Crack Withdrawal Symptoms
Crack withdrawal signs and symptoms often start soon after the drug begins to wear off. Avoiding uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms is a common reason why people keep using crack — even if they want to quit. Because the withdrawal symptoms are caused by the body craving more crack, if the individual takes crack, their withdrawal symptoms are relieved. However, by doing so, the individual essentially resets their progress toward stopping crack use.
Although the type of withdrawal symptoms may change over time, they often occur in some form over both the short and the long term.
Acute withdrawal crack cocaine withdrawal side effects are the ones that start right after stopping the drug. Compared to other drugs, there are few physical withdrawal symptoms from crack. Most side effects are instead mood-related and include symptoms like:
- Agitation
- Restlessness
- Low mood
- Fatigue
- General discomfort
- Appetite changes
- Dreams that are scary or vivid
- Slowed activity
- Cravings
Protracted Withdrawal Symptoms
Over time, as the body gets used to being without cocaine, withdrawal symptoms may change. Low mood and cravings are two of the symptoms that may last a long time. In certain cases, those symptoms may last for months. More concerning is that the person may develop thoughts of self-harm.