What Are Some Short-Term Effects of Cocaine?

Cocaine is an illegal central nervous system stimulant. Cocaine is most often snorted, but it can also be smoked, inhaled or injected. According to a 2009 survey done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 4.8 million Americans over the age of 12 have abused cocaine at least once. Cocaine is highly addictive because it gives users energy and feelings of happiness. That being said, some of cocaine's short-term effects can also be extremely dangerous.

Heart Attack

• Cocaine is responsible for 25 percent of heart attacks in Americans under the age of 45, according to a clinical review published in the January 2008 issue of "Critical Care." Cocaine is toxic to the heart. Recreational doses compromise the heart's ability to contract and cause arrhythmias. This leads to a decrease in oxygen supply, which results in a heart attack. Cocaine-induced heart attacks tend to cause massive tissue death, leading to sudden death or the need for a heart transplant.

Gastric Perforation

• Although uncommon, cocaine use has been associated with acute gastric perforation. This is especially true in users who also drink alcohol. Cocaine causes blood vessels in the stomach to constrict. It also causes stomach muscles to spasm. This combination can cause tissue death in the walls of the stomach. If enough tissue dies, the stomach may perforate. Gastric perforation is life-threatening and must be immediately treated with surgery.

Agitated Delirium

• Cocaine-induced agitated delirium is characterized by aggression, paranoia and delirium one to two hours after cocaine use. Fever is often present and can be as high as 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Agitated delirium almost always leads to death, either due to cardiac arrest or multi-system organ failure. It's impossible to predict who will develop cocaine-induced agitated delirium. Agitated delirium is not typically associated with overdose.

Respiratory Collapse

• Cocaine acts on the lungs in a variety of ways, all of which can lead to respiratory collapse. Respiratory collapse is most common in users who have smoked or inhaled cocaine. Cocaine causes the lung tissue to swell and increases pressure in the lung's air sacs. This sometimes causes the air sacs to rupture. Inflammation of the air sacs is also commonly seen in cocaine users. Symptoms related to this effect include coughing, trouble breathing and chest pain. Treatment for respiratory collapse is mainly supportive and includes supplemental oxygen and airway support. Sometimes corticosteroids are used to treat severe lung inflammation.

Other Side Effects

• Cocaine use has a variety of acute nonfatal side effects as well. Nausea and vomiting are common. At higher doses, restlessness, irritability and tremors may be seen. Hallucinations, especially feeling bugs underneath the skin, present in a large number of cases. Occasionally, cocaine users may experience a severe headache due to a large spike in blood pressure. If the user has overdosed, the effects can include seizures, coma and death.