Short-term effects of meth use

Meth is an extremely dangerous and addictive drug, no matter how it is ingested.  Meth can be ingested many different ways, which include but not limited to smoking, snorting, and injecting.  Even after one use meth can damage the user’s brain and central nervous system.  Meth produces a long lasting feeling of euphoria that can last up to 12 hours.  The Euphoria of meth use often fades before the concentration of meth leaves the blood stream.  Therefore side effects such as high blood pressure will remain after the euphoria is gone.

There are many short term effects of meth.  They include increased respiration, damage to blood vessels in the lungs, and decreased lung capacity.  Some Cardiovascular effects include increased heart rate and blood pressure, heart palpitations, rapid heart beat, high blood pressure, and can also cause damage to small blood vessels in the brain which can lead to a stroke.

Constriction of veins, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate can cause an overdose which includes dehydration, kidney failure, convulsions, stroke and possibly a heart attack.  In rare cases meth can cause hypothermia which is characterized as an extreme elevation in body temperature to dangerous levels which can result in death if not treated quickly by medical professionals.

Withdrawal from meth usually occurs several days after a person stops using the drug.  Withdrawal symptoms from meth are the exact opposite of intoxication; these symptoms include but are not limited to fatigue, irritability, long but restless sleep, intense hunger, and severe depression which can lead to suicidal thoughts and or behaviors.

Short-term effects of using Methamphetamine include:

• Decreased appetite
• Increased respiration
• Increased alertness
• sharpened senses
• restlessness and irritability
• Impaired judgment and reduced inhibitions
• Increased metabolism

Long-term effects of meth use

Long-term meth use can have many negative effects on a person’s health, which includes molecular and functional changes in the brain also known as addiction.  Chronic meth users also have increased anxiety, mood changes, inability to sleep (insomnia), delusions, and hallucinations.  Some of these symptoms can last from months up to a few years after using meth.  Also stress has been shown to bring on sudden meth psychosis after chronic use has ceased. 

With long term meth use tolerance can develop.  Therefore for the chronic user needs to take more of the drug to get the desired effect, change the method of ingestion, or they need to take the drug more frequently.

Long term meth abuse can drastically change the user’s brain.  Meth has been shown to alter activity in the dopamine system that’s associated with motor speed and verbal learning.  Studies have also shown chronic meth users have severe damage in the emotion and memory parts of the brain, which can explain the emotional and cognitive problems found in chronic meth users.

Luckily, at least some of the damage caused by long term meth abuse is partially reversible.  Some recent studies have shown partial recovery in some areas of the brain after prolonged abstinence.  However, in other areas of the brain no improvement was found even after years of abstinence.  Also the increased chance of stroke from meth abuse can lead to permanent brain damage.

Long-term effects of using methamphetamine include:

• addiction
• paranoia and hallucinations
• changes in brain structure and function
• varying degrees of memory loss
• aggressive and sometimes violent behavior
• mood swings and agitation
• tooth decay and other dental problems
• weight loss, sometimes severe

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