People who use cocaine often notice how short-lived the effects of this drug can be. How long does cocaine stay in your system? It depends on a few factors but can make a difference when it comes to how much coke a person feels the need to ingest. As well, someone interested in knowing how cocaine usage will affect drug tests will find that there isn’t just one set answer to this question.
What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is made from the leaves of the coca bush that is found in South America. It is classified as a stimulant drug and can be snorted, smoked, or injected. Cocaine is illegal in the U.S. but still remains a popular recreational drug used by many people. While some people can use cocaine occasionally, for others it’s a different story. They end up developing an addiction to it and require professional treatment.
When someone consumes cocaine, it affects their central nervous system by triggering the release of a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine causes a person to feel positive emotions such as joy and pleasure. Eventually, the body begins to rely on cocaine usage to feel good because the brain’s ability to naturally produce dopamine has been compromised.
How Long Does Cocaine Stay in Your System?
How long does cocaine stay in your system? This depends on several factors that vary per person. Influencers include how much cocaine the person takes and how often they take it. Higher dosages that are taken often can result in cocaine being detectable for longer periods of time than others may experience. As well, how a person takes the drug contributes to the length of time it remains in their system. When someone snorts it or dabs it on their gums, the effects typically linger longer than when they inject or smoke it. A person’s weight may also factor in.
Whether or not cocaine shows up in a drug test depends on what kind of test is used. While urine tests are the most commonly administered type, other kinds can be used. The following is a general guideline for how long cocaine remains detectable in testing:
- Urine tests: Up to three days, or two weeks for heavy users
- Blood tests: Up to two days
- Hair tests: Up to 90 days
- Saliva tests: Up to two days
The Short and Long-Term Effects of Cocaine
In answering the question “How long does cocaine stay in your system?”, there are a few things to consider. When someone uses cocaine, the effects last about 20-30 minutes on average. However, even when the high wears off, side effects can still happen. Short-term effects include feeling restless and hyperactive. The person may feel a burst of self-confidence that can result in engaging in risky behaviors such as unsafe sex or driving under the influence. Short-term physical effects may include high blood pressure, elevated heart rate, sweating, and difficulty breathing.
Long-term effects of cocaine usage may include consistent cravings to use the drug. People also find it difficult to sleep and may develop anxiety or have panic attacks. As well, many people find it difficult to meet obligations in their personal lives, at work, or in school.
Signs of Cocaine Addiction
Someone with a cocaine addiction will notice certain signs and symptoms. These include the following:
- Boundless energy
- Inability to sleep for long periods of time
- Runny nose
- Dilated pupils
- High blood pressure
- Not eating enough
- Weight loss
- Trembling
- Elevated heart rate
- Difficulty thinking and staying focused on one thing
- Sensitive to light and sound
- Seizures
- Feeling unable to function without cocaine
- Withdrawal symptoms when not using the drug
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
How is Cocaine Addiction Treated?
The first step in treating cocaine addiction is going to detox in Atlanta. This takes five to seven days on average and involves receiving medical supervision. These all-important first days of sobriety help set the tone for living a drug-free life. After detox, many people benefit from attending cocaine addiction treatment. This type of care takes place during daytime sessions that range from two to seven days per week.
Our levels of outpatient care include:
- Detox in Atlanta
- Outpatient Program (OP)
- Intensive Outpatient Program in Atlanta (IOP)
- Virtual IOP
- Partial Hospitalization Program in Georgia (PHP)
Each level of care includes multiple types of therapies that specifically address the needs of someone who wants to overcome a cocaine addiction. Services include individual therapy, group therapy, holistic therapy, trauma therapy, red light therapy, brainspotting therapy, Atlanta psychiatry, and more. Treatment can also include medication-assisted treatment for those who need medical help to deal with withdrawal symptoms. As well, people can receive treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other types of mental illnesses.
Get Help For Cocaine Addiction Today with Drug Rehab in Atlanta
If you find yourself wondering “How long does cocaine stay in your system?”, you likely have developed an addiction to the drug. Cocaine addiction causes great harm to a person’s physical and mental health and requires a professional rehab program in order to overcome it. Buckhead Behavioral Health has created a highly effective treatment program for cocaine addiction. We offer outpatient programs for detox and several other levels of care. For more information about our drug rehab in Atlanta, visit our admissions page and learn about our rehab insurance coverage. Our staff can answer your questions and help you determine your insurance coverage.
