Cocaine Nose (Coke Nose)

What Is Coke Nose?

“Cocaine nose” is a catch-all term for nasal damage caused by snorting cocaine.

Regularly inhaling cocaine can irritate your sinuses and make your nose red, stuffy, or itchy. Left unchecked, it can damage your nasal tissue, and the effects can continue even after you stop using cocaine.

How Cocaine Damages the Nose

Cocaine irritates your nasal lining and constricts the blood vessels in your nose, which reduces circulation.

When your nose doesn’t get enough blood, the tissue doesn’t get enough oxygen and can’t heal the damage. Regular cocaine use piles on more irritation without giving your body a chance to recover, leading to more serious complications.

Early Damage

One of the earliest signs of cocaine-related nose damage is non-allergic rhinitis, or an inflamed nasal lining. It can cause inflammation inside your nose and swelling in your sinuses.

You might experience symptoms resembling a sinus infection, including the following signs: 

• Runny nose
• Nasal congestion/stuffiness
• Sneezing
• Snoring
• Itchy nose, eyes, and throat
• Snoring or sleepiness
• Nasal crusts
• Loss of smell
• Nosebleeds

Advanced Damage

With enough time and regular cocaine use, the inflammation and lack of blood flow can cause the tissue in your nose to thin, deteriorate, or die.

In the long term, cocaine nose can take the following forms: 

• Septal perforation: A hole or tear in your nasal septum (the cartilage between your nostrils).
• Palate perforation: In some cases, the damage can extend to the roof of your mouth (palate), resulting in holes in the tissue.
• Saddle nose: Sagging of your nasal bridge (the middle part of your nose).
• Nasal pyramid collapse: In extreme cases, the nose can fully collapse on itself.

How Common Is Coke Nose?

Damage to your nasal septum is the signature complication of “cocaine nose” and appears in around 5% of people who snort cocaine.

While women are more likely to become addicted to cocaine, some research indicates that cocaine-related nose damage is more common in men.

Heavy, regular cocaine use also increases the risk of damaging your nose. For example, a 1980s study of teens who abused cocaine found that 47% of those who used the drug daily had nasal irritation, a 17% increase over those who abused the drug less frequently.

Treatment Options for Cocaine Nose

Stopping or reducing your cocaine use is the most important step to prevent lasting nose damage. If you’re already experiencing symptoms, medical help may offer symptom relief, prevent nasal problems from worsening, and repair the damage.

It’s also important to be upfront with your doctor about drug usage. Some cocaine nose symptoms resemble other conditions, like allergic rhinitis. Being honest helps them diagnose you more quickly, so you can receive the treatment you need.

Medical Intervention

Rhinitis caused by cocaine use doesn’t necessarily have a “cure.” Instead, it acts more like an autoimmune disease, where the symptoms can “hibernate” and reawaken. But many treatments can help people without nose tissue damage manage their symptoms.

You can treat cocaine-related rhinitis through over-the-counter or prescription treatments like these: 

• Saline irrigation
• Antihistamines
• Nasal steroid sprays
• Decongestants
• Oral antibiotics

Surgery

In individuals with nasal deformities or dying tissue, doctors may need to reconstruct the damaged areas surgically. The best procedures and techniques will depend on a person’s specific case.

For example, holes or tears can often be repaired with cartilage grafts from other parts of your body.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

Successfully treating cocaine nose depends on stopping your cocaine use. For example, doctors usually require abstinence for at least one year before reconstructive nose surgery.

It’s best to undergo cocaine addiction treatment under medical supervision, with the following options being good places to start:  

• Medical detox: These programs help you safely transition off cocaine while preventing or managing withdrawal symptoms.
• Rehab: Cocaine rehab often offers medical detox services combined with mental health interventions, like support group meetings and therapy sessions. You can go through rehab inpatient or outpatient.
• Counseling: A substance abuse counselor or therapist can help you discuss the emotional factors behind your cocaine use and develop healthier coping skills.

Get Help For Cocaine Addictions and Prevent Cocaine Nose

Cocaine nose can cause anything from a runny nose to holes in your septum that require surgery to repair. No matter the type or severity of your symptoms, quitting cocaine is essential to help your nose heal.

While facing a cocaine addiction can seem daunting, you or your loved ones don’t have to go it alone. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) online treatment locator to find substance abuse clinics in your area.

Support groups like Cocaine Addicts Anonymous can also be a good place to start. You can connect with people who understand your struggle and get the support you need to improve your nose and your overall health.

Written by

Brooke Helton

Medical Content Writer

Brooke Helton is a freelance writer passionate about wellness topics, especially the relationship between physical and mental health. As a contributor to AddictionHelp.com, she’s proud to combine her writing and research skills to inform and empower people impacted by substance abuse.

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• Fact-Checked
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Kent S. Hoffman, D.O.

Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer

Kent S. Hoffman, D.O. has been an expert in addiction medicine for more than 15 years. In addition to managing a successful family medical practice, Dr. Hoffman is board certified in addiction medicine by the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM). Dr. Hoffman has successfully treated hundreds of patients battling addiction. Dr. Hoffman is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of AddictionHelp.com and ensures the website’s medical content and messaging quality.