Methamphetamine
Maclay Rehabilitation Center
Methamphetamine
Today, methamphetamine is second only to alcohol and marijuana as the drug used
most frequently in many Western and Midwestern states. Seizures of dangerous
laboratory materials have increased dramatically—in some states, fivefold. In response,
many special task forces and local and Federal initiatives have been developed to
target methamphetamine production and use. Legislation and negotiation with earlier
source areas for precursor substances have also reduced the availability of the raw
materials needed to make the drug.
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug with potent central nervous system
stimulant properties. In the 1960s, methamphetamine pharmaceutical products were
widely available and extensively diverted and abused. The 1971 placement of
methamphetamine into Schedule II of the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) and the
removal of methamphetamine injectable formulations from the United States market,
combined with a better appreciation for its high abuse potential, led to a drastic
reduction in the abuse of this drug. However, a resurgence of methamphetamine abuse
occurred in the 1980s and it is currently considered a major drug of abuse. The
widespread availability of methamphetamine today is largely fueled by illicit production
in large and small clandestine laboratories throughout the United States and illegal
production and importation from Mexico. In some areas of the country (especially on
the West Coast), methamphetamine abuse has outpaced both heroin and cocaine.
The drug has limited medical uses for the treatment of narcolepsy, attention deficit
disorders, and obesity
Short-Term Effects
As a powerful stimulant, methamphetamine, even in small doses, can increase
wakefulness and physical activity and decrease appetite. A brief, intense sensation, or
rush, is reported by those who smoke or inject methamphetamine. Oral ingestion or
snorting produces a long-lasting high instead of a rush, which reportedly can continue
for as long as half a day. Both the rush and the high are believed to result from the
release of very high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine into areas of the brain that
regulate feelings of pleasure.
Methamphetamine has toxic effects. In animals, a single high dose of the drug has
been shown to damage nerve terminals in the dopamine-containing regions of the
brain. The large release of dopamine produced by methamphetamine is thought to
contribute to the drug’s toxic effects on nerve terminals in the brain. High doses can
elevate body temperature to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levels, as well as cause
convulsions
Long-Term Effects
Long-term methamphetamine abuse results in many damaging effects, including
addiction. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug-
seeking and drug use which is accompanied by functional and molecular changes in
the
brain. In addition to being addicted to methamphetamine, chronic methamphetamine
abusers exhibit symptoms that can include violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and
insomnia. They also can display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia,
auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions (for example, the sensation
of insects creeping on the skin, which is called “formication”). The paranoia can result
in homicidal as well as suicidal thoughts.
With chronic use, tolerance for methamphetamine can develop. In an effort to intensify
the desired effects, users may take higher doses of the drug, take it more frequently, or
change their method of drug intake. In some cases, abusers forego food and sleep
while
indulging in a form of binging known as a “run,” injecting as much as a gram of the drug
every 2 to 3 hours over several days until the user runs out of the drug or is too
disorganized to continue. Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized
by intense paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages that
can be coupled with extremely violent behavior.
Although there are no physical manifestations of a withdrawal syndrome when
methamphetamine use is stopped, there are several symptoms that occur when a
chronic user stops taking the drug. These include depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia,
aggression, and an intense craving for the drug.
In scientific studies examining the consequences of long-term methamphetamine
exposure in animals, concern has arisen over its toxic effects on the brain. Researchers
have reported that as much as 50 percent of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain
can be damaged after prolonged exposure to relatively low levels of methamphetamine.
Researchers also have found that serotonin-containing nerve cells may be damaged
even more extensively. Whether this toxicity is related to the psychosis seen in some
long-term methamphetamine abusers is still an open question.
For more information click here
Today, methamphetamine is second only to alcohol and marijuana as the drug used
most frequently in many Western and Midwestern states. Seizures of dangerous
laboratory materials have increased dramatically—in some states, fivefold. In response,
many special task forces and local and Federal initiatives have been developed to
target methamphetamine production and use. Legislation and negotiation with earlier
source areas for precursor substances have also reduced the availability of the raw
materials needed to make the drug.
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug with potent central nervous system
stimulant properties. In the 1960s, methamphetamine pharmaceutical products were
widely available and extensively diverted and abused. The 1971 placement of
methamphetamine into Schedule II of the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) and the
removal of methamphetamine injectable formulations from the United States market,
combined with a better appreciation for its high abuse potential, led to a drastic
reduction in the abuse of this drug. However, a resurgence of methamphetamine abuse
occurred in the 1980s and it is currently considered a major drug of abuse. The
widespread availability of methamphetamine today is largely fueled by illicit production
in large and small clandestine laboratories throughout the United States and illegal
production and importation from Mexico. In some areas of the country (especially on
the West Coast), methamphetamine abuse has outpaced both heroin and cocaine.
The drug has limited medical uses for the treatment of narcolepsy, attention deficit
disorders, and obesity
Short-Term Effects
As a powerful stimulant, methamphetamine, even in small doses, can increase
wakefulness and physical activity and decrease appetite. A brief, intense sensation, or
rush, is reported by those who smoke or inject methamphetamine. Oral ingestion or
snorting produces a long-lasting high instead of a rush, which reportedly can continue
for as long as half a day. Both the rush and the high are believed to result from the
release of very high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine into areas of the brain that
regulate feelings of pleasure.
Methamphetamine has toxic effects. In animals, a single high dose of the drug has
been shown to damage nerve terminals in the dopamine-containing regions of the
brain. The large release of dopamine produced by methamphetamine is thought to
contribute to the drug’s toxic effects on nerve terminals in the brain. High doses can
elevate body temperature to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levels, as well as cause
convulsions
Long-Term Effects
Long-term methamphetamine abuse results in many damaging effects, including
addiction. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug-
seeking and drug use which is accompanied by functional and molecular changes in
the
brain. In addition to being addicted to methamphetamine, chronic methamphetamine
abusers exhibit symptoms that can include violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and
insomnia. They also can display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia,
auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions (for example, the sensation
of insects creeping on the skin, which is called “formication”). The paranoia can result
in homicidal as well as suicidal thoughts.
With chronic use, tolerance for methamphetamine can develop. In an effort to intensify
the desired effects, users may take higher doses of the drug, take it more frequently, or
change their method of drug intake. In some cases, abusers forego food and sleep
while
indulging in a form of binging known as a “run,” injecting as much as a gram of the drug
every 2 to 3 hours over several days until the user runs out of the drug or is too
disorganized to continue. Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized
by intense paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages that
can be coupled with extremely violent behavior.
Although there are no physical manifestations of a withdrawal syndrome when
methamphetamine use is stopped, there are several symptoms that occur when a
chronic user stops taking the drug. These include depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia,
aggression, and an intense craving for the drug.
In scientific studies examining the consequences of long-term methamphetamine
exposure in animals, concern has arisen over its toxic effects on the brain. Researchers
have reported that as much as 50 percent of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain
can be damaged after prolonged exposure to relatively low levels of methamphetamine.
Researchers also have found that serotonin-containing nerve cells may be damaged
even more extensively. Whether this toxicity is related to the psychosis seen in some
long-term methamphetamine abusers is still an open question.
For more information click here
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