Mixing Cocaine And Oxycodone: Risks And Effects

Mixing cocaine and oxycodone is a dangerous drug combination that people sometimes use to try to balance out the different effects of each substance. Oxycodone is a prescription opioid painkiller used to treat pain, while cocaine is an illegal stimulant that creates intense but short-lived feelings of energy and euphoria. When combined, this mixture is sometimes called a “speedball.”

People may use these drugs together thinking that the stimulant effects of cocaine will counteract the sedating effects of oxycodone, or that the opioid will help ease the crash that comes after cocaine use. However, this combination increases the risk of overdose, addiction, and serious health complications. Both drugs are highly addictive on their own, and using them together can lead to faster development of tolerance and dependence.

Find out more about mixing opioids and stimulants.

Why Do People Mix Cocaine And Oxycodone?

People usually take cocaine and oxycodone together as a form of “speedballing” (a slang term that originally referred to mixing cocaine and heroin). The purpose of taking a stimulant like cocaine alongside a depressant like oxycodone is to amplify or stack perceived positive effects and “smooth out” the negative effects. People use opioids to ease symptoms of anxiety that can happen during and after a cocaine high. Cocaine generally reduces fatigue and sluggishness that people feel during opioid use.

Effects Of Combining Cocaine And Oxycodone

Because cocaine is illegal and is not processed in certified labs, its quality and purity may fluctuate. Some cocaine dealers cut or alter the drug with other substances that can include hallucinogens, opioids, or amphetamines. Effects of combined cocaine and oxycodone use can include a wide array of effects from excessive stimulant ingestion or depressant intake.

Effects Of Cocaine

The effects of cocaine can vary depending on nature of any adulterants that have been added along the way. Assuming the cocaine is pure, the effects are similar to other stimulants.

Some effects of cocaine ingestion include:

• anxiety
• agitation
• restlessness
• euphoria
• excitability
• muscle tremors
• high blood pressure
• increased heart rate
• talkativeness and rambling

These effects typically begin within minutes of using cocaine and can last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how the drug was taken. While some effects like euphoria may seem positive, all of these changes put stress on the body and can pose health risks, especially when combined with other substances like oxycodone.

Effects Of Oxycodone

Typically, oxycodone’s effects will last longer than a single dose of cocaine. People that use speedballs might binge cocaine to continue feeling the combined effects. Oxycodone prevents the transmission of pain signals and depresses important life-sustaining systems that regulate heart rate and respiration.

Some effects of oxycodone use include:

• nausea
• slowed heart rate
• low blood pressure
• respiratory depression
• dizziness
• drowsiness
• constipation

Oxycodone is usually manufactured legally for pharmaceutical purposes. However, there are some illegal entities that manufacture counterfeit oxycodone pills. These fake pills may contain stronger opioids like fentanyl, which contribute to a large number of opioid deaths in the U.S.

Risks Of Mixing Cocaine With Oxycodone

Using cocaine and oxycodone together has dangerous long-term and short-term effects. Specific dangers include a high risk of overdose, addiction and dependence, and a long list of serious, potentially deadly health effects.

Physical Effects Of Mixing Cocaine And Oxycodone

Cocaine and oxycodone work in opposing ways on the heart and respiratory system. This internal “tug-of-war” on the heart, in particular, can cause both immediate damage and lasting complications. People that take cocaine with oxycodone may have a number of health complications due to continued use.

Some health problems associated with mixing cocaine and OxyContin include:

• acute coronary syndromes
• low blood pressure
• heart attack
• stroke
• seizures
• kidney and liver damage
• paralysis
• increased risk of cancers and infections
• irregular heartbeat
• increased sensitivity to pain
• constipation

The combination of these opposing drugs creates unpredictable and potentially life-threatening effects that can occur even with first-time use.

Mental Effects Of “Speedballing”

Mental health disorders and other psychiatric issues may carry on even after combined cocaine and opioid use has stopped.

Mental health effects of oxycodone and cocaine abuse include:

• anxiety
• general irritability
• memory loss
• psychosis
• chronic depression

Behavioral therapy is often useful for people that have residual mental health concerns due to drug abuse.

Risk Of Overdose Death From Polydrug Abuse

Cocaine is much shorter-acting than opioids, which means when the cocaine effects wear off, the full depressant effects of oxycodone can suddenly overwhelm the body’s central nervous system. This timing difference makes it easy for people to accidentally take too much of either drug, especially when they can’t feel the full effects of the oxycodone while the cocaine is still active.

In order to understand the symptoms of polysubstance abuse and overdose, you have to look at overdose symptoms of the individual drugs.

Symptoms of cocaine and oxycodone overdose include:

• trouble breathing or slowed breathing
• chest pain
• rapid or slowed heart rate
• high or low blood pressure
• confusion or coma
• agitation or lethargy
• cold, clammy skin or excessive sweating
• seizures
• unawareness of surroundings
• irregular heartbeat or heart rhythm problems

The combination of these opposing drugs makes overdose symptoms unpredictable and extremely dangerous. While naloxone (Narcan) can help reverse opioid overdose effects, it won’t address cocaine toxicity, and the presence of both drugs complicates emergency treatment. Anyone experiencing these symptoms needs immediate emergency medical attention, as overdose from this drug combination can be fatal within minutes.

Abusing Cocaine And Oxycodone Can Lead To Addiction

Both cocaine and oxycodone affect dopamine pathways in the brain, which act as reward triggers that make people feel good when they use these substances. When someone takes either drug, their brain creates a positive “memory” associated with the euphoria and neurochemical release, which can lead to repeated use and eventual addiction. While not everyone who uses these drugs becomes addicted, the powerful effects on the brain’s reward system make both substances highly addictive, especially when used together.

As addiction develops, people often become physically dependent on cocaine and oxycodone, meaning they experience negative withdrawal symptoms when they stop using the drugs. Over time, tolerance builds up and people need larger amounts of both substances to feel the same effects and avoid withdrawal symptoms. This cycle of increasing use and dependence makes it extremely difficult to stop without professional help.

People experiencing withdrawal from cocaine and oxycodone use may experience:

• nausea
• vomiting
• severe drug cravings
• irritability/aggression
• depression
• shaking limbs
• insomnia
• diarrhea
• chills
• increased blood pressure
• increased heart rate
• general weakness

The combination of addiction to both substances creates a complex dependence that requires specialized treatment to address safely. Withdrawal from this drug should always be managed under medical supervision to prevent serious complications.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff