How Long Does Crack Stay In Your System?

Manish Mishra, MBBS

Medically Reviewed By: Manish Mishra, MBBS

on December 11, 2022

Crack cocaine stays in a person’s system for about 5 hours after the last use. Common drug testing methods, such as urine testing, may detect crack up to 2 days later.

Crack cocaine stays in your system for about 5 hours after the last use. Crack cocaine and its metabolites may remain in some parts of the body, such as oral fluid, urine, and hair follicles, after it leaves the bloodstream.

Crack cocaine is a widely used and illegal form of cocaine. The high it causes can be more intense, but shorter-lasting, than the powder form of the drug.

Drug testing programs in Ohio can test for crack cocaine use in the workplace, in legal situations, or in cocaine addiction treatment programs. A positive result may warrant a referral to further treatment options.

Drug Testing For Crack Cocaine

The short-half life of crack cocaine may lead to infrequent detection on drug screenings, as the parent drug may have left a person’s system in the timeframe between ingestion and testing.

Crack cocaine’s metabolites, or unique components produced by the body, include benzoylecgonine (BE), cocaethylene, and anhydroecgonine (AEC). These metabolites may have longer half-lives and detection times compared to the parent drug.

Drug-free workplace programs in Ohio may test employees under reasonable suspicion of substance use.

How Long Does Crack Stay In Your Urine?

Crack cocaine and its metabolites may be detected in urine for up to 2 days after the last use. Urine testing may be a preferred type of drug test for Ohio employers.

False positive results for cocaine use may result from ingesting tea prepared from coca leaves. Cocaine is also derived from coca leaves, and patients may wish to inform their healthcare provider if they have ingested tea of this nature recently.

How Long Does Crack Stay In Your Blood?

Blood tests can detect crack cocaine and its metabolites for up to 5 hours after the last use.

Blood testing may not be a common testing method compared to other drug screenings. It may be performed on patients exhibiting crack withdrawal symptoms, such as depression, drug cravings, or other side effects.

How Long Does Crack Stay In Your Saliva?

Crack cocaine and its metabolites may remain in saliva for up to 1 day after the last use.

Some studies have suggested that the presence of crack cocaine metabolites in oral fluid may not indicate the presence of the drug in blood or urine. Further research may be needed to determine the effectiveness of saliva testing for crack cocaine use.

How Long Does Crack Stay In Your Hair?

Hair samples may contain crack cocaine and its metabolites for several weeks after the last use. Hair tests can have long detection windows compared to other testing methods.

Half-Life Of Crack Cocaine

The half-life of cocaine is the time required to decrease the drug concentration by one-half. After about five half-life cycles, cocaine may be virtually eliminated from the bloodstream.

The half-life of crack cocaine is about one hour. The average elimination time of cocaine from the bloodstream is about 5 hours. 

The effects of cocaine, such as euphoria, increased heart rate, and excitability, may only last for about 30 minutes, while the similar effects of crack cocaine may only last for about 10 minutes.

How long cocaine stays in a person’s system may depend on factors such as body fat, frequency of use, the method of ingestion, and the individual’s history of drug use.

If you are looking for a crack cocaine abuse treatment program, our withdrawal management, mental health, and detox services can provide the professional help you or your loved one needs. To learn about our inpatient treatment center, please contact us today.

  1. ARUP Laboratories — DRUG PLASMA HALF-LIFE AND URINE DETECTION WINDOW https://www.aruplab.com/files/resources/pain-management/DrugAnalytesPlasmaUrine.pdf
  2. Journal of Analytical Toxicology — Cocaine and Metabolites Urinary Excretion after Controlled Smoked Administration https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3128807/
  3. Journal of Analytical Toxicology — Comparison of Cocaine/Crack Biomarkers Concentrations in Oral Fluid, Urine and Plasma Simultaneously Collected From Drug Users https://academic.oup.com/jat/article/42/2/69/4621309
  4. Journal of Medical Toxicology — Does Lidocaine Cause False Positive Results on Cocaine Urine Drug Screen? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6825083/
  5. National Institute on Drug Abuse — Cocaine DrugFacts https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/cocaine
  6. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — Clinical Drug Testing in Primary Care https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma12-4668.pdf

Written by Ohio Recovery Center Editorial Team

© 2024 Ohio Recovery Center | All Rights Reserved

* This page does not provide medical advice.

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