The duration of cocaine’s effects is very brief, on the order of minutes to hours. Most people feel the effects for just minutes before they start to wear off. However, the metabolites of cocaine can linger in your system and can be detected usually anywhere from 24-96 hours.
Cocaine's half-life varies between about 12 and 52 hours.[1] That means your body could need up to four days to completely remove all traces of cocaine from your body.
How Does Cocaine Intoxication Feel?
Cocaine can be sniffed/snorted, smoked, or injected. Your body reacts to each method a little differently.[2]
This is how long the effects last for different methods of using cocaine (approximately. Every person is a little different):
Cocaine is considered a stimulant or an upper, meaning that it produces energy, jitteriness, feelings of invincibility, insomnia and hyperactivity.
In a healthy person with no history of chronic cocaine use, the substance stays in the bloodstream for about 40 to 90 minutes, and so the physical effects of cocaine tend to be short acting compared to other drugs.[3]
When the high begins to wear off, people feel:
- Depressed
- Anxious
- Exhausted
- Restless
- Irritable
- Suicidal
Cocaine Testing: What You Should Know
Employers may order urine or saliva tests before offering you a job. Some recovery programs require ongoing monitoring to ensure that patients maintain abstinence.. If you've used cocaine, the substance can appear in your tests for the following amount of time:
Glance through this chart, and you'll see wide time discrepancies. You'll need more time to clear cocaine due to the following:
- Cocaine habits: The more you take, and the longer you take it, the more time your body will need to clear the drug. If your cocaine habit is new, you could clear tests faster. But if you've used cocaine repeatedly, your body needs more time, and it’s likely you’ll test positive for cocaine for longer.
- Weight and height: Larger people have more fat stores and a bigger blood volume. They may need more time to clear cocaine from their bodies.
- Liver and Kidney Health: If your organs are damaged, they can't clear drugs as quickly and efficiently as they might otherwise. You’ll test positive for cocaine longer as a result.
Can You Change Your Cocaine Test Results?
No prescription medication or therapeutic treatment can scrub cocaine from your body. Your organs need time to process the metabolites out of the body.
You can ensure that your body is healthy enough to achieve cocaine sobriety. Do that through the following:
- Nutrition: Eat a balanced diet and ensure that you drink plenty of fluids.
- Exercise: Find a form of fitness you enjoy, and work your muscles every day.
- Rest: Get a good night's sleep and allow your body time to heal.
In time, your body can remove traces of cocaine and return to a normal level of functioning.
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