Cocaine is a potent stimulant substance that may easily cause someone to get addicted. When injected, it produces a powerful but fleeting high sensation. Cocaine enters circulation quickly and immediately impacts the brain regardless of how it is delivered or what form it takes.
Recent research has revealed that cocaine profoundly changes users’ brain structure and make-up. Dopamine overproduction causes the reward system in the brain to enlarge, altering brain activity and making cocaine cravings uncontrollable. People who misuse cocaine frequently do so to maintain the fleeting benefits.
However, when their tolerance increases, many people eventually find themselves coping with a damaging dependency. In this post, we will examine how long cocaine can last in your system. Additionally, we will discuss the indicators of cocaine usage and how to find a cocaine detox program in Washington.
What are the Signs of Cocaine Use?
In 2020, 1.9% of those 12 and older (or around 5.2 million individuals) reported taking cocaine in the previous 12 months. A user will suffer both psychological and physical side effects from continued usage.
A user’s blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and body temperature can rise due to cocaine consumption, raising the risk of heart attack, stroke, and respiratory failure. Cocaine has a profound effect on the brain, which can cause deadly brain convulsions in users.
Knowing the symptoms and long-term repercussions of cocaine addiction is crucial, given the drug’s potential for addiction and lethal overdose. Here are the common signs of cocaine use:
- A reduced appetite, which can cause malnutrition
- Recurring nosebleeds or nasal injury
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Cardiovascular conditions
- Seizures or tremors
- Restlessness
- Paranoia
- Increased body heat and blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Reduced appetite
- Unstable behavior
- Nausea or diarrhea
- Tremors, convulsions, and confusion
- Anxiety or panic
How Long Does Cocaine Last in Your System?
Several variables affect how long it persists and how long it may be detected in a drug test. Cocaine can be detected in some people for up to two weeks, although it usually lingers in your system for one to four days.
Factors Affecting Cocaine Detection Time
- Test type: Metabolites, which your body creates when it breaks down chemicals, are what drug tests look for. The detection window will differ depending on the metabolites being analyzed since specific metabolites persist in the system longer than others.
- The quantity you use: Like any narcotic, cocaine stays in your system longer if you take it more frequently.
- How frequently you use it: The detection window is longer when you use cocaine frequently.
- How you use it: When you snort or chew cocaine, it stays in your system longer than when you smoke or inject it.
- Physiological make-up: Fatty tissue can retain benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine which is the subject of most drug tests. The more body fat you have, the more cocaine metabolites can build up there.
- Consuming alcohol: Some cocaine metabolites may stay in your system longer if combined with alcohol.
Blood and Urine
A substance’s half-life determines how long it will remain detectable in your blood or urine. The period that it takes for a substance’s concentration to fall by half is known as its half-life.
Cocaine’s typical half-life in blood plasma is one and a half hours. For around two days following your last usage, you can often test positive in a blood test. Although the half-life of cocaine in urine is typically four and a half hours, its metabolites may have substantially longer half-lives.
For around two days following your last use, you can often test positive in a blood test. This might prolong the duration that cocaine and its metabolites remain in your body. Two weeks after their last use, a heavy user may screen positive for a urine test.
Hair Follicle
The goal of hair follicle testing is to identify cocaine usage during the last three months, albeit they frequently pick up cocaine use earlier than this. Blood stains in your hair allow for the detection of cocaine and its metabolites.
How to Find a Cocaine Detox Program in Washington
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 1.5 million Americans were classified as current cocaine users in 2013. Cocaine dependency or addiction has long-lasting effects on your relationships with other people and is harmful to your or a loved one’s health.
It can be challenging to start an addiction treatment program, but with the correct guidance and encouragement, you or a loved one can start down the path to a long-term recovery where addiction is a thing of the past. Do you struggle with cocaine addiction and are unsure how to overcome it? You can register for our medical detox in Washington at Sequoia Recovery Centers.
