Cocaine, also known as coke, is a fast-acting illicit stimulant drug that was abused by more than 4.8 million people in 2021. When abused, especially long-term cocaine is highly addictive and can have devastating effects on your health. Cocaine can stay in your system for several days and be detected on a urine test for up to 2 weeks.

How Long Do the Effects of Cocaine Last?

Cocaine is a stimulant that makes people feel energized, focused, and euphoric. The speed of onset and duration of the effects depends on the method of administration:

• Smoking cocaine produces effects within 5-10 seconds. Effects can last up to 20-30 minutes.
• Snorting cocaine produces effects within 3-5 minutes and the effects can last for up to 20 minutes.
• Intravenous (IV) injection of cocaine produces effects almost instantly, but they only last for 15-20 minutes.
• Ingesting cocaine orally will produce effects after 20-30 minutes that may last for up to 90 minutes.

The way in which you used cocaine can also affect how long it stays in your system.

How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your System?

Cocaine is a fast-acting drug with a short half-life of just one hour. As a result, a single dose of cocaine can leave your system in as little as 2 days. However, there are many factors that influence how long cocaine stays in your system, some of which can increase this timeline to up to 10 days.

• How much cocaine you use – Using large amounts of cocaine allows the substance to build up in your system, requiring more time for your body to metabolize it.
• How often you take cocaine – If you use cocaine every day it will stay in your system longer than it will if you only take it on the weekends.
• How long you’ve been using cocaine – Using cocaine regularly for long periods of time can cause it to build up in your system and leave your body at a slower rate.
• The purity of your cocaine – Cocaine purchased on the street is often cut with other substances, but the more pure your cocaine is, the longer it will stay in your body because there is more of it.
• Mixing cocaine with alcohol – Drinking alcohol while taking cocaine creates a toxic metabolite called cocaethylene. Cocaethylene has a longer half-life than cocaine and slows down the rate at which cocaine is metabolized.
• Your body composition – People with higher body weight will eliminate cocaine from their bodies more slowly because metabolites are stored in fat cells.

How is Cocaine Use Detected?

After you take cocaine, it is metabolized by enzymes in the liver and blood, then eliminated from your body via urine. However, cocaine also leaves behind metabolites which are leftovers or byproducts of the drug. The most prevalent cocaine metabolites are benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester. These metabolites can be detected on various types of drug tests, including blood, hair, urine, and saliva. Benzoylecgonine tends to show up in higher concentrations, so this is usually the metabolite drug tests are looking for.

How Long Does Cocaine Show Up on a Drug Test? Urine, Saliva, Blood, and Hair Tests

Different types of drug tests have different detection times. Here is an estimate of average cocaine detection times by test type:

Urine Test

Urine tests are the most common type of drug test. Cocaine stays in urine for up to 4 days after your last use.

Saliva Test

Saliva tests have a very short detection window. Cocaine can be detected in saliva for 1-2 days after your last use.

Blood Test

Blood tests also have very short detection times and are most often used to confirm intoxication. Cocaine can be detected in your blood for up to 2 days after your last use.

Hair Follicle Test

Hair follicle tests have the longest detection window of all drug test types. Cocaine as well as other drugs can be detected in your hair for up to 90 days (3 months) after your last use.

False Positives

Although rare, it is possible to get a false positive for cocaine on a drug test. If you believe you have a false positive cocaine immunoassay drug screen, you can request the test administrator to confirm your results with a more advanced type of test called gas chromatography/mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Is There Any Way to Get Cocaine Out of My System Faster?

While you may be able to find over-the-counter detox products or outlandish claims supporting at-home body cleanses, most of these do not work and may not be safe. The only way to get cocaine out of your system is to let the drug run its course and allow your body to metabolize it.

If you have been using cocaine regularly, you may be physically addicted to it and experience symptoms of withdrawal when you stop taking it. Cocaine withdrawal can be dangerous without medical treatment, so it’s always best to seek help from a detox facility or licensed medical provider.

Find Help for Cocaine Abuse and Addiction Today

Cocaine is metabolized faster than most other drugs, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t addictive or dangerous. If you are concerned about your cocaine use or have been unable to stop using the drug for an upcoming drug test, you might be addicted. Without treatment, continued cocaine abuse can damage your health, relationship, career, and more, so it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible.

At ARISE Treatment Center, our cocaine rehab program is designed to help you overcome the driving forces behind your substance abuse so you can achieve and maintain sobriety. To learn more about our cocaine detox and treatment programs or to find help for yourself or a loved one, please call now.