Benzoylecgonine
Definition
Major urinary metabolite of cocaine. Detected by immunoassay screen and LC-MS-MS confirmation; window of detection 2 to 4 days for occasional use.
- Origin
- Major urinary metabolite of cocaine
- Screening method
- Immunoassay
- Confirmation method
- LC-MS-MS
- Detection window
- 2 to 4 days after occasional use
Common questions
Why is benzoylecgonine tested for rather than cocaine itself in a urine screen?+
Parent cocaine is cleared from the body quickly, within a few hours, while benzoylecgonine persists at detectable urine concentrations for days, giving a far more practical and reliable window for confirming recent cocaine use than testing for the parent drug.
How does chronic heavy use change the detection window?+
In frequent or heavy users, benzoylecgonine can accumulate and remain detectable for a week or more, well beyond the two to four day window typical of occasional use, so detection duration alone is a weak indicator of how recently the drug was taken.
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