What Is Cocaine Drip?

The Realities of Snorting Cocaine and Your Nasal Passages

As the saying goes: the nose knows. And if you (or a loved one) sniffs cocaine, you may be familiar with the damage powdered coke can do.

The reality is this: snorting drugs, including cocaine, is hard on the nasal septum. They were not made for such abrasive and repetitive activities. As a result, you can develop several different issues with your nasal tissues if addiction is left to run rampant.

But, at its core, what is cocaine drip?

Cocaine drip refers to a chronically runny nose as a result of intranasal cocaine use, as well as to the taste of the drug itself as it slides down the user’s throat after insufflation.

In some cases, it can also lead to a chronically stuffy nose, nose bleeds, infections, and even perforations in your nasal septum.

Ingrained Recovery wants to help you mitigate the effects of cocaine abuse. Our facility offers our clients individualized and comprehensive treatment options so that you can make informed decisions about your care. Here’s what you should know about cocaine and your nose.

Cocaine Drip and the Adverse Effects of Chronic Cocaine Use

Unfortunately, there are many physical and mental health concerns that come from sustained cocaine addiction. One of the most common side effects is known as cocaine nose, which can result in several severe symptoms that impact your nasal cavity.

What can you expect from chronic drug abuse on your nasal passages from snorting drugs like coke?

Coke Drip Can Result in a Chronically Runny Nose or Nasal Congestion

The central nervous system isn’t the only thing impacted by cocaine addiction. Before you have damage to the nasal septum, you might have consistent issues with a runny nose. Cocaine drip, or coke drip, can impact your comfort in breathing easily and freely.

When regularly snorting cocaine, you shrink the blood vessels in the nose while simultaneously creating inflammation in the mucus membranes. This can lead to an array of symptoms, the first of which is a runny nose. You might find that your nose drips mucus or drains mucus down the back of your throat.

The opposite effect can also happen: As nasal tissues become inflamed, it can be harder to breathe due to nasal congestion. When this happens, you might incur sinus infections and extreme discomfort due to chronic cocaine use.

Cocaine Nose and the Effects of Internasal Drug Use

In addition to cocaine drip, regular intranasal use can lead to a much more serious issue known among most users simply as coke nose. Think of how using cocaine intranasally impacts the blood vessels. As blood is restricted from flowing to the septum, it leads to tissue damage.

Eventually, you may find that you have perforations in the septum. Continued use can lead to nasal collapse because the septum is the bridge responsible for structuring your nose.

Unfortunately, this is a very serious issue because the holes that form in nasal structure are not able to heal on their own. It requires surgery to correct a coke nose, or you will have to learn to live with your new nose.

What are the Long-Term Effects of Using Cocaine Intranasally?

Beyond the obvious symptoms of snorting cocaine, there are some long-term consequences that can really accrue over time. At first glance, some of them may not seem to be from cocaine use, but they can all be traced back to intranasal use.

Chronic Infections of Nasal Tissues

One of the issues with cocaine addiction is that it robs the body of its ability to ward off some of the more common types of infection, like chronic invasive fungal sinusitis. This means that it is significantly easier for bacteria and germs to uncover a new place to call home: your nasal passages.

Infections tend to occur over and over again, as long as cocaine use continues. These are unlikely to heal on their own. Instead, you might need antibiotics and ointments to fend off the effects of having snorted cocaine.

More Nose Bleeds with Tissue Damage

In addition to the inflamed passages of your nose, you might have to deal with some unpleasant nose bleeding. Snorting cocaine leads directly to damage of the tissues and blood vessels, which results in some serious bleeding.

You may even need to seek medical attention if bleeding does not stop in the first twenty minutes.

Keep in mind that you will also have scabs on the inside of your nose from the habit of snorting. If the scabs become disrupted, you may trigger a brand new nosebleed.

Unlike a runny nose, which may be annoying but not painful, a nosebleed could trigger some pain. A bleed caused by torn tissues is bound to be accompanied by pain, as is a disrupted scab. While it may not be enough to warrant medical help, it can certainly put a damper on your drug use.

Inflamed Oral Tissues and the Coca Plant

When some people are snorting drugs, they are also wiping the remnants of the powder on their gums to absorb every last bit of the substance. Unfortunately, this means that you’re not only damaging your nasal mucosa but also causing oral tissue damage.

By applying the powder to the gums, you might experience tooth decay and gum disease. If you were to ignore the early warning signs and let it run rampant untreated, then you may find that you will lose teeth or develop lesions in the mouth.

In some serious cases, cocaine addiction has also been linked to head and neck cancers. The lesions on the mouth could be an early warning sign that oral cancers are developing, so always consult with a medical professional about consistent sores in the mouth.

Do Mental Health Issues Often Occur With Frequent Cocaine Use?

In addition to the various issues with reduced blood flow, chronic infection, and possible cancer, you may find that your issue goes beyond just the need for nasal surgery. Your mental health could be at risk from the first moment you snort cocaine, particularly if you are predisposed to such issues.

Drug abuse has been linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, paranoia, and panic attacks. In some instances, it may even cause episodes of psychosis.

All of this is compounded by the mental toll that cocaine nose will take on you. It can damage your self-esteem and the way you see yourself. Cocaine nose also lets the world know that you have a drug use issue, something that you may have taken great pains to hide.

Never forget that mental health is just as important as physical health. Cocaine is extremely addictive, and the increased risk for mental health issues should never be underestimated.

Let Ingrained Recovery Help You Put Cocaine in the Past

Ingrained Recovery can help you take the first steps toward sobriety from some of the most popular illicit drugs, including cocaine use. When you’re tired of post-nasal drip, nose bleeds, infections, and other common symptoms of substance abuse, we offer same-day placement for quick decisions.

Our campus allows you to recover in a luxurious, private setting on fifty acres of Georgia’s most pristine land. Allow our clinicians to meet your needs around the clock so that you can get a handle on cocaine use before returning to your home. Every client receives a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to their individual needs.

Let our enrollment team verify your insurance benefits and let you know what to expect from our facility with a quick and confidential phone call today!

References

1. Businco, L. D., Lauriello, M., Marsico, C., Corbisiero, A., Cipriani, O., & Tirelli, G. C. (2008). Psychological aspects and treatment of patients with nasal septal perforation due to cocaine inhalation. Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 28(5), 247–251.
2. Pekala, K. R., Clavenna, M. J., Shockley, R., Weiss, V. L., & Turner, J. H. (2015). Chronic invasive fungal sinusitis associated with intranasal drug use. The Laryngoscope, 125(12), 2656–2659.
3. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Nosebleed : Medlineplus medical encyclopedia. MedlinePlus.
4. Zhang, M., Chen, C., Li, G., Koric, A., Lee, Y. A., Morgenstern, H., Schwartz, S. M., Sturgis, E. M., Boffetta, P., Hashibe, M., & Zhang, Z. F. (2024). Cocaine use and head and neck cancer risk: A pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium. Cancer medicine, 13(3), e7019.
5. Haasen, C., Prinzleve, M., Gossop, M., Fischer, G., & Casas, M. (2005). Relationship between cocaine use and mental health problems in a sample of European cocaine powder or crack users. World psychiatry: official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 4(3), 173–176.