Cocaine overdose is a serious risk in Australia, potentially leading to severe side effects or death. This article discusses the signs of overdose, associated risks, and emergency response actions.
Cocaine can stay in your system for anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on several factors such as the purity of the cocaine, your metabolism, and how much of the drug you’ve taken.
However, cocaine metabolites – a type of biomarker left by a drug in your body – can still be detected for up to several months by certain types of drug tests.
If you’re worried about getting caught in a drug test or just worried about a family member’s health, this blog will detail how long cocaine stays in your blood, urine, saliva, and hair.
We will also cover the different types of drug tests and how long after use these tests can detect coke in your body.
How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your System?: How Long Each Test Can Detect The Drug in Your Body
How long does cocaine stay in your system? It’s hard to say. Cocaine is normally detectable in your system for anywhere between 48 hours to a few days, depending on which type of test you take.
Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you’re taking a blood test, it’ll most likely be able to detect cocaine for 2 days. If it’s a urine test, 72-96 hours. Again, there are many factors at play, and we can’t say for sure how long the test will be able to detect trace amounts of the drug.
The test you’re most likely familiar with is the urine test. It’s the most common in Australia for workplace testing, since it’s non-invasive and detects cocaine metabolites for up to 4 days.
Here are the lengths of time cocaine will be detectable in your system according to each type of test:
- Blood Test: Blood tests usually show signs of cocaine metabolites for up to 48 hours. They are most effective within the first 24 hours, though.
- Saliva Tests: Saliva tests are administered via swabs and the detection window is up to two days.
- Urine Tests: These are the industry standard and are capable of detecting traces of cocaine in your body for up to 4 days (though it can be 7 days as well).
- Hair Follicle Tests: Hair follicle tests are quite accurate, and can detect traces of the drug for up to 3 months (though we doubt you’ll have to take one for work).
Factors That Affect Cocaine Detection Times
There are several factors that affect cocaine detection times. Including your body weight, metabolism, and how much cocaine you’ve ingested.
We wish this question had an easy answer, but it doesn’t. This is the reason why complete abstinence from illicit substances is the best way to ensure there’s none in your system!
However, we know it’s too late for that. So let’s cover some of the factors that affect how long cocaine remains in your body.
The following list contains factors that affect cocaine detection times:
- How much cocaine you’ve taken: Small amounts of cocaine may not be detectable after a few days, but if you had a particularly heavy session, it could stay in your system much longer.
- The severity of your condition: Cocaine stays in your system longer the more you use it. In other words, if you’re a drug addict, it may stay in your system for much longer than if you’ve just taken it once. The reason for this is that if you’re a habitual user, you may have done damage to your organs, which in turn affects your drug metabolism. This makes it more difficult for you to process the drug.
- How you take the drug: Different methods of ingestion impact how quickly the drug is absorbed, how intense its effects are, and how long it takes for your body to metabolize and eliminate it. For example, cocaine that is snorted will remain in your system longer than cocaine that is smoked.
- If you’ve taken it with other drugs: Alcohol and cocaine are a deadly duo. Many of our patients here at The Cabin in Sydney report that they often used both together before getting clean. If so, this could cause the drug to stay in your system longer.
- Your body weight and metabolism: Cocaine metabolites like benzoylecgonine can accumulate in fatty tissue, which makes it detectable in your system for longer.
- The purity of cocaine: Cocaine that is cut with other substances (which is the standard in Australia these days) can affect how long it stays in your system.
Is There Any Way to Get Cocaine Out of Your System Faster?
Unfortunately, there is no way for you to clear your body of cocaine faster in order to pass a drug test or reduce the severity of cocaine effects while taking it.
The internet is flooded with misinformation claiming you can safely cleanse your system quickly. That is not true, and no scientific evidence to suggest that it’s possible exists.
As we mentioned before, cocaine can be detected in your hair follicles for up to 3 months. No amount of water, orange juice (yes, we’ve seen this suggested on the web), or exercise will clear the drug from your body.
Those things will help restore your body back to a healthy state, but they won’t help you pass a drug test. The only true option to clear your system of cocaine is cocaine detox under the supervision of a medical specialist followed by abstinence from drugs completely.
Want
to Quit Cocaine
but Can’t
Why You Need to Quit Using Cocaine For Good (There is Hope!)
If you’re worried about cocaine staying in your system for too long, then chances are you are taking major risks.
The long-term effects of cocaine include addiction, psychosis, depression, anxiety, and financial issues. Chronic abuse can even be life-threatening if you suffer from a cocaine overdose. At the very least you are putting your job and your family at risk.
Cocaine is a dangerous drug that is associated with violence, mental health issues, and chronic physical health issues like heart disease.
If you’re reading this, we want you to know that help is available. If you want to get coke out of your system, the only true solution is detox followed by abstinence. And trust us, your life will be so much better without drugs.
You will experience some mild withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and mood swings, but they will pass. And once they do, you’ll be a much better person with a healthy outlook on life.
How The Cabin Can Help You Quit Drugs For Good
If you’re struggling with cocaine, other drugs, or alcohol, we can help you quit once and for all and live a better life with our cocaine rehabilitation services.
We run an outpatient and inpatient clinic in Sydney as well as a luxury residential rehab in Chiang Mai, Thailand that specialises in helping Australians quit cocaine using a mixture of medical and psychological treatment like cognitive-behavioural therapy.
If you’re interested, contact us today for your free intake and evaluation. Chances are you won’t have to miss work or even leave your home if you don’t want to. Recovery is possible, but it depends on the individual. Contact us today and your case will be reviewed within 24 hours.
DON’T LET COCAINE CONTROL YOUR LIFE
Choose Recovery & Take Back Control of Your Life Today!