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Nearly 5.2 million people in the US have used cocaine in the last year. Of this 5.2 million, almost 1.3 million struggle with a cocaine use disorder. In 2019, Oregon was ranked 4th in the United States for cocaine use. Despite cocaine being one of the most prevalent drugs among all social classes, genders, and ages, many people are woefully uninformed about its effects. Recognizing the signs of cocaine use disorder can help those who are struggling to get the cocaine addiction treatment they desperately need.
Cocaine’s effects on the body are almost immediate and last from a few minutes to a few hours. Many cocaine users report that cocaine makes them feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, alert, and hypersensitive to the world around them. Some people even claim to use cocaine because it helps them focus and complete tasks faster.
While there is little evidence that the rush caused by cocaine use makes you a better worker, there is evidence that taking even a little too much cocaine can cause the sudden onset of some very negative symptoms. Too much of this stimulant can cause blood pressure to rise dangerously, increase agitation, cause behavioral and motor issues, and even induce paranoia and severe anxiety upon first-time use.
Long-term cocaine use increases the likelihood of experiencing adverse side effects.. Although long-term cocaine use creates resistance to the drug, this does not mean you are resistant to these harmful effects. On the contrary, as dependency develops, high-intensity anxiety, paranoia, and psychological problems associated with cocaine use are more likely to appear.
Additionally, cocaine use begins to affect the body, causing chronic nasal dripping, infection, nosebleeds, hoarseness, injection scarring, and even tremors. Long-term use can also invite any number of serious medical problems, including intestinal issues, malnourishment, weight loss, stroke, heart disease, bleeding in the brain, and even Parkinson’s.
The immediate rush felt from cocaine lasts anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. This includes those first-time feelings of paranoia or anxiety that cocaine might cause. Unfortunately, the long-term side effects of cocaine use are not forgiving and do not wear off nearly as fast, if at all. While cocaine addiction and the psychological effects of cocaine use are treatable, the medical issues caused by cocaine can become chronic and cause a person to need treatment for the rest of their life.
How long cocaine stays in your system heavily depends on how often and how much cocaine you use. Unlike most drugs, cocaine has a relatively short half-life of one hour. This means that every hour, the amount of cocaine in your system reduces by half. For most people, cocaine will appear in their system for about 1-3 days if tested by urine or blood. Heavy users, however, will read positive for weeks. Hair testing will show cocaine use, however much, for months to years depending on the frequency of haircuts and the rate of hair growth.
One of the main factors affecting how long cocaine remains in your system is how much cocaine you use and how often. If you use regularly and in large amounts, you are more likely to have cocaine in your system for longer. Things like weight, other substances you may be taking, and your method of using cocaine may also affect how long cocaine stays in your system.
When people weigh more, sometimes their metabolism will slow down. This slowing of the metabolism can cause substances of all kinds, including cocaine, to stay in the body longer. What’s more is that with many substances, the amount of body fat and how the body handles the substances can also affect how long they test positive for a substance.
Drinking alcohol or taking other substances while using cocaine can also cause it to remain in the body for longer. Not only is it hazardous to mix depressants and stimulants (like alcohol and cocaine), but the mixing of these drugs can also cause both drugs to stay in your system for longer while your body struggles to metabolize them.
How cocaine is used must also be considered. Cocaine snorted or dabbed onto the gums lasts longer in the body than cocaine that is smoked or injected. This is because of the cocaine's direct contact and absorption through the mucous membranes in the nose and mouth. However, it is impossible to give a clear timeline for how long cocaine will remain in anyone’s system.
When the body metabolizes cocaine, it breaks the cocaine down and expels it appropriately. This means that your body will release some cocaine into your blood, urine, hair, and saliva as a way of excreting it from the body. Your liver plays a huge part in this process, and long-term cocaine use can cause irreparable liver damage.
For the most part, modern drug tests are very accurate in their measures and results are accurate. That being said, false-positive cocaine tests are known to happen on occasion. If you are going to take a drug test and are worried about testing positive for cocaine after a recent hospital stay or after taking a prescription, discuss it with your doctor and the officials at the testing facility.
Getting care for a cocaine use disorder can look like a detox program, enrolling in inpatient programming, or outpatient therapy. Getting all the cocaine out of your system (detox), learning and using new coping strategies in inpatient therapy, and avoiding triggers leading to substance use are common topics addressed in group, one-on-one therapy, and other support groups that go beyond medication-assisted treatment.
Here at Serenity Lane, we offer a wide variety of treatment options wherever you are in your recovery journey. With our gold-standard clinical care, we are proud to provide the best care for those struggling with cocaine use disorder and other substance use disorders. If you or a loved one are struggling with cocaine use and don’t know where to turn, Serenity Lane can help. Call us today at: (800) 543-9905.
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