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How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your System?

Written by: Dr. Saman Aftab, Mental Health Writer

Reviewed by: Dr. Carl Williams, Ph.D., LCADC

Cocaine is a stimulant produced from the South American coca plant, also known more often by its street name, coke. From the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health results, we may infer that around 5.5 million Americans aged 12 and above used cocaine in the past, with an additional 778,000 using crack.

There will be a trace of this substance in your system from around 24 hours to 3 months from the date of your last dosage. However, this will vary on the kind of test administered.

How Long Do The Effects Last?

The duration of its effects is also proportional to how it is used. Most people who snort coke report feeling euphoric for around 15 to 30 minutes. The results of smoking it or injecting it last between 10 and 20 minutes.

Remember that everyone experiences effects differently in terms of length and severity. For example, it takes up to an hour for some individuals to feel completely normal again. The amount used and poly-substance drug abuse also affect the timeline.

How long do the effects last?

How long until you start to see a difference?

Half-life of cocaine

How long is cocaine in your system?

Factors that affect how long cocaine is in your system

What is the average cocaine withdrawal timeline

How to spot an overdose

Rolling Hills Recovery Center Cocaine Helpline

Anytime, day or night, you may call us at Rolling Hills Recovery Center at 855-559-8550. We'll work with you to find the best treatment plan.

How Long Until You Start To See A Difference?

Cocaine is one of those substances that has a rapid start, albeit how quickly it takes effect might vary considerably.

The effects of snorting or gumming cocaine may be felt in as little as one to three minutes. The effects of cocaine, whether smoked or injected, may be felt almost instantly. The quicker it reaches your circulation, the shorter the time difference will be.

When consumed by snorting or gumming, the substance must pass through the nasal passages, skin, and other tissues. It takes much longer for the drug to reach circulation when taken orally, but all that is quickly bypassed when smoked or injected.

Cocaine's effects are almost instantaneous and last for around half an hour. The intensity and duration of this impact are both user-specific. Cocaine's immediate side effects are as follows:

Positive emotion to the max
Extremely active
Presence of mind
Extreme sensitivity to sensory inputs
Mood swings
Psychosis

The mode of administration also affects the onset of cocaine.

Smoking Cocaine

The euphoria from smoking cocaine may be felt in approximately 10 seconds and continue for 5 to 15 minutes.

Ingesting Cocaine

When compared to the effects of sniffing cocaine, this often takes between 15 and 30 minutes to kick in.

Injecting Cocaine

Cocaine's effects wear off more quickly and rapidly when injected, but the high doesn't last as long. The effects may be experienced within 10 seconds and persist between 5 and 15 minutes.

Snorting Cocaine

The effects of this method of ingesting cocaine may be felt in as little as one to three minutes, and they can last for up to thirty.

Medically Reviewed:

Dr. Carl Williams Ph.D., LCADC

Rolling Hills Recovery Center

Expert Contributor

Dr. Williams presently serves on the board of Directors for two non-profit service organizations. He holds a Master’s degree in Human Services from Lincoln University, Philadelphia, Pa, and a Ph.D. with a concentration in Clinical Psychology from Union Institute and University. In Cincinnati, Ohio. He is licensed to practice addictions counseling in both New Jersey and Connecticut and has a pending application as a practicing Psychologist in New Jersey.

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Half-Life of Cocaine

The half-life of cocaine is around sixty minutes. Therefore, half of the cocaine in your system will be flushed out of your system in approximately an hour. However, prolonged drug use may increase elimination times, making it possible for some tests to identify drug presence for longer.

How Long is Cocaine in Your System?

The following is a list of the approximate lengths of time required for the detection of various types of tests:

Blood (2 days)
Urine (3 days)
Saliva (2 days)
Hair (Months to years)

Two days after stopping cocaine usage, traces of the drug or its metabolites may still be seen in the blood and saliva.

Potentially, a hair sample may show its presence months or even years later.

Urinary detection of its metabolites typically lasts up to 3 days, but in chronic users, this period may extend to 2 weeks.

Various tests may be performed, but urine toxicology screening is the most popular.

If you are worried about a positive cocaine test, you should think seriously about quitting the drug. You may suffer from a cocaine consumption disorder if you struggle to stop using it.

People who have trouble controlling their cocaine usage should get help immediately.

Rolling Hills Recovery Center offers free 24/7 cocaine addiction support. Call today and confidentially speak with our addiction specialists at 855-559-8550.

Factors that Affect How Long Cocaine Remains in Your System

The length of time cocaine remains in your bloodstream may be affected by various factors. A few examples are:

Age
Weight
Dosage of cocaine usage
Coke usage frequency
Your last time using cocaine
Role of the kidneys
Hepatic performance
Intake of water

What is the Average Cocaine Withdrawal Time?

When an individual's body becomes dependent on cocaine, withdrawal symptoms may occur upon reducing or discontinuing consumption. This can start right after your last dosage, or it might take a few days. Possible withdrawal from cocaine might cause these symptoms.

Stress
Disturbed sleep
Moodiness and irritability
Depression
Despair
Urges
Inability to focus
Exhaustion

Although some individuals can successfully detox at home, others may benefit more from inpatient care. Inpatient medical detox centers provide patients the greatest possible chance to begin their sobriety path under the close supervision of trained medical specialists.

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How to Spot an Overdose

One must be familiar with the signs of an overdose if one abuses cocaine.

Examples of symptoms of a cocaine overdose are:

Abnormal pulse rate or heartbeat
Hypertensive crisis
Hallucinations
Discomfort in the chest
Nervousness to the max
Convulsions

Even though cocaine use alone seldom results in fatal overdoses, the presence of impurities such as synthetic opioids like fentanyl is becoming much more frequent as a cutting agent.

An overdose may occur after using cocaine laced with synthetic opioids, which is why it's so dangerous.

If you or anyone around you notices someone displaying any of the following indications of an opioid-induced overdose, do not hesitate to dial 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

Tight chest
Irritatingly loud respiration
Disorientation or a lapse of awareness
Pinched eyes
Pale skin

A person who uses cocaine should also think about taking naloxone, a medicine that may overcome an opioid overdose.

Confirm that you and your peers are familiar with its appropriate applications.

Naloxone can be administered successfully, even if it is unclear if a person is suffering from cocaine or opioid overdose. Although cocaine overdoses cannot be reversed, this treatment won't hurt the patient.