Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that can create extreme feelings of euphoria. The drug triggers substantial amounts of dopamine in the brain, leading to intense feelings of pleasure. Signs of meth use include hyperactivity, lack of sleep, decreased appetite, dilated pupils and rapid weight loss. Someone who’s high on the drug may have a tremendous amount of energy and feel unusually alert.
While a meth high can last up to 12 hours, it’s typically followed by an intense crash. To avoid this, users often binge the drug for several days until they collapse from exhaustion. At high dosages, meth is toxic and disrupts breathing, heart function and blood pressure. According to the CDC, methamphetamine abuse was the second highest cause of U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2023.
Why Meth Use Is So Visibly Devastating
The drug causes the so-called “meth mouth,” one of the most recognizable characteristics of methamphetamine abuse. Almost all users suffer from serious dental problems, caused in part by a gradual shrinking and dying of the blood vessels to the mouth. This, together with diminished saliva production, leads to severe tooth decay, blackened teeth and gum disease.
Tooth decay can be worsened by involuntary teeth grinding caused by the drug’s effect on the central nervous system. In some instances, tooth damage is so severe that only the roots of the damaged teeth remain.
Early Physical and Behavioral Signs of Meth Use
Meth addiction is powerful, and regular use of the drug rapidly affects the user’s physical appearance and behavior. These changes may take place quickly.
Physical Changes
Physical side effects of meth abuse include:
- Reduced appetite. Meth is an appetite suppressant, and users may forget to eat for several days.
- Increased energy. The drug is a powerful stimulant that increases energy and alertness.
- Sleep impairment. The increased levels of dopamine and serotonin lead to insomnia and poor sleeping patterns.
- Shaking (tremors). Users may experience uncontrolled muscle spasms, and their eyes may constantly twitch.
- Oily skin. Meth causes an increase in body temperature, leading to excessive sweating and oily skin.
- Weakness. Heavy meth users often experience muscle weakness and fatigue.
- Irregular heartbeat. Meth increases heart rate and causes potentially dangerous irregular heartbeats.
Early Behavioral Changes
Methamphetamine abuse causes changes in the brain chemistry that often lead to:
- Anxiety. Users may experience persistent and unusual anxiety disorders.
- Paranoia. The drug may cause psychosis, leading users to be suspicious and mistrustful of those around them.
- Aggression. When high, users can lose their inhibitions and become irritable and aggressive.
- Erratic behavior. Meth addicts show unpredictable, erratic and risky behavior.
Advanced Symptoms: Skin Sores, Weight Loss and Dental Damage
Chronic meth use alters the user’s appearance. Meth damages blood vessels, affecting the body’s ability to heal. Skin tone can deteriorate, and individuals may become emaciated and frail. Signs of meth use include skin sores, loss of weight and gum disease.
Skin Sores
Open sores and acne on the face and throat of individuals who use meth long-term are common. They’re made worse if the individual continually scratches and picks at sores. The lesions easily become infected. Methamphetamine users can also experience formication, a condition that causes the sensation of bugs crawling over or under their skin. This can cause the person to continually scratch affected areas.
Weight Loss
Severe weight loss is common. Meth causes an increased metabolism and a decreased appetite. Users commonly forget to eat and have little interest in food. At the same time, their high energy levels cause their bodies to burn energy faster. In time, individuals may start to suffer from malnutrition. They lose muscle mass, and soft tissue shrinks.
Dental Damage
Most people who abuse meth long-term experience tooth decay and gum disease. The effects appear to be worse for those who snort the drug and, in some instances, damage occurs within a matter of months. Dental treatment of meth mouth is often unsuccessful, and the only solution is the extraction of diseased teeth.
Psychological and Cognitive Effects Over Time
Crystal meth causes severe psychological and cognitive damage. Some of the effects, like mental health illnesses and cognitive decline, are irreversible.
Addiction
Meth is a very addictive drug. It induces an intense rush followed by a deep low. This encourages users to take the drug repeatedly. According to the NIH, two-thirds of adults who’ve used meth in the past year meet the criteria for substance use disorder.
Mental Health Illness
Mental health issues are common. Meth decreases the brain’s ability to control mood and emotions. Users may experience paranoia, anxiety, depression and delusions. The drug may induce more severe mental health disorders, including schizophrenia and psychosis.
Cognitive Decline
Apart from the increased release of dopamine and serotonin, extended meth use causes neurological changes to the prefrontal cortex and striatum. These changes affect decision-making, emotions and impulse control. Other consequences include neurotoxic damage to the brain that may result in long-term cognitive impairment.
Long-Term Health Risks of Meth Addiction
Continued use of meth has a high potential for causing serious, life-threatening illnesses, including organ damage, heart disease and death.
Organ Damage
Prolonged use of meth is linked to kidney failure and liver damage. The drug causes blood vessels to shrink, reducing the flow of blood to the kidneys, while muscle damage releases proteins that harm the kidneys. It causes a buildup of waste in the liver, resulting in inflammation and fibrosis. Meth smoking causes inflammation of the airways and lung tissue.
Heart Disease
Extended use of meth can cause high blood pressure and an elevated heart rate. These put pressure on the heart and arteries, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. The continual strain enlarges the heart and heart muscles and may ultimately cause heart failure.
Overdose
A meth overdose is extremely dangerous and may lead to death. Excessive meth in the bloodstream causes a serious increase in heart rate as well as a high core body temperature. These may cause a stroke, heart attack or cardiac seizure. Meth intoxication can impair breathing.
When to Seek Help and Treatment Options
Don’t let meth addiction ruin your life or that of a loved one. Act now. Methamphetamine is a dangerous and addictive drug that causes serious physical and psychological harm. Contact us now at FHE Health for an appointment to speak to a caring and compassionate counselor. They’ll explain how medically supervised detox helps ease meth withdrawal and how our inpatient recovery program can help you rebuild your life without meth.
