Considered a Schedule II drug, cocaine is a highly addictive illegal substance that leads to nearly 1.3 million Americans being diagnosed with cocaine use disorder according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
Classified as a stimulant, cocaine causes short bursts of elation immediately after use. While the highs are short-lived, cocaine can stay in your system for days to months, depending on the testing method, the amount ingested, and your body’s metabolic reduction.
Even if you or a loved one has stopped using cocaine, it can appear in your system long after your last use, affecting aspects of your life such as work or health if testing is required.
The good news is that cocaine addiction does not have to last forever. In fact, once it’s entirely out of your system, you can work on restoring your overall physical and mental health with an addiction professional and lead a life of long-term sobriety.
If you or someone you know is struggling with cocaine use and addiction, we can help.
Don’t delay treatment or testing. Get the help you need now.
Let’s dive into understanding cocaine use further, including answering the popular question, “How long does cocaine stay in your system?”
First, What Is Cocaine?
Cocaine is an amphetamine that directly affects the central nervous system with addictive properties.
It is classified as a stimulant because it can increase and intensify feelings of pleasure, energy, and alertness.
Cocaine is often referred to as
- snow
- coke
- blow
- rock
- crack
Most often created and ingested in powder form, cocaine can come in a crystal rock substance.
All types of cocaine ingestion are harmful to the body and can be traced in your system long after your last use.
Long-term cocaine use can negatively affect your body and brain.
Side effects include
- cravings and addiction
- headaches
- seizures
- mood changes
- sexual problems
- lung damage
- heart issues, including heart disease or heart attack.
- stroke
- nose-related problems, including loss of smell, constant runny noses, and nosebleeds
- difficulty swallowing
- HIV or hepatitis (if injected)
- bowel trouble
- a change in overall brain chemistry
How Long Does Cocaine Last?
Cocaine produces a quick high that lasts only about 5 to 30 minutes, depending on how you ingest it.
Its short-acting nature leads to many people using it over and over in a short period and several times per day.
Many people have been known to binge on cocaine over several hours to days to extend their high from minutes to hours or longer.
How Long Does Cocaine Last in Your System?
Cocaine can stay in your system for days to months following use. Times vary based on each person’s ability to metabolize the substance.
Another factor to consider when determining how long cocaine may stay in your system is how you’re testing for it.
In general, cocaine can be detected in the urine, hair, blood, or saliva.
The average time for how long cocaine stays in your system is broken down by detection location sample.
Below, we’ve broken down general timelines based on bodily location.
How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your Urine?
Generally speaking, cocaine can show up in a urine test for up to 4 days following last use for most people. For heavy or regular users, cocaine can remain in the system and be detected by a urine test for up to 2 weeks or longer.
Despite the different testing options and methods available, urine screening continues to be the most commonly used method of testing for cocaine detection.
How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your Hair?
Considered one of the less common testing options, cocaine is often detected for the longest time in your hair. Timing is somewhat based on how quickly your hair grows, but generally, cocaine can be detected in the hair follicles for 3 months or longer.
How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your Saliva?
Saliva testing is the least invasive way to test for cocaine and other drugs, but detection times are limited. Generally, cocaine can only be detected in the saliva for 1 to 3 days after the last use.
How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your Blood?
Because of its fast-acting nature, blood testing for cocaine use is generally not used or recommended. In most cases, cocaine can only be detected in the blood for up to 8 hours after ingestion.
Factors That May Affect Cocaine Detection Timelines
It is essential to know that everyone’s body and metabolism for processing substances are different.
What may take your body 2 days to process could take someone else a week or more. It is essential to work with an addiction specialist to help you understand the effect of cocaine on your system.
Outside of sample type and metabolism, other factors that may affect cocaine detection timelines include
- Cocaine purity
- Ingestion amount
- Method of drug administration
- Physical characteristics, such as height, weight, and overall health
- Body fat content
- Pre-existing health conditions, such as high blood pressure, kidney disorder, or liver disease
- Urine pH level
Effective and Personalized Cocaine Addiction Treatment in Utah
If you or a loved one needs help with effective cocaine treatment, our team at Alpine Recovery Lodge is here to help you through all stages of your recovery journey.
Working with our expert addiction specialists, we help you assess and mitigate your symptoms and detox effectively.
Contact us today to speak confidentially with our team and start your road to cocaine addiction recovery now.
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