How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your System?

Cocaine, also known as coke, is a powerful stimulant drug that causes an intense reaction in your body.

Due to its intense effects on your body, it is very easy to become addicted to cocaine and very difficult to manage the addiction on your own.

Cocaine causes an extreme high sensation, but this high is very short-lived. This causes people who use cocaine to use it very often in order to try and prolonge the high sensation. However, from such frequent use, tolerance develops quite quickly, causing people to do even more cocaine and put themselves at risk for an overdose.

How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your System?

There are many reasons you may be worried about how long cocaine may be in your system.

You may be expecting to take a drug test either for work or for police.

You may be breastfeeding and want to be sure that the cocaine is out of your system before you expose your child.

You may want to know if you are safe to drive without being under the influence.

Whatever the reason, it is important to remember that if you are trying to time your substance abuse around your everyday life in such a way, it may be time to consider getting help for your addiction.

Cocaine is a drug that can be quickly broken down by your body, creating something called metabolites. This fast breakdown of the drug is what contributes to the high being so short-lived.

While the high is very short, the metabolites can remain in your system for a while and can be detected as part of a drug test.

• A urine test can find cocaine metabolites up to 4 days after use
• A blood test can find cocaine metabolites up to 2 days after use
• A hair sample test can find cocaine metabolites up to 90 days after use
• A saliva sample test can find cocaine metabolites up to 2 days after use

As well as the cocaine being detected in a drug test, it is also important that you know when it is safe to breastfeed and when it is safe to drive after using cocaine.

It is recommended you wait more than 12 hours before trying to drive after using cocaine.

When it comes to breastfeeding, it is recommended that all drug use stop as the cocaine can transfer to the breast milk and into the baby’s system. However, suppose you do find yourself unable to quit. In that case, it is recommended that you pump enough milk for your baby after more than 24 hours with no cocaine.

What Effect Does Cocaine Have on Your Body?

On average, the effects of cocaine use will affect your body for 20-30 minutes each time.

During that time, you will feel the effects of the strong stimulant. You can often find yourself very excited and confident with a lot of energy. You may find yourself more alert and unable to sit still.

The effect cocaine has on your body can be broken down into short-term and long-term.

First, we have the short-term effects of cocaine on your body:

• High body temperature
• Lack of impulse control
• Paranoia
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to sound
• Sensitivity to touch
• Upset stomach

The long-term effect of cocaine use on your body are:

• Nose bleed
• Loss of smell
• Problems swallowing
• Lung issues
• Heart problems

You also run the risk of overdosing on something that is very easily done on a short high stimulant like cocaine, which often leads to you taking more and more in order to carry on the sensation of being high.

An overdose can lead to:

• Heart attack
• Size
• Stroke
• Irregular heart rhythm
• Vomiting and choking

Cocaine is classed as a class A drug for a reason. It can be very dangerous for your body to be exposed to, especially if you have any underlying conditions such as heart problems or breathing issues.

Does Cocaine Stay in Your System Longer When Combined With Alcohol?

There are certain methods that do result in the cocaine high lasting a bit longer.

For example, rubbing it on your gums instead of snorting it has been found to cause a longer-lasting high along with damage to your teeth.

It has also been found that drinking alcohol while using cocaine can prolonge the high and cause it to remain in your system for longer. With this in mind, you will have to wait longer than the recommendations made earlier before driving, breastfeeding or hoping to pass a drug examination.

Is Cocaine Addictive?

Cocaine is a very addictive drug.

This is due to when you use it, it causes a massive rush of dopamine in your brain. As dopamine is a feel-good chemical, it causes your brain to experience pleasant sensations such as excitement and joy.

Due to cocaine being a stimulant, if you are someone that suffers from mental illnesses like depression where you feel very low energy, the burst of energy you can get from cocaine use can be very appealing.

However, as cocaine has such a shot high, many people find they have to use it again very quickly. With so much used so often, a tolerance is able to quickly build as your body is getting used to the cocaine in its system.

Eventually, your body will believe that it needs cocaine in order to function, and without it, you may feel sluggish and tired. If you go long enough without cocaine, you may begin to experience withdrawal symptoms which can be very dangerous.

What is a Cocaine Detox?

When an addiction to cocaine is formed, it can be very dangerous to stop cold turkey due to how dangerous some of the withdrawal symptoms can be.

That is why if you want to overcome your addiction and ween your body off cocaine, you need to book yourself in for a cocaine detox.

The detox is simply the process of your body ridding itself of all toxins, including cocaine. During this time, you will be monitored by a team of medical professionals to monitor your progress and to provide medication to relieve the withdrawal symptoms should they prove too much.

If you are interested in beginning your journey to long-term recovery with us at Addiction Advocates, simply give us a call at 0800 012 6088, and a member of our team can talk you through every step of the process.

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