A case of late-onset dependence on cocaine and crack.

AIMS: To raise awareness among the professional clinical and research community of the risk of cocaine misuse among elderly patients.

METHODS

Case report of a male patient, aged 72 years, who presented to a community substance misuse service with cocaine use disorder (hydrochloride and base form).

RESULTS

The development of the disorder was marked by high levels of cocaine (and later crack cocaine use), repeated periods of abstinence followed by relapse in the past 4 years, with severe consequences to the patient and his family. Treatment involved a close collaboration between several specialist addictions and old-age psychiatry teams in National Health Service.

IMPLICATIONS: Although dependence on cocaine among the elderly is considered very rare, clinical management can be challenging and is likely to require the involvement of several specialist and general health services.