Some people choose meth because of its longer lasting effects. However, in the long run, it can cause severe consequences. Its effects are similar to those of other stimulant drugs, such as cocaine. However, recreational use of meth is illegal because it is a highly addictive drug that impairs brain function and changes the person’s thoughts and actions.
- Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth, speed, or crack, is a powerful stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system.
- The effects of meth can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on how you take the drug and how often you use it.
- Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that affects mood and energy.
- As a powder, it can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected.
How Does Meth Make You Feel?
It alters how a person thinks and feels as they prioritize obtaining the next dose of the drug. Meth’s transformative side effects are often visible in many areas of a person’s life. You may notice a sudden loss of interest in other areas of life. Hobbies, relationships, and career goals can all take a back seat to addiction. As a person continues to use methamphetamine, they are likely to display many outward signs indicating their drug dependency. Meth addiction can manifest itself in a variety of physical and behavioral symptoms, from rotting teeth to hyperactivity to heart attacks.
Doses and overdose
Meth also gives users a longer and more sustained high which leads to damage to the central nervous system. Often times the signs of meth addiction can be difficult to identify. One of the most important steps in the recovery journey is understanding the signs, symptoms and side effects of meth addiction.
Short-term Effects
The FDA-approved version of this medication is called Desoxyn. It is a white, round tablet that must be prescribed by a doctor. Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider. Producers often mix it with other https://sober-home.org/ substances, including fentanyl. Social consequences of long-term use include financial pressures, problems with work, and challenges with family relationships. The drug acts on parts of the brain involved in reward, which makes taking another dose tempting.
Mental Health Services
The pure form of methamphetamine, Desoxyn, is rarely ever prescribed in the U.S. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. People take it for its pleasurable effects, including feelings of euphoria and increased wakefulness.
Long-Term Risks of Meth Addiction
A 2015 CDC report recorded injuries from 1,325 meth-related chemical incidents in five U.S. states from 2001–2012. The report revealed that 162 people were injured, including at least 26 children. However, after several uses, https://sober-home.org/how-to-write-a-goodbye-letter-to-addiction-banyan/ the same dose no longer has the same effect. A person develops drug tolerance and needs more of the drug to achieve the same effect. Using the drug can lead to lowered inhibitions and behaviors that put the person in danger.
Anhedonia can cause deep depression and even suicidal thoughts or actions. Once you develop a tolerance to the drug, it takes more and more methamphetamine to achieve the same stimulating effect. A second consequence of addiction is that when the high is over, the user feels a corresponding low or depression as a result of a depleted supply of dopamine. Users are well aware that such feelings can quickly be countered by another dose.
It also raises blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature. Someone who regularly uses methamphetamines is at high risk of relapsing without professional help. The sooner addiction treatment begins for someone dependent on meth, the sooner they reduce their risk of permanent harm and avoid relapse. The powder form of methamphetamine is usually white, beige, or light tan. This is a less potent form of meth and is sometimes dissolved and injected or swallowed.
The adverse symptoms of meth abuse are best avoided by not using the drug at all. Individuals who regularly use meth will experience some level of bingeing and crashing, and they will experience unpleasant effects. Tweaking is one of the more significant signs of meth use.
The crystal form of meth usually has a higher purity and can produce longer psychological effects than the powdered form. Injection – The injection method has a faster onset of action and the potential for increased risk of skin and blood-borne transmission of viruses such as HIV and hepatitis. According to NIDA, in 2020, around 2.6 million people aged 12 years and older had used methamphetamine in the past 12 months. Anyone in the area of a methamphetamine laboratory is also at risk of exposure to chemicals. People use methamphetamine because they enjoy the effects. However, scientists think these high dopamine levels help make the drug more toxic to nerve terminals in the brain.
Professional medical assistance is the best chance the person has at survival. Follow the directions of the 911 operator and give as much correct and accurate information as possible. By law, private insurers have to cover some of the costs of substance use treatment, and most drug rehab centers accept private and public health insurance. Your costs will depend on the type of health insurance you have and what facilities or services your provider covers.
The drug’s effects on the brain and heart are usually the most significant. Short-term side effects of meth, such as rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure and increased body temperature, usually fade when meth leaves the body. Instead, the term refers to something called formication, which is the sensation of bugs crawling on your skin. Formication is a common sensation that comes with stimulant abuse, as your nervous system becomes overactive. When this is mixed with meth’s ability to cause stimulant psychosis and hallucinations, meth users often feel like they are constantly crawling with insects.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), psychosis can last for several months or years after the individual quits using. It’s not an exaggeration to describe the long-term effects of meth use as profound. According to the NIDA, crystal meth can damage nerve terminals and increase the risk for physical and psychological illness (such as Parkinson’s disease). Meth abuse can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain. Addiction to methamphetamine introduces its own dangers and exacerbates many others.
In many cases, meth’s short high and long comedown encourages users to go on a meth binge, which is taking several doses in a row to stave off the uncomfortable side effects. There is no quick and easy cure for meth abuse/addiction, but substance use disorders can be treated with physical and psychological methods. If snorting the drug in crystal meth form, the high will come on in three to five minutes; if swallowing methamphetamine, it can take 15 to 20 minutes. The drug’s effects can last anywhere from six to 12 hours, which can lead people to continue using to keep the high going.
You may seek out more meth to make these feelings go away. Unless you use an approved methamphetamine medication under the direction of a doctor, there’s no recommended dose for meth. The least risky (and slowest) way to use meth is to swallow it.
Methamphetamine powder itself is odorless; however, the production of meth has a very distinct smell similar to ammonia or ether. It has been reported to smell like cat urine or rotten eggs. Others have described it as a paint thinner, varnish, or strong fuel smell.
Once the drug wore off, many soldiers reported feeling anxious, angry and aggressive. Talk to a doctor or other medical professional for a recommendation. You can also search for a treatment center close to where you live. It’s a free online tool provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.