedonia, the loss of pleasure in things that used to matter, often come with it.
Energy and body
Fatigue and slowed movement are typical. So are hunger, weight gain and chills. None of these needs emergency care on its own.
Sleep
Sleep often swings from one extreme to the other: trouble sleeping at first, then hypersomnia, which means sleeping far more than usual. Vivid dreams about using are common.
Thinking and craving
Memory can be poor for a while. Craving can be strong, and it tends to spike around reminders of past use.
Timing
How long does cocaine withdrawal last?
For most people the worst passes within several days and milder symptoms fade over one to three weeks, though no federal source gives a single number. The ranges below come from TIP 33 and MedlinePlus, and they overlap.
The first days: the crash
Withdrawal develops hours to days after heavy use ends. Some people notice it a day or two after the last dose. A cocaine binge typically lasts 12 to 18 hours, TIP 33 notes, and someone coming off a binge of two or three days may sleep for 24 to 48 hours. Agitation and anxiety often come first, then exhaustion, low mood and a powerful need to sleep.
Weeks one to three
After chronic use, TIP 33 describes severe symptoms for several days and milder ones for one to three weeks. Mood often returns to its usual level somewhere between several days and a month. This is also the window for the closest watch on suicidal thoughts.
Months later
MedlinePlus says craving and depression can last for months after long-term heavy use. Drug dreams can recur for six months or more, and craving set off by people, places or moods tied to past use can surface long after the crash has gone. None of this means withdrawal failed; it is why treatment continues after detox ends.
Risk
Is cocaine withdrawal dangerous? Where the risk really sits
Cocaine withdrawal is rarely dangerous to the body, but it can be dangerous to the person. MedlinePlus says it may be less dangerous than alcohol withdrawal while still carrying a risk of suicide or overdose. The table sorts the four places risk can come from.
| Source of risk | How serious, according to federal guidance | What a family can do |
|---|---|---|
| The body itself | Low compared with alcohol withdrawal. TIP 33 finds no consistent physical disruption that would require a gradual stop. | Let the person sleep and eat. There is no cocaine dose to taper. |
| Mood and suicide | The greatest risk. TIP 33 calls harm to self the main danger of stimulant withdrawal and advises monitoring for suicidal thoughts in the first one to two weeks. | Ask directly how they are, stay close, and call or text 988 for any talk of suicide. Call 911 if they are in immediate danger. |
| Sedatives taken to come down | Alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioids used to sleep through the crash can bring a withdrawal of their own, which TIP 33 says may need specific management. | Tell admissions about every substance, including pills that were prescribed. |
| Going back to cocaine | TIP 33 says much of the street stimulant supply now includes fentanyl, and NIDA lists lowered tolerance after a break as an overdose risk factor. | Learn the signs of an opioid overdose and keep naloxone close. |
A summary of federal guidance, not a plan for managing withdrawal at home without medical advice.
If drinking is part of the picture, read about alcohol withdrawal, which carries its own medical risks. For sleeping pills, anxiety medicines or pain pills, see withdrawal from sedative and other prescription pills.
Symptom sorter
Is it cocaine withdrawal, or an emergency?
The left column is what cocaine withdrawal usually looks like. The right column is not withdrawal. Most of those signs are ones MedlinePlus lists for cocaine overdose, the last is a suicide emergency, and any of them means calling 911 now.
| What you notice | Expected in withdrawal | Not withdrawal: call 911 |
|---|---|---|
| Alertness | Drowsy, slow, sleeping for long stretches but waking when called | Cannot be woken, or loses awareness |
| Movement | Slowed down, or restless and fidgety | A seizure |
| Temperature and skin | Chills, feeling cold | Very high body temperature, heavy sweating, or bluish skin |
| Heart and breathing | No marked change expected | A very fast or irregular heartbeat, or fast or difficult breathing |
| Mood | Low, flat, irritable or anxious | Talk of suicide with a plan, or any attempt at self-harm |
Signs in the right column suggest recent use, overdose or another drug, possibly an opioid. Do not wait to see whether they pass.
Mood
Is it the crash, or depression?
Low mood straight after cocaine is usually part of withdrawal and lifts within hours to days, TIP 33 says. Low mood that stays, or deepens, may be depression that needs its own care.
TIP 33 notes that this low mood is often bound up with the real consequences of the drug use, which can make the first days feel bleaker. For many people mood returns to its usual level within several days to a month.
Two patterns call for a closer look. TIP 33 notes that depression a person had before using tends to get worse during withdrawal. MedlinePlus adds that after long, heavy use, depression and craving can last for months. In either case, an evaluation for a co-occurring condition is worth asking for, because NIDA’s treatment principles call for mental health conditions and substance use to be assessed and treated together. Mental health conditions that occur with substance use are part of the assessment; see how Lumora approaches dual diagnosis care.
