Heavy METH use has toxic effects on the brain, mainly on the nigrostriatal dopamine pathway, that are mediated by oxidative stress, inflammation and excitotoxicity 19. People who abuse METH heavily suffer from a variety of neurological consequences of chronic abuse of the drug and have the hardest time quitting METH use 29-31. Chronic METH users are at higher risk for developing Parkinson’s disease than non-users 32. Conversely, Parkinson’s disease patients are more prone to addictions 33.
How Common Is Meth Use?
Deaths involving methamphetamine have surged dramatically since the mid-2010s, based on federal data. There is no antidote to reverse meth’s toxicity as opioid Meth addiction overdoses are reversible with naloxone and nalmefene. As depicted in the table at left, methamphetamine overdose deaths have dramatically increased.
How Can You Prevent Methamphetamine Addiction?
If you have a history of meth use and you’ve been suffering from poor cognition and memory or other health problems linked to brain damage, it’s possible that meth addiction could be the root cause. A study conducted on violence among those addicted to meth found that 56% admitted the drug caused them to commit violent acts, while 59% reported specific violent criminal behaviors such as robbery and homicide. If you or someone you love is acting uncharacteristically violent when using meth, it may be time to seek help for meth addiction.
- In addition to affecting cognitive abilities, these changes in brain chemistry can lead to disturbing, even violent behavior.
- Furthermore, more clinical research is needed on the co-use of METH and opioids as well as how their combination affects overdose risk.
- Most of the crystal meth and other meth products used in this country are made by transactional criminal organizations (TCOs)in Mexico.
- METH-induced disorders include anxiety, depression, cognitive impairments, insomnia and psychosis.
- The chemicals in meth can lead to imbalances in the brain that cause disorganized thoughts and thinking processes.
Signs Of Meth Abuse
To date, methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) treatments are weak interventions and underdeveloped. If someone you know is exhibiting signs of meth abuse, it’s essential that you communicate the importance of getting professional help. Inpatient rehabs, therapy, and support groups can all help individuals struggling with a methamphetamine addiction achieve and maintain sobriety. Early intervention in METH abuse by lowering METH intake is essential not only for preventing METH overdose, but also for subsequent interventions, as greater treatment participation is achieved when METH use is low 133. Consequently, behavioral therapies should remain the first line of treatment for MUD.
4. Health Problems Associated with Methamphetamine Use Disorder
Since meth use is linked to higher rates of inflammation and cell damage, people addicted to meth tend to have lowered immunity, or a weakened immune system that makes them more susceptible to illness and disease. In addition to suffering high rates of HIV and AIDS, meth users are often at high risk for staph infection or MRSA, liver disease, kidney disease, and cancer. Meth is highly addictive and can be difficult to stop using without professional help and support.
Drug overdoses — including those caused by meth — continue to be a major public health concern. The CDC reports there were 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. during 2024, with nearly 30,000 of those deaths attributed to psychostimulants like meth. In comparison, synthetic opioids including fentanyl caused over 48,000 overdose deaths in 2024, and cocaine was the cause of over 22,000 deaths that year, based on the CDC reports. If meth abuse is continued over a long period of time, the brain begins to rely on its effects and creates a need for its use.
You may have to take more of the drug to get the same high, and you can overdose on meth. Inpatient programs are typically the most expensive, costing anywhere from $5,000 to $80,000. But what you’ll pay depends on where you get treatment, how long you stay, what services you need, and your health insurance coverage. Apart from medications, another novel approach being tested for MUD treatment is the administration of METH antibodies (passive immunotherapy) or compounds that turn the body’s own immune system against METH (active immunotherapy). Passive METH immunotherapy involves vaccination with a pre-produced high affinity monoclonal antibody designed to bind to METH in a bloodstream following METH administration. Active METH immunotherapy involves vaccination with an immunogenic METH-containing conjugate which is able to stimulating specific antibodies capable of sequestering METH in the periphery 124.
Clinical Presentation
A person with METH-positive or missing urine sample is moved down the escalating schedule 78. The studies that assessed CM efficacy in reducing METH abuse or dependence showed positive outcomes when comparing MUD patients to control group participants or CM to other behavioral therapies 74, 76. The benefits of CM intervention included reduced drug use, better treatment retention, reduction in psychiatric symptoms, higher utilization of other treatments and medical services, and reductions in risky sexual behavior.
It also boosts alertness, reduces appetite, increases activity and talkativeness, and offers a general sense of happiness and well-being. To our knowledge, only one clinical trial has addressed the treatment of MUD with comorbid opioid use disorder (OUD) 121. The severity of Meth Head Syndrome depends on how long and how intensely you use meth. It includes all the brain and health issues due to long-term methamphetamine use.
Hyperthermia (a dangerously high body temperature) is an acute effect of methamphetamine use that may cause muscular and cardiovascular dysfunction, kidney failure, heat stroke, and other heat-induced syndromes. There are no medications for methamphetamine-induced thermal dysregulation, and treatment is focused on reducing patients’ body temperature, packing them in ice or using cooling fans or cold-water baths. Patients should be given naloxone or nalmefene regardless of medical history because of the likelihood of methamphetamine adulteration with fentanyl. No current antidote exists, nor is any treatment approved by the FDA for overdose. Patients in the ER for methamphetamine should be screened for opioid use and other substance use disorders (SUDs) and given harm reduction supplies like naloxone.
One of the most dangerous effects of meth on the body is the increase in sex drive and the lowering of sexual inhibitions among some users, which puts them at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. “You do things when you’re on meth that you would never do sober,” explains Peter Staley, a former meth user. “You drop your guard. Condoms? Forget about it.” Unprotected sex is particularly dangerous for meth users, many of whom inject the drug and may share needles, which can spread deadly diseases such as hepatitis and HIV. Also, because the drug increases energy and stamina, users may have more aggressive sex for longer periods of time, increasing the chances of injury and the danger of spreading infection. Meth users report that after taking the drug they experience a sudden “rush” of pleasure or a prolonged sense of euphoria, as well as increased energy, focus, confidence, sexual prowess and feelings of desirability. However, after that first try, users require more and more of the drug to get that feeling again, and maintain it.
The primary interventions with evidence of efficacy in reducing METH use are behavioral therapies. The CM method has been most widely studied in subjects with MUD and overall demonstrated better outcomes than other behavioral therapies. Despite its effectiveness as a therapy for MUD, CM is not widely used, stemming in part from a policy limiting the monetary value of incentives allowable as part of treatment. Utilization of other behavioral treatments is also limited because they require substantial investments in care delivery systems. In addition to not being widely available 117, a limitation of behavioral therapies is the finding that they have moderate and variable efficacy in terms of abstinence and retention and still result in limited long-term recovery and subsequently relapse.
What are Methamphetamine Withdrawal Symptoms?
- A key brain area mediating drug reward/reinforcement and drug cravings is the nucleus accumbens.
- METH use has increased particularly among people with an existing opioid use disorder (OUD) 16.
- You probably won’t be able to tell if the drug you take has dangerous stuff in it, so try to buy meth from someone you trust.
- The reasons for lack of efficacy of clinically tested medications include heterogeneity of METH-abusing population and comorbidity between METH and other psychiatric disorders 19.
If you have serious psychological symptoms, you may hurt yourself or someone else. Medical detox can help you manage your withdrawal symptoms comfortably and in a safe place, lessening your chances of relapse. If you use meth while you’re pregnant, you may give birth early or have a baby with a low birth weight.


