Cocaine is a highly potent stimulant drug that causes side effects like increased energy, euphoria, and heightened self-confidence. It can also cause adverse effects like anxiety, paranoia, and aggressive behavior. Unfortunately, cocaine misuse is a common issue in the United States.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), 27,788,000 people in America abused cocaine at some point in their lifetime.[1]

If you or a loved one abuse cocaine, you might be wondering how long it stays in your system. The half-life of cocaine is one hour, which means it leaves your body within 5 hours.[2] However, drug tests can detect cocaine or its metabolites for longer periods.

For example, drug tests can find cocaine in urine for up to 3 days after your last dose. Hair tests can detect it for up to 90 days.

In this article, you will learn:

• How long the effects of cocaine last
• What is cocaine’s half-life and how long does it stay in your system
• How long can drug tests detect cocaine

How Long Do the Effects of Cocaine Last?

Cocaine can be snorted, smoked, or injected. Keeping this in mind, most people choose to snort cocaine because it comes as a powder. Snorting cocaine causes the effects to begin rapidly.

The effects of cocaine may include:[3]

• Increased energy and focus
• A rush of euphoria
• Lessened need for food and sleep
• Insomnia
• Agitation and irritability
• Heightened confidence and impulsive behavior
• Increased body temperature and excessive sweating
• Dilated pupils
• Fast heart rate and increased blood pressure
• Seizures or strokes

When you snort cocaine, the effects will begin within 3 to 5 minutes and last for up to 30 minutes. Injecting the drug causes instant effects that can last up to 20 minutes. Any kind of cocaine abuse is dangerous and can lead to a life-threatening overdose.

What is the Half-Life of Cocaine?

To understand how long cocaine stays in your system, you need to know what a drug’s half-life is. The half-life explains how long it takes your body to eliminate half of a dose of a drug. It can take up to 4 to 5 half-lives to eliminate a substance.

The half-life of cocaine is approximately one hour.[2] That said, cocaine leaves your system within 5 hours. It is important to note that cocaine leaves behind metabolites in your system that drug tests can detect for a longer period.

How long cocaine stays in your system depends on a variety of factors. For example, the dose you take, how often you consume cocaine, how fast your metabolism is, and how healthy your liver and kidneys are can all play a role. There is no way to flush cocaine out of your system faster than your body allows, which means you need to stay sober to pass a drug test.

How Long Can Drug Tests Detect Cocaine?

Cocaine detection depends on what type of drug testing is being used. Urine tests are considered the most reliable and offer a fair window of detection time. Saliva and blood tests tend to offer short windows of detection, while hair follicle testing offers the longest positive results after your last dose.

Urine

Urine tests are used the most often because they are reliable and minimally invasive. You might be asked to complete a urine drug test before getting a job, during a rehab program, or in a probation office.

Drug tests can find cocaine in urine for up to 3 days after your last dose. Cocaine stays in urine longer if you have been abusing it long-term.

Blood

Blood tests are not used as frequently as urine tests because they are invasive. A medical professional has to draw your blood to test a sample of it. Blood tests might be used in hospital settings to determine if cocaine is contributing to your symptoms.

Blood testing can find cocaine in your system as early as 12 hours after your first dose and for up to 2 days.

Saliva

Saliva tests offer a shorter window of detection than urine tests. However, they might be preferred by law enforcement officers during traffic stops because they are easy to administer.

These tests can find cocaine in your saliva for up to 2 days after you last used it.

Hair

Hair follicle drug testing is not used often because it is expensive to be analyzed in the lab. Additionally, the results may be unreliable due to discrimination based on factors like hair color. Despite this, some high-security clearance jobs use hair drug tests because they offer the longest window of detection.

The length of time that hair tests can find cocaine in your system is up to 90 days.

Find Help for Cocaine Abuse and Addiction

If you or a loved one abuse cocaine, it’s time to consider professional help. Cocaine addiction treatment centers offer the tools and support you need to achieve long-term sobriety. You will engage in medical detox, evidence-based behavioral therapies, and relapse prevention planning.

Once you complete a cocaine rehab center, you might need assistance during the transitional period before independent living. At New You Sober Living, we can help you learn how to stay sober as an independent person. We offer a structured environment for newly sober individuals to live in while they get their bearings.

Contact New You Sober Living today to learn more about cocaine addiction treatment and our sober living program.

References:

1. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ): Powdered Cocaine Fast Facts 
2. The National Library of Medicine (NLM): Cocaine
3. Science Direct: Acute Effects of Cocaine on Human Brain Activity and Emotion