How Long Does Crack Cocaine Stay In Your System?

Crack cocaine stays in your system for months, but urine or blood tests (which are the most common methods for drug testing) will not be able to detect it for that length of time.

And there are factors that can affect the length of time that crack cocaine is detectable.

Among others, these include:

• how long you have been using cocaine
• how much you have taken
• how frequently you take it
• Learn more about crack cocaine addiction.

What Is The Detection Window For Crack Cocaine In The Body?

How long does cocaine stay detectable? Depending on the type of drug test, the window for detection can vary.

Cocaine can be detectable as soon as an hour after the last use. It can also be detected 90 days or longer after using the drug.

That means it is possible for cocaine to be detectable in your system long after the side effects and the major withdrawal symptoms of the drug have worn off.

The Half-Life Of Cocaine And How It Affects Detection Time

The half-life of a drug describes the time it takes for half of the amount taken to be absorbed into your bloodstream.

The half-life of cocaine is one hour. That means it takes about an hour for half of the cocaine from your last use to be metabolized into your bloodstream.

Crack Cocaine Detection Time By Testing Methods

Depending on the detection method, crack cocaine is discoverable within different timelines. This is how long crack cocaine is discoverable by a testing method.

Detection Time By Urine Test

When you are tested for cocaine, or cocaethylene, a urine test can typically detect crack cocaine in your system for about two to four days.

However, if you abuse cocaine frequently and in large amounts, then a urine test may be able to detect cocaethylene for up to 14 days.

Detecting Crack Through Hair Follicles

Hair, on the other hand, can hold crack cocaine for a much longer period of time. Hair tests can detect cocaine for a minimum of 90 days.

Again, depending on how heavy the cocaine use is, hair can hold evidence of cocaine for years.

Saliva Test For Crack Cocaine

Saliva can also hold metabolites of cocaine and cause the use of the drug to be detectable, but for a much shorter period of time. Saliva tests can find evidence of cocaine use for up to two days.

Blood Test For Crack Cocaine

Like saliva tests, blood tests detect crack cocaine for a much shorter period of time, usually about 24 hours but no longer than two days.

Factors That Determine How Long Crack Cocaine Stays In The System

There are many factors, such as the length of your drug addiction, that can affect how long cocaine stays in your system.

Frequency of use and amount of use are two of the biggest factors that determine how long a drug screening can detect cocaine. But there are others to consider.

Body Fat Composition

One of the cocaine metabolites is benzoylecgonine, which generally is stored in fat. So, the more fat tissue you have, the more storage room, as it were, there is for benzoylecgonine.

Method Of Use

The method of cocaine drug use can determine the effects of cocaine on your brain.

In other words, the quicker it gets to your brain (like when you inject or smoke it as opposed to snorting it), the quicker you feel the high or rush of the drug.

But the manner of ingestion also affects the amount of time it remains in your body. The faster it gets into your system, the faster it leaves. Some methods of cocaine use can actually shorten the window of detection.

Cocaine Metabolites

Cocaine metabolites are the compounds that result from cocaine being metabolized into the bloodstream. The metabolites eventually work their way into the urine.

A few things can slow the exit of metabolites through your urine. One is dehydration. The more dehydrated you are, the longer cocaine will stay in your system.

The second is drinking alcohol or caffeine while using cocaine. If you take either of these things with cocaine, they can slow the metabolization of cocaine.

Frequency Of Use

Finally, frequency of use determines how long it takes for cocaine to get out of your system.

The more times you use cocaine, the longer it will take for your body to process the drug. The same is true for the length of time that you are addicted to the drug.

People who heavily use cocaine can expect cocaethylene to remain in their urine for up to two weeks and in their hair for years.

Treatment Options For Cocaine Abuse

Cocaine abuse is dangerous. It can lead to long-term effects such as heart problems, as well as overdose and debilitating psychological addiction.

Cocaine does not create a physical dependency, so medication-assisted treatment does not exist for cocaine as it does for opioids.

However, for crack cocaine addiction treatment to be effective, you must address the psychological addiction to the drug as well as the cocaine withdrawal symptoms.

There are evidence-based treatment programs available to you. Cognitive behavioral therapy in an inpatient rehab program is just one of many approaches to addressing cocaine addiction.

Outpatient programs may serve as an effective form of aftercare in cocaine addiction recovery as well.

Find Substance Use Disorder Treatment At Bedrock Recovery Center

At Bedrock Recovery Center in Massachusetts, we understand the debilitating effects of crack cocaine on your mental health.

That’s why our detox and addiction treatment focuses on the psychological impact of the drug. And since everyone has a unique psychological makeup, we create a treatment plan that meets your needs.

Call our helpline, and let us get you or your loved one started at a treatment center today.