Here is the answer for the question: How long does cocaine stay in urine?
“Cocaine can stay in the urine for up to 4 days after the last use. It may be detectable for a shorter or longer period of time depending on the individual’s metabolism and other factors.”
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant. It is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning it can be used medically as a local anesthesia, but has a very high potential for abuse.
Statistics show that millions of Americans use or have used cocaine within any given year. In 2020, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that approximately 2% or 5.2 million people over the age of 12 had used cocaine in the year prior.
Studies have also shown that teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 have been exposed to or have taken cocaine within the past year. These figures demonstrate the importance of being vigilant in watching over adolescents and the need for drug tests to detect cocaine misuse before it turns into addiction or drug abuse.
Early detection of cocaine use can help individuals avoid severe withdrawal symptoms and ensure successful addiction treatment.
How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your System?
The amount of time cocaine and its metabolites remain in the body depends on the type of testing or screening method used. For a urine test, cocaine can be detected for up to four days. For a blood or saliva test, cocaine can be detected for up to two days. When it comes to hair, cocaine can be detected for a period of months or even years.
Detection timeframes for different types of tests are listed below:
| Body System | Time in System |
|---|---|
| Blood | Up to 2 days |
| Saliva | Up to 2 days |
| Hair | Months to years |
| Urine | Up to 3 days, but up to 2 weeks for heavy users |
- Cocaine or its metabolites typically can be detected in the blood and the saliva for up to 2 days after the last use.9
- It may be detectable in a hair sample for months to years.
- Its metabolites can usually be detected in urine for up to 3 days, but it can remain detectable for up to 2 weeks in heavy users.
Factors That May Affect Cocaine Detection Times
There are several other factors that affect cocaine detection times aside from repeat or prolonged cocaine abuse. Depending on these factors, it may extend or shorten the cocaine detection window.
Among these factors are:
- Cocaine purity
- Dosage, or how much cocaine was ingested
- Method of drug administration, such as snorting, gumming, or smoking cocaine
- Coke plus drinking alcohol
- Physical factors, such as height and weight
- Body fat content, as cocaine metabolite are stored in the fatty tissue
- High blood pressure or low blood pressure
- Increased systolic blood pressure (can increase the risk of strokes, heart disease and chronic kidney disease)
- Metabolism
- Kidney disorder or liver disease
- Other pre-existing medical conditions
- Urine pH level
- Drug test or screening method
How Is Cocaine Metabolized in the Body?
Cocaine is broken down in the liver and blood by enzymes. Benzoylecgonine is the main metabolite found in urine, followed by ecgonine methyl ester. 12
Benzoylecgonine can be found in a person’s urine for up to 4 days, depending on how much they use, how often they use, and how fast their metabolism works.
The main cocaine metabolite used in drug tests is benzoylecgonine. This is because the amount of benzoylecgonine in the urine is 50 to 100 times higher than the amount of cocaine.
Does Cocaine Stay in Your System Longer if it’s Combined With Alcohol?
Using cocaine with alcohol can cause a number of problems for users:
- Cocaine can worsen the learning deficits and impairment in psychomotor performance and driving from alcohol.
- The combination can lead to increases in heart rate.
- Using cocaine with alcohol or after drinking alcohol can lead to up to a 30% increase in cocaine levels in the blood.
- The combination can also produce a metabolite called cocaethylene, which may enhance the cardiotoxic effects of cocaine and alcohol.
Cocaine appears to be eliminated slower when it is combined with alcohol, and cocaethylene appears to be eliminated slower than cocaine:
- A study in humans found that cocaethylene seemed to be eliminated slower than cocaine.
- Another study that used dogs found that both cocaine and cocaethylene were cleared by the body at a rate about 20% slower when they were combined with alcohol.
- Finally, another study in rats found that repeated use of alcohol slowed the rate of cocaine elimination.
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