For families
The first 14 days after cocaine: what to watch for
TIP 33 names the first one to two weeks of stimulant withdrawal as the time to watch for suicidal thoughts. These seven points sort the expected from the urgent.
- Days of heavy sleep and big mealsExpected after a binge. They should still wake when called; if they cannot be roused, call 911.
- Flat, irritable or tearful moodsCommon in the crash. They usually ease over days to weeks.
- Talk of not wanting to live, or of ending their lifeA warning sign at any point. Call or text 988; call 911 if they are in immediate danger.
- Drinking or taking pills to get to sleepThis can start a second dependence. Tell a doctor or admissions what is being used.
- Sudden, strong cravings around reminders of useCue-triggered craving is expected. Planning around those reminders is part of treatment.
- Low mood that deepens after the second week instead of liftingA reason to ask for a mental health evaluation, not to wait it out.
- A seizure, a high fever, a racing heart or trouble breathingNot withdrawal. Call 911.
If suicide comes up
Four steps if someone mentions suicide during withdrawal
TIP 33 notes that suicide is a significant cause of death among people who misuse stimulants and recommends regular checks on self-harm risk and a safety plan. At home, these steps come first.
Ask directly
Ask, in simple words, whether they are thinking about suicide, and listen to the answer without arguing.
Stay with them
Keep them company while you get help. Do not leave someone alone who has said they might act.
Call or text 988
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline answers at any hour, for the person or for a worried family member.
Call 911 for danger
If they have a plan and the means, have already harmed themselves, or you cannot keep them safe, call 911.
Fentanyl in the supply
Why cocaine is more dangerous now: fentanyl
Cocaine-involved overdose deaths have climbed steeply over the past decade, mainly because fentanyl is mixed into the supply. NIDA identifies illegally made fentanyl as the main driver of cocaine-involved overdose deaths.
The numbers are stark. NIDA reports that cocaine-involved deaths in the United States rose from 6,784 in 2015 to 29,449 in 2023. The CDC puts the 2023 picture this way: nearly 60,000 overdose deaths involved cocaine or other stimulants, about 57% of all 105,007, and cocaine-involved deaths alone rose nearly 7% from the year before.
TIP 33 notes that much of the street stimulant supply now includes fentanyl and that cocaine overdose deaths are mainly due to that combination. MedlinePlus adds that cocaine is often cut with other substances. A person who stopped for a few weeks and then uses again faces the added problem NIDA describes: lowered tolerance raises overdose risk.
Every family dealing with cocaine should know the basics of naloxone and the signs of an opioid overdose, and keep naloxone close; our heroin page lists the four steps for giving naloxone nasal spray.
Medication
Is there medication for cocaine withdrawal?
No medicine is approved by the FDA for cocaine use disorder, according to NIDA and SAMHSA, and MedlinePlus notes that no medicine currently reduces cocaine cravings.
Families sometimes see medication advertised for cocaine detox; the federal position is that none is approved. Any medicine used during withdrawal would be for a specific symptom, chosen by a prescriber for that person. Since TIP 33 finds no physical need for a gradual stop, a plan to taper cocaine has no basis in the federal guidance.
What does help, NIDA reports, is behavioral treatment. Contingency management rewards drug-free test results with vouchers or prizes, and NIDA says it helps people reach early abstinence and stay in treatment. NIDA also reports that cognitive behavioral therapy is effective. These belong to treatment after detox, and any program can be asked which of them it offers. What the stage after detox looks like at Lumora is on our page about cocaine rehab after the crash.
Setting
Does cocaine withdrawal need a residential program?
Not for everyone. MedlinePlus says outpatient care is about as effective as inpatient care for most people, and that a live-in program may be recommended when use is severe.
When outpatient care can be enough
Stimulant withdrawal is not usually a medical emergency in itself, and for most people outpatient treatment works about as well as a live-in stay. Withdrawal alone is rarely the reason someone needs to sleep somewhere other than home.
When a licensed residence may fit
MedlinePlus names severe use as the case for a live-in program. TIP 33 adds that regular drinking or pills taken to come down can bring a second withdrawal that needs its own management. Because the body is rarely at risk from cocaine itself, our assessment asks whether residential care suits the person, not only whether withdrawal can be managed.
When a hospital or psychiatric unit comes first
TIP 33 says people with significant medical or psychiatric problems may need medically or psychiatrically managed care. Suicidal intent, psychosis that does not clear within a few days, or any sign in the 911 column above means hospital care before anything else. Lumora is a residential program, not a hospital or a psychiatric unit. Psychosis is more often a methamphetamine problem; see how methamphetamine withdrawal and psychosis differ.
At Lumora
Cocaine detox in Los Angeles at Lumora: what the assessment weighs
The first call covers how much cocaine, how often and for how long; anything taken to come down; past or current depression; and any thoughts of suicide. From those answers admissions explains whether a stay in Tarzana fits, or whether outpatient care or a hospital would be the better start, and says so directly.
