methamphetamines

Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. Classified as a Class A drug.

It is closely related to amphetamines, but has a greater effect on the central nervous system.

It belongs to a class of drugs known as “Stimulants” and works by releasing high levels of the brain chemical dopamine, stimulating brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. Methamphetamine is also a neurotoxin, which means that it damages the neurons that produce the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin.

Street names for methamphetamine include “speed", “meth", “pure” or “p", “chalk", “crank", “crystal", “ice", “glass", “crystal meth", “sketch", “go", “junk", “wake up", “zoom"’, “tweak” and “dope". It can be snorted, smoked, injected or eaten, with each way of administration producing different “highs” for the user.

Immediately after smoking the drug or injecting it intravenously, the user experiences a feeling of intense pleasure or “rush” which lasts for a few minutes. Snorting or ingesting produces an euphoric feeling, but not a rush, and produces effects within 15 – 20 minutes.

Other Effects

Although the pleasurable rush disappears quickly, other effects may last between 8 to 24 hours and include:

• Uncreased alertness
• Sense of well-being
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Aggressive behaviour
• Increased heart rate
• Convulsions
• Extreme rise in body temperature (as high as 108 degrees which can cause brain damage and death)
• Uncontrollable movements (twitching, jerking, etc)
• Violent behavior
• Insomnia
• Impaired speech
• Dry, itchy skin
• Loss of appetite
• Acne, sores
• Numbness

Long-term Effects

• Fatal kidney and lung disorders
• Brain damage
• Depression
• Hallucinations
• Disorganised lifestyle
• Permanent psychological problems
• Violent and aggressive behaviour
• Weight loss
• Insomnia
• Behaviour resembling paranoid schizophrenia
• Decreased social life
• Malnutrition
• Poor coping abilities
• Disturbance of personal development
• Lowered resistance to illness
• Liver damage
• Stroke
• Death

Tolerance

Tolerance for methamphetamine occurs within minutes, meaning that the intensely pleasurable effects disappear even before the concentration in the blood falls significantly. This allures users into trying to maintain the high by bingeing on the drug repeatedly.

Methamphetamine causes a severe crash after the effects wear off, which is more intense and longer lasting than both amphetamine speed and cocaine. These effects are not only long lasting, but continue to cause damage long after the drug use has stopped.

Addiction

The other significant health consequence for users of methamphetamine is a strong addiction to the drug. The brain responds to the presence of methamphetamine, by releasing an enzyme to knock out the extra dopamine that has been produced. With repeated use, the enzymes eventually kill the nerve endings of the dopamine cell; meaning that the brain is unable to register the same levels of pleasure and satisfaction as it did before methamphetamine.

This sets up the cycle of addiction, where users “need” the drug in order to feel pleasure, or simply to overcome the feelings of withdrawal.

Chronic Use

Chronic use can also lead to acute psychosis with auditory hallucinations and extreme paranoia. Unlike cocaine psychosis, it does not pass rapidly, but can last for weeks. Methamphetamine psychosis is common in high doses, with approximately one third of heavy users developing bizarre, paranoid behaviour, suffering hallucinations and hearing voices. Users of methamphetamine become nervous and agitated, with a shift towards aggressive or non-affectionate behaviour that makes them prone to outbreaks of violence.

There is no stereotypical methamphetamine user. People of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and incomes are using it, and it is much more readily available than most people realise. With the recently reported boom in production throughout Asia, both Australia and New Zealand are encountering unprecedented levels in supply, with the trend towards intravenous administration.

With injecting, comes other associated health risks. Sharing needles with others, reusing injecting equipment, and not disposing of them correctly, leads to an increase risk in contracting the blood born viruses Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV.

Treatment

There is treatment available for methamphetamine addiction. These approaches are based around cognitive behavioral interventions. Antidepressant medication may often help to combat the depressive symptoms commonly seen in methamphetamine users who have recently stopped using.