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OTHER NAMES FOR METHAMPHETAMINE:
Some common names for Methamphetamine are: Beannies, Chalk,
Chicken Feed, Crystal Meth, Fast, Glass, Ice, Granulated Orange,
Load of Laundry, Meth, Pink, Poor Man's Coke, Redneck Cocaine,
Speed, Speckled Birds, Trash, Wash.
Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug
that is similar in structure to amphetamine. It is long lasting
and toxic to dopamine nerve terminals in the central nervous
system. It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting powder taken
orally or by snorting or injecting, or a rock "crystal"
that is heated and smoked. Due to its high potential for abuse,
methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug and is
available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled.
Although methamphetamine can be prescribed by a doctor, its
medical uses are limited, and the doses that are prescribed
are much lower than those typically abused. Most of the methamphetamine
abused in this country comes from foreign or domestic superlabs,
although it can also be made in small, illegal laboratories,
where its production endangers the people in the labs, neighbors,
and the environment.
Effects of Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine increases wakefulness and physical activity,
produces rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, and increased
blood pressure and body temperature. Long-term use can lead
to mood disturbances, violent behavior, anxiety, confusion,
insomnia, and severe dental problems. All users, but particularly
those who inject the drug, risk infectious diseases such as
HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
What Does Methamphetamine Do to the Brain?
Methamphetamine increases the release and blocks the reuptake
of the brain chemical (or neurotransmitter) dopamine, leading
to high levels of the chemical in the brain, a common mechanism
of action for most drugs of abuse. Dopamine is involved in
reward, motivation, the experience of pleasure, and motor
function. Methamphetamine’s ability to rapidly release
dopamine in reward regions of the brain produces the intense
euphoria, or “rush,” that many users feel after
snorting, smoking, or injecting the drug.
Chronic methamphetamine abuse significantly changes how the
brain functions. Noninvasive human brain imaging studies have
shown alterations in the activity of the dopamine system that
are associated with reduced motor skills and impaired verbal
learning.1 Recent studies in chronic methamphetamine abusers
have also revealed severe structural and functional changes
in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory,2,3
which may account for many of the emotional and cognitive
problems observed in chronic methamphetamine abusers.
Repeated methamphetamine abuse can also lead to addiction—a
chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug
seeking and use, which is accompanied by chemical and molecular
changes in the brain. Some of these changes persist long after
methamphetamine abuse is stopped. Reversal of some of the
changes, however, may be observed after sustained periods
of abstinence (e.g., more than 1 year).
What Other Adverse Effects Does Methamphetamine Have
on Health?
Taking even small amounts of methamphetamine can result in many
of the same physical effects of other stimulants, such as cocaine
or amphetamines, including increased wakefulness, increased
physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration,
rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure,
and hyperthermia.
Long-term methamphetamine abuse has many negative health consequences,
including extreme weight loss, severe dental problems (“meth
mouth”), anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances,
and violent behavior. Chronic methamphetamine abusers can also
display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia,
visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions (for example,
the sensation of insects crawling under the skin).
Transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C can be consequences
of methamphetamine abuse. The intoxicating effects of methamphetamine,
regardless of how it is taken, can also alter judgment and inhibition
and lead people to engage in unsafe behaviors, including risky
sexual behavior. Among abusers who inject the drug, HIV and
other infectious diseases can be spread through contaminated
needles, syringes, and other injection equipment that is used
by more than one person. Methamphetamine abuse may also worsen
the progression of HIV and its consequences. Studies of methamphetamine
abusers who are HIV-positive indicate that HIV causes greater
neuronal injury and cognitive impairment for individuals in
this group compared with HIV-positive people who do not use
the drug.
What Treatment Options Exist?
Currently, the most effective treatments for methamphetamine
addiction are comprehensive cognitive-behavioral interventions.
For example, the Matrix Model—a behavioral treatment
approach that combines behavioral therapy, family education,
individual counseling, 12-step support, drug testing, and
encouragement for non–drug-related activities—has
been shown to be effective in reducing methamphetamine abuse.7
Contingency management interventions, which provide tangible
incentives in exchange for engaging in treatment and maintaining
abstinence, have also been shown to be effective.8 There are
no medications at this time approved to treat methamphetamine
addiction; however, this is an active area of research for
NIDA.
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of being a parent. If you have any questions, please know
that we are here to provide you with support and guidance,
24 hours a day, seven days a week. We welcome the opportunity
to answer your questions free of charge about teen drug rehab,
teen substance abuse, adolescent addiction, teen behavior,
or other related matters. If you would prefer, please fill
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Toll free teen treatment center helpline:
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us.
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