This allows the drug to be present in the brain longer, extending the stimulant effects. Since the effects of the drug start and fade quickly, people often take repeated doses in what is known as a binge and crash pattern. In fact, some people go on a “run,” which involves bingeing on the drug every few hours for several days at a time, without food or sleep. Using meth triggers the release of large amounts of the chemical dopamine in the brain, resulting in feelings of extreme happiness and pleasure. This high is addictive and causes people to crave the drug repeatedly in order to achieve it. Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth, speed, or crack, is a powerful stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system.

Meth addiction causes

• Methamphetamine is a man-made stimulant that’s been around for a long time.
• When the drug is completely out of your system, your doctor will help you prepare for treatment.
• Social consequences of long-term use include financial pressures, problems with work, and challenges with family relationships.
• The chances you’ll take too much meth are higher if you inject meth, but harmful or life-threatening health problems can happen no matter what method you use.
• In addition to the mechanisms of physical dependence, there are also social, experiential, and environmental factors that may place a person at greater risk of developing crystal meth addiction.

This crawling feeling is due to an increased body temperature, leading to sweating and oily skin, combined with the fact that the body is dehydrated. With amphetamine placed under federal control, illegal drug suppliers found that ephedrine, used in over-the-counter cold medicine, produces methamphetamine, according to Frontline. It didn’t take long for crystal meth to become “discovered” in the 1980s. According to the meth abuse Foundation for a Drug-Free World, the substance is often made in illegal makeshift meth labs within homes, cabins, cars, shacks, motels, etc.

• There’s ongoing research into the health effects of secondhand meth smoke.
• Both racemic methamphetamine and dextromethamphetamine are illicitly trafficked and sold owing to their potential for recreational use.
• Meth addiction is one of the hardest drug addictions to treat, but it can be done.
• They can also refer you to a treatment center and answer any questions you may have.
• If someone has concerns that they or a loved one may have SUD, NIDA’s website can offer support and guidance to help them find a treatment program and manage their condition.
• Amphetamine was first synthesized in Germany in 1887, when ephedrine was isolated from the ephedra shrub.

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Methamphetamine can cause long-term damage to the brain, which can require specialized treatment and continuous care over a sustained period of time to promote abstinence. With proper treatment, individuals can learn to manage the possible side effects of repeated use and disruption to the brain, and minimize instances of relapse for a healthy recovery. Meth produces an intense high that comes on and fades quickly. Coming down can cause difficult emotional and physical symptoms, such as depression and insomnia. As a result, meth addiction often follows a pattern of bingeing on the drug for several days at a time, followed by a crash. Like attention the terms judgment and problem–solving are general labels for a number of different cognitive functions, some of which are very complex and occur in multiple steps.

Meth Addiction

This partially results in the psychoactive effects of meth, but also leads to later dopamine and serotonin depletion because the neurons have less dopamine to use later. This can result in a number of extreme mood effects, such as initial extreme euphoria followed by extreme periods of depression, apathy, and hopelessness. Martinez, who has been in recovery for two years, now works with a Washington, D.C.-based group called HIPS helping others with meth addiction. She says when she started her recovery, it was hard in part because there were no medical treatments to help with cravings and withdrawal. Crystal methamphetamine, which people commonly shorten to “crystal meth” or simply “meth” is a form of methamphetamine that resembles fragments of bluish-white crystal or glass.

Treatment Options for Meth Addiction

But over the past decade, rates have gone up among Black people and younger folks aged 18-23. The defendant, Thomas Anthony Conley, 37, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl. Jessica Martinez began using the drug when she paid her way through college as a sex worker. “I was shooting up every day, sometimes two to three times a day,” she says. “Doctors are going to be reading about it and may prescribe the medications off-label to their patients,” Volkow says.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested three people after locating 38 pounds of suspected methamphetamine during an encounter at a gas station near Hershey. “For heroin users, there’s methadone, there’s suboxone. I just wonder why we haven’t researched treatments for this drug yet,” she says. Presently, there are no medications to help people recover from meth-related SUD that have received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration. It is not indicative of a character defect or moral shortcoming and a person cannot manage the condition through sheer willpower. According to older research from 2013, primate models demonstrate that meth alters brain structures involved in inhibitory control.

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• Methamphetamine is sometimes prescribed—in low doses—to treat mental health conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and as a short-term component in weight-loss treatments for obese people who are unable to lose weight.
• The organization is active in a variety of countries, including Myanmar, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, and Taiwan.
• Volkow says one theory is that naltrexone reduced physiological cravings for meth, while buproprion’s “antidepressant effects” eased the anxiety people experience when they stop using.
• According to older research from 2013, primate models demonstrate that meth alters brain structures involved in inhibitory control.

In this article we will explore the symptoms and causes of meth addiction, how doctors diagnose and treat it, and when to speak with a healthcare professional. Take our free, 5-minute substance use self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might struggle with substance addiction. The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result. Potential long-term side effects of misuse can include heart problems and stroke, reduced cognitive function, and complete tooth decay. Commercially, methamphetamine is only available under the brand name Desoxyn in 5-mg tablets.

Meth use symptoms

The drug acts on parts of the brain involved in reward, which makes taking another dose tempting. Methamphetamine belongs to the substituted phenethylamine and substituted amphetamine chemical classes. It is related to the other dimethylphenethylamines as a positional isomer of these compounds, which share the common chemical formula C10H15N. Your loved one might deny having a problem at all or refuse to seek help. If that happens, consider seeking out additional resources or find a support group for family members or friends of people living with addiction.