Methamphetamine (speed, crystal meth)

Methamphetamine ("crystal meth" or "speed") is a synthetic (man-made) stimulant. It is not made from a plant or an herb. Instead, it is produced through chemical synthesis by pharmaceutical companies (for certain medical purposes) and illegal labs (for sale on the street).

Methamphetamine varies in texture and purity depending on how it is made. It may be sold as a fine to coarse powder ("speed"), crystals ("crystal meth"), or white chunks with grey or pink bits. It may be taken by mouth, smoked, snorted, or injected. "Speed" is the street term for the injectable or orally ingested form of methamphetamine. "Crystal meth" is the street term for the smokeable form of methamphetamine.

Also known as: 222, chalk, crank, crystal, crystal meth, dirt, glass, hawaiian salt, fast, gak, gingo, grit, high speed chicken feed, ice, koolaid, kryptonite, ladies, peach, peanut butter, peanuts, pink, poor man's cocaine, rock candy, shabu, shards, sketch, soiks, speed (meth), spooch, stove top, tina, tweak, and zip.

Effects and health risks

The effects of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs can be unpredictable and may vary from person to person or from occasion to occasion. The way a person feels after taking methamphetamine depends on many factors including:

• the user's age and weight
• the user's mood, expectations, and environment
• any medical or psychiatric conditions the user may have
• the amount of methamphetamine taken (dose)
• the way methamphetamine is taken (by mouth, injection or smoking)
• how often and for how long methamphetamine has been used
• the use of other drugs, including alcohol, non-prescription, prescription, and street drugs

How quickly methamphetamine reaches the brain depends on how it is taken. The fastest effects are felt within seconds after injection and smoking. Snorting produces effects within three to five minutes. When taken by mouth, it may take up to 20 minutes for the effects to be felt. Effects can last for 10 or 12 hours.

Short-term effects

The effects of using methamphetamine may be unpredictable. Some people will experience anxiety and panic attacks. Others will feel euphoric ("high"), energetic, and alert. A person may be talkative, have a rapid flow of ideas, and a sense of increased mental capacity and physical strength.

Short-term use of methamphetamine can produce many other effects including:

• dry mouth
• dilation of pupils
• teeth grinding
• stomach ache
• reduced appetite
• headache
• dizziness
• sleep difficulties
• sweating
• muscle tremors (shakiness)
• increased heart rate and irregular/abnormal heart rhythm
• increased breathing rate
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• cardiovascular collapse
• stroke

A person might also experience:

• high fever
• chest pain
• fainting
• muscle twitching
• confusion
• paranoid thinking
• hallucinations

Methamphetamine abusers have sometimes been labeled as "tweakers." "Tweaking" is a stage that some methamphetamine abusers experience as the effects of a high-dose methamphetamine binge begin to wear off. It is characterized by a dangerous combination of anxiety, irritability, aggression, paranoia, and hallucinations. These individuals are at high risk for injury or violence. Deaths related to methamphetamine use have resulted from bizarre, violent, or suicidal behaviour.

Long-term health risks

Regular users of methamphetamine may:

• experience a rapid heart beat or irregular/abnormal heart rhythm
• develop high blood pressure
• feel anxious or tense
• lose their appetite and lose weight
• have trouble sleeping
• develop "meth mouth" (severe tooth decay and damage)
• have skin lesions resulting from compulsive skin scratching and picking caused by drug-induced tactile hallucinations of "bugs" crawling under the skin.
• develop repetitive body movements

Other serious long-term health risks include:

• Psychosis. Some people may develop psychosis with paranoid thought patterns and severe agitation. Their behaviour may be erratic, bizarre or violent. In some cases, psychotic symptoms can linger for months or years after last methamphetamine use. Methamphetamine users sometimes attempt suicide while using the drug or during withdrawal.
• Memory and motor problems. Some methamphetamine users have long-lasting memory problems and reduced motor skills. School and job performance may also suffer as a result of chronic, heavy use of methamphetamine.
• Brain damage. Research studies have shown that methamphetamine can damage certain brain cells in animals and humans. While this does not mean that the damage happens in all users or after only one or two uses, there is a risk of short or long-term brain damage, which could potentially be irreversible.
• Birth defects. Using methamphetamine during pregnancy can harm a developing fetus because it can decrease the mother's appetite, slowing the growth of the fetus in the womb and resulting in lower birth weight. It may also cause prenatal complications such as premature delivery. It is not clear whether the drug causes birth defects.
• Infectious diseases. Sharing drug supplies (like needles, pipes, straws, and spoons) can spread infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
• Other risk factors. People with diabetes, epilepsy, heart and liver problems, or mental disorders are most susceptible to the dangerous effects of methamphetamine.

Overdose

An overdose of methamphetamine can be lethal because it may cause hyperthermia (extreme fever), rupture of the blood vessels in the brain (stroke), heart attack, seizures or coma. There is no specific antidote that can reverse the effects of the drug.

Addiction and withdrawal

Methamphetamine can be very addictive. While physical dependence is encountered less often, methamphetamine can cause powerful psychological dependence. Tolerance to the mood-elevating effects ("high") develops rapidly with regular use. Tolerance may also develop toward some of the physical effects of the drug (like the effects on blood pressure, heart rate, appetite, and body temperature).

A regular user who suddenly stops using methamphetamine may experience:

• strong craving for the drug
• extreme fatigue
• lengthy but disturbed sleep
• intense hunger
• an exaggerated sense of mental or emotional discomfort (dysphoria)
• an inability to experience pleasure (anhedonia)
• personality disturbances (psychosis)