California’s Department of Health Care Services lists Lumora Recovery at 6130 Wilbur Avenue as a licensed residential program with detoxification for six residents, License No. 191642AP, with approval to provide incidental medical services. Families can confirm it themselves: open Lumora’s listing in the state facility data.
When residential treatment is the right next step, it follows detox in the same house, without a transfer. For other substances, see medical detox across every substance. We work with many PPO plans, and admissions checks benefits by phone; to understand the rules first, read how health plans handle addiction treatment.
Safety first
Thoughts of suicide after the crash: call or text 988 now.
If someone is talking about ending their life, or you fear they might, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, day or night. Call 911 if they are in immediate danger, or for a seizure, very high temperature, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or trouble breathing after cocaine use.
FAQ
Questions families ask
How long does a cocaine crash last?
Usually several days. SAMHSA’s stimulant guide (TIP 33) describes a crash that can begin a day or two after the last use and last several days, with milder withdrawal carrying on for one to three weeks after chronic use. Mood often returns to normal within several days to a month.
Why do people sleep for a day or two after a cocaine binge?
After a binge of two or three days, TIP 33 says people may sleep for 24 to 48 hours. The body is catching up on what the drug held off. They should still wake normally; someone who cannot be roused needs 911.
Are there physical symptoms of cocaine withdrawal, or is it all in the mind?
Mostly mind and mood, but not entirely. MedlinePlus notes that cocaine withdrawal often shows none of the visible signs of heroin or alcohol withdrawal, such as vomiting and shaking. TIP 33 still lists hunger, weight gain, fatigue, chills, slowed movement and disrupted sleep.
Why do cocaine cravings come back weeks or months later?
Reminders of past use can set off craving long after the crash has passed, which TIP 33 calls cue-triggered craving. MedlinePlus adds that craving and depression can last for months after long, heavy use.
What are drug dreams after quitting cocaine?
Vivid dreams about using cocaine. TIP 33 lists them among withdrawal symptoms and says they can keep happening for six months or more. They are common and are not a sign that someone has used again.
What should we do if someone talks about suicide after stopping cocaine?
Take it seriously and stay with them. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, at any hour. If they are in immediate danger, call 911. TIP 33 advises watching for suicidal thoughts in the first one to two weeks of stimulant withdrawal.
Is there an approved medicine for cocaine addiction?
No. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and SAMHSA both state that the FDA has approved no medication for cocaine use disorder. NIDA reports that behavioral treatments, such as contingency management and cognitive behavioral therapy, are often the only effective options available.
Why is cocaine more likely to cause an overdose now?
Because of fentanyl. NIDA identifies illegally made fentanyl as the main driver of cocaine-involved overdose deaths, which rose to 29,449 in 2023. Someone who expects cocaine may be taking an opioid without knowing it.
What does "landing gear" mean in cocaine withdrawal?
It is the alcohol, benzodiazepines, cannabis or opioids some people take to sleep through the crash. TIP 33 warns that regular use of these can create a second withdrawal of its own, and that one may need specific medical management.
Can cocaine cause psychosis, and how long does it last?
It can, though TIP 33 says stimulant psychosis is seen more often with methamphetamine than with cocaine. Cocaine psychosis usually clears within one to three days. Paranoia or hallucinations that last longer need a medical and psychiatric evaluation.
Other ways we help
Care at Lumora
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Medical Detox
Medically supervised withdrawal in the residence, leading straight into residential treatment.
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Residential Treatment
Living at Lumora for the length of the program, rather than going home each night.
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Dual Diagnosis Care
Mental health conditions that occur with substance use, treated together with it.
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Eating Disorder Support
Coordinated planning for eating disorders alongside substance use, including referral when that is safer.
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Aftercare Planning
A plan for life after Lumora, pointing to PHP, IOP, outpatient care, sober living or therapy near home.
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Tour the Residence
Bedrooms, lounges, the wellness room and the garden, photographed as they are.
Sources
- MedlinePlus, Cocaine withdrawal
- MedlinePlus, Cocaine intoxication
- SAMHSA, TIP 33: Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders (updated 2021)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Cocaine
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug overdose deaths: facts and figures
- CDC, Stimulant overdose
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Overdose prevention education for clinicians
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment
- California DHCS, Incidental Medical Services
- California DHCS, SUD Recovery Treatment Facilities (state facility record)
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
This page is for information and is not a substitute for medical, legal or insurance advice. Sources checked October 10, 2026.
Admissions, 24 hours a day
Cocaine detox in Los Angeles, starting with a conversation about mood and safety.
Call at any hour. Describe the cocaine use, anything taken to come down, and how the person is feeling now, and we will say whether a stay at Lumora fits or another setting would serve them better.