Mixing Cocaine and Xanax - Garden State Treatment Center

What is Cocaine?

Cocaine is an illicit, powerfully addictive substance. Cocaine, also known as coke, is a strong stimulant most frequently used as a recreational drug. Mental effects may include loss of contact with reality, an intense feeling of happiness, or agitation. Cocaine can be snorted, smoked or injected. It fluctuates in pigment from white to light rose or yellow. It stimulates the reward system, dopamine, of the brain and generates instant effects throughout the central nervous system.

Cocaine addicts build a forbearance swiftly because their bodies get used to the drug, and therefore more of the substance is necessary to deliver the consistent results of reaching a high. A cocaine addict’s physical brain function is dependent on the substance to be able to function normally.

Mixing Cocaine and Xanax2

What is Xanax?

Xanax, which is alprazolam, is a benzodiazepine. Alprazolam affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with anxiety. Xanax is used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and anxiety caused by depression. Xanax may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide. Xanax can cause paranoid or suicidal ideation and impair memory, judgment, and coordination.

Combining with other substances, particularly alcohol, can slow breathing and possibly lead to death. Xanax is commonly abused because it is an analgesic that treats moderate to severe pain, but people who don’t have pain can get a significant high off it.

Why is it Common for People to Mix Cocaine and Xanax?

People may co-use stimulants and depressants for several reasons. Cocaine is an infamous drug that is associated with high energy levels, excitability, and mental alertness, but it can cause irritability and paranoia as well. Some people may take Xanax to curb the acute effects of cocaine or to ease the discomfort associated with “coming down” from a cocaine high. Cocaine may also be taken to counteract the depressant effects of Xanax, including drowsiness and a sense of low energy.

What Happens When You Mix Cocaine and Xanax?

Both Xanax and cocaine can be incredibly dangerous drugs on their own, and each has a high risk of developing dependence and addiction. When they are taken together, the risk of immediate and long-term negative health and social consequences is substantially increased. A major danger of combining Xanax and cocaine is a heightened risk of acquiring dependence and addiction to one or both.

When they are taken at the same time, they limit the efficiency of each other, which may lead to someone taking greater doses of one or both drugs than they ordinarily would. Both Xanax and cocaine have opposite effects on the body and brain making difficult for someone who is using to identify the symptoms of an overdose. According to studies done by the Centers for Disease Control both cocaine and alprazolam were among the highest rates of death by overdose in recent years.

Among drug overdose deaths that mentioned at least one specific drug, the 10 most frequently mentioned drugs during 2011–2016 included fentanyl, heroin, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, alprazolam, diazepam, cocaine, and methamphetamine. (CDC)

Polydrug abuse means mixing two or more drugs to get high and it’s a very dangerous road. The more drugs you take at the same time, the more complex the interactions become, and they can often turn deadly. Mixing cocaine and Xanax is especially risky because one is an upper and the other a downer.

How Can Rehab at Garden State Treatment Center Help You?

Here at Garden State Treatment Center, we offer group therapy, individual addiction counseling, relapse prevention treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, and 12-step addiction treatment. We will look at your health and your life to make an individualized treatment plan that fits your needs and the safest route will be approached.

The medical staff will provide care that is around the clock. We are committed to an evidence-based treatment approach to be able to facilitate a long-term recovery for you. Take the first courageous step on the road to a healthy and happy life and call now for a confidential evaluation.


Published on: 2019-11-26
Updated on: 2024-02-29