What Is Meth? Use, Effects, Addiction, and Treatment

This grinding wears down tooth enamel, weakening and fracturing teeth over time. Teeth may become stained, broken, rotting, and in some cases, destroyed beyond fixing. Meth users can feel bugs crawling under their skin, a sensation known as formication. Behavioral changes are often the first signs someone is addicted to meth. These changes may include irritability, paranoia, mood swings, decreased sleep, or anger episodes, to name a few. Someone who uses methamphetamines will likely experience a high with a rush of energy.

Levels of Care

Almost 2.5 million people in the U.S. aged 12 or older say they use meth every year. In general, people use it a little less often than other stimulants such as cocaine. A Melbourne man was later arrested and charged for his alleged role in attempting to import the drug haul, the AFP said in a statement. The FDA-approved version of this medication is called Desoxyn.

• Meth addiction affects a person’s brain and changes how it functions.
• In addition to affecting cognitive abilities, these changes in brain chemistry can lead to disturbing, even violent behavior.
• You might wonder if it’s drug use or something else, such as stressful job or time in their life.
• Poor hygiene and a weakened immune system also make them more prone to skin infections.
• This study was a cross-sectional analysis of open- and closed-ended survey questions curated to understand how people with a history of methamphetamine use view recovery.
• Substance use disorders and addiction aren’t choices you make — they’re mental health conditions that can have long-term effects on your health and well-being.

What Are the Signs Someone Is Using Meth?

• Inpatient treatment allows for close medical oversight, in a safe environment that can prevent triggers, and relapse from occurring.
• However, meth can contain other ingredients, including solvents, gasoline, starter fluid, acids, rubbing alcohol, metals, and salts, making it extremely dangerous to digest.
• In this case, it would be helpful for you to support them in their recovery, by finding them a nearby addiction treatment center with medical professionals who can assist in their detox, treatment, and recovery.
• Contact AAC at to find out what treatments are available, payment options, insurance coverage, and more.
• If you or a loved one are addicted to meth, it’s important to seek treatment immediately.

The drug is toxic to nerve terminals in the brain and meth can destroy the brain cell synapses where dopamine is released, causing mood disturbances and dependence on the drug. Prolonged meth use changes the brain chemistry of users, destroying the wiring in the brain’s pleasure center, and makes it increasingly difficult to experience any sort of pleasure without the drug. In addition to behavioral changes, chronic meth use can also cause irreversible damage to bodily systems and blood vessels in the brain, which can result in a stroke. Importantly, we do not know from these data whether perceptions of outcome importance are related to actual attainment of these outcomes or time in recovery. Furthermore, nearly all (94%) of the participants were recruited from the prison re-entry program. These individuals may be qualitatively different from methamphetamine users without criminal justice history.

Other Long-Term Health Effects

The risks of overdose are higher when you mix the drug with opioids or meth addiction other stimulants such as cocaine, ecstasy, or amphetamines. The powerful rush you get from using meth makes it easy to get hooked right from the start. When it’s used, dopamine floods your brain to boost feelings of pleasure. You may also feel a lot more confident, social, and energetic. You may use meth to make sex more pleasurable or to lower your inhibitions.

Your withdrawal symptoms will be strongest during the first 24 hours or so and typically last about 7-10 days. 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. Methamphetamine is a man-made stimulant that’s been around for a long time. People have also taken the drug to lose weight, ease depression, and manage attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When asked about perceptions of substance use in recovery, 1/3 felt both other drugs (apart from methamphetamine) and alcohol could be part of one’s recovery (see Figure below).

Crystal Meth FAQs

Because meth causes the blood vessels to constrict, it cuts off the steady flow of blood to all parts of 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.

Prompt treatment could save their life, and it may also help reduce your risk of long-term or permanent damage. If you feel calmer when drinking alcohol, you might assume it’ll help you feel less restless or jittery when you take meth. The euphoria you experience when using meth may last only a few minutes. But other effects, like increased energy or higher body temperature, can linger for hours. 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.

Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system. In low doses, it typically produces euphoria while increasing alertness, heart rate, physical activity, and blood pressure. However, at higher doses, it can cause severe health complications, including elevated body temperature, seizures, cardiovascular failure, significant weight loss, memory impairment, and damage to teeth and skin. 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. Meanwhile, these chemicals impair the judgment centers of the brain. “You do things when you’re on meth that you would never do sober,” explains Peter Staley, a former meth user.

SUD is a medical condition that requires proper medical treatment. Methamphetamine overdose is a toxic, potentially life threatening reaction to the drug. Your risk of overdose increases if you take a large dose of meth or mix methamphetamine with other drugs. Withdrawal can make you feel so bad that you can’t stop using meth.