Meth is extremely addictive, and you may find yourself pulled toward using it more often once you feel the positive effects. You may continue to use meth because of uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms that come once the drug leaves your system. Unlike medication regulated by the government, there’s no way to know what’s in drugs made in illegal labs.
Humans can binge on METH from 3 to 14 days 27, 28 (over 4 days/week of use on average). The amount of METH consumed is ~1.5 times greater with binge users than with chronic users of the drug. For example, in lab experiments done on animals, sex causes dopamine levels to jump from 100 to 200 units, and cocaine causes them to spike to 350 units.
Some of the negative effects of meth use, including hallucinations or movement issues, may go away in the weeks or months after you stop using the drug. But some changes may take years or longer to resolve or never get better. If you use meth on a regular basis, it can change your brain’s dopamine system. Your chances of getting Parkinson’s disease (a movement disorder) may go up. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 100,000 people died of drug overdose in the United States in 2021, a figure that is increasing significantly every year.
Symptoms of Methamphetamine Abuse
A recent study 10 reported that, since March 2020, there has been a 23% increase in urine samples taken from various healthcare and clinical settings testing positive for METH nationwide, thus indicating an increase in METH abuse during the COVID19 pandemic. Similarly, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a recent increase in METH-related overdose deaths during the pandemic 11. Methamphetamine addiction, a serious substance use disorder, can cause a range of health problems within 24 hours of use. Meth abuse disrupts the central nervous system, leading to signs and symptoms like mood swings and erratic behavior.
Parkinson’s is characterized by tremors, muscle stiffness, and loss of balance. Doctors treat it with naloxone or nalmefene because many ODs are methamphetamine plus fentanyl. Long-lasting behavioral, neurological, cognitive, movement and other consequences of meth are real, yet without specific treatment.
How Common Is Meth Use?
- MMWR and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report are service marks of the U.S.
- Find rehab for yourself or a loved one by speaking with a treatment provider.
- It also boosts alertness, reduces appetite, increases activity and talkativeness, and offers a general sense of happiness and well-being.
- Clinical trials testing other potential medications for MUD have largely been negative or did not show clear effectiveness (modest at best) or a clear profile of being safe.
- METH and other drugs of abuse themselves are far too small to be immunogenic; therefore, the first step in active METH immunotherapies is creating a hapten molecule, a chemical derivative of METH, and linking it to immunogenic carrier protein 124.
Since meth stimulates the central nervous system to boost alertness and energy, those addicted to meth often suffer insomnia and sleep disturbances. Meth users can often stay awake for days or weeks on end and may crash for two to three days in between long periods of wakefulness. In 2021, almost 1% of the U.S. population aged 12 or older said they’d used meth in the past year. In comparison, around 4.8 million people said they used cocaine in the same timeframe. Call your health insurer to find out if you need to go to a specific doctor or place for addiction treatment. You’ll typically pay less out-of-pocket if you go to “in-network” providers.
2. Pharmacological Treatments for Methamphetamine Use Disorder
- Treatment for meth addiction involves a combination of behavior therapy and medication.
- Meth is typically a white pill or powder that doesn’t have a smell but tastes bitter.
- Wilson M. Compton reports long-term stock holdings in General Electric Co., 3M Companies, and Pfizer, Inc., outside the submitted work.
- People say they have a quick rush of euphoria shortly after using crystal meth, but it’s dangerous.
This dependence can then turn into addiction — one of the most dangerous of all long-term effects of meth use. Other possible long-term health effects can be divided into physical and psychological categories. The dopaminergic system has been a favored target for MUD pharmacotherapy, and several medications that target dopamine transporter or dopamine D2 receptor have been tested in clinical trials.
Methamphetamine May Cause Brain Changes Similar to Traumatic Brain Injury
Because it’s used to make meth, the federal government closely regulates products with pseudoephedrine.
Meth’s Other Effects on the Body
Heavy usage can weaken and destroy these vessels, causing tissues to become prone to damage and inhibiting the body’s ability to repair itself. Acne appears, sores take longer to heal, and the skin loses its luster and elasticity. Some users are covered in small sores, the result of obsessive skin-picking brought on by the hallucination of having bugs crawling beneath the skin, a disorder known as formication.
Several factors appear to predict CM treatment outcome, including problem severity, race, HIV status, education, and income 76. For example, CM therapy was the least effective for participants who reported a long history of drug use 89 or more METH use during baseline 86, and it was the most effective in Caucasian participants 88, 89. METH (N-methylated amphetamine) is currently a schedule-II controlled substance, which has two active optic isoforms, d-enantiomer and l-enantiomer 6. Desoxyn, which is d-METH, is rarely medically prescribed due to its strong reinforcing properties.
Those in recovery from meth addiction often suffer anxiety, depression, and drug cravings, and may tend to sleep a lot and binge-eat to cope with their symptoms. Many meth addiction programs today offer dual diagnosis treatment to address co-occurring mental health disorders that are often intertwined with drug abuse. Despite numerous clinical trials conducted Meth addiction to date, there is no consistently effective FDA-approved pharmacotherapy for MUD.
People who smoke and inhale meth may have burn marks on their lips and fingers. Those who cook meth at home may even have burn marks on their arms, face, and other exposed skin that may have come into contact with chemicals during the cooking process. Look for visible burn marks on clothing as well, and look for red rashes that can sometimes develop on the skin after one has been working with toxic chemicals. MMWR and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report are service marks of the U.S.
Links to NCBI Databases
Using meth can cause long-term damage to the person’s health, which often persists even after the person has stopped using the drug. Its effects are similar to those of other stimulant drugs, such as cocaine. The best treatment depends on your needs and the severity of your addiction. View “The Faces of Meth™”, a slideshow of mug shots collected by Officer Brett King of Oregon’s Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department, illustrating the effects of meth on the faces of users. View an audio slideshow of the science behind the effects of meth on the brain with Dr. Richard Rawson of UCLA’s Integrated Substance Abuse Programs.
