Highlights•Cocaine use disorder patients display a different regulation of ACTH secretion than a control sample in this human laboratory study.•Intranasal Desmopressin increased ACTH secretion more than after a similar procedure preceded by a treatment with intranasal Oxytocin for cocaine use disorder patients.•Intranasal Desmopressin decreased ACTH secretion more than after a similar procedure preceded by a treatment with intranasal Oxytocin for the control sample.