Methamphetamine Facts
Stimulant;
Description
Methamphetamine — meth, ice, crystal — is a synthetic stimulant of the phenethylamine class. It floods the brain with dopamine and norepinephrine, producing the intense drive and wakefulness it is known for.[1][2]
Subjective effects include intense euphoria, wakefulness, appetite suppression, focused mental energy, and elevated heart rate. The experience is hard-edged and inward-directed — a driven, productive focus at lower doses that tips into compulsive restlessness at higher ones.
Methamphetamine carries extremely high addiction liability; chronic use structurally damages the brain's dopamine system, and cardiovascular harm — including stroke and heart muscle damage — is the primary physical risk.[3] The brain becomes more reactive to the drug over time, so even a small dose after abstinence can trigger paranoid psychosis.[4]
Dose and durationby route · individual sensitivity varies
Starts in 15 – 30 minLasts 8 – 12 hoursAfter-effects 6 – 24 hours
Body and dependence
- Acute toxicity
- High
- Chronic toxicity
- High
- Physical dependence
- Moderate
- Psychological dependence
- High
- Withdrawal
- Moderate
- Compulsive redosing
- High
Tolerance
- Builds
- Rapid
- Fully resets after
- 14 days
- Carries over to
- amphetamine;
cocaine; methylphenidate; MDMA
Effectslikely at a common dose
- Perception
- Dreaming suppression;
+6 possible - Body
- Stimulation;
Appetite suppression; Vasoconstriction; Pupil dilation; Wakefulness; Dry mouth; Insomnia; +21 possible, including Dehydration sensation, Excessive sweating, Muscle tension - Thinking
- Cognitive euphoria;
Thought acceleration; +26 possible, including Compulsive redosing urge, Cognitive dysphoria, Cognitive impairment - Feeling
- Euphoria;
+9 possible, including Depression, Anhedonia, Anxiety - Self
- Craving;
+11 possible, including Ego inflation, Compulsive repetitive behavior, Social disconnection - Time
- none likely · 3 possible, including Temporal disorientation
- Awareness
- One-pointedness (ekaggata);
Sustained attention (vicara); +2 possible
Who shouldn't take it
Combinations60 recorded
Seek help immediately if
- Chest pain; racing, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
- Very high body temperature; heavy sweating; hot, flushed skin
- Severe agitation, paranoia, panic, or confusion
- Severe headache; muscle rigidity or twitching
- Seizures
- Signs of stroke — face drooping, one-sided weakness, slurred speech
- Difficulty breathing; collapse or unconsciousness
What to do
- Call emergency services for chest pain, overheating, seizure, or unresponsiveness
- Move them to a cool, quiet place and reduce stimulation
- Cool the body — remove excess clothing, apply cool damp cloths, fan them
- Keep them calm; reassure — panic worsens the cardiovascular strain
- If seizing, protect from injury (don't restrain); recovery position afterward
- Monitor breathing and be ready to give rescue breaths / CPR
Most stimulant overdoses settle with cooling, a calm environment, and time. The medical danger is hyperthermia, cardiac events (arrhythmia, heart attack, stroke), and seizures — get help immediately if any appear.
988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineFireside Project: 62-FIRESIDE
References
- [1]
- [2]^Sulzer D, Chen TK, Lau YY, Kristensen H, Rayport S, Ewing A (1995) Amphetamine redistributes dopamine from synaptic vesicles to the cytosol and promotes reverse transport — Journal of Neuroscience PMID:7751968
- [3]^Paratz ED, Cunningham NJ, MacIsaac AI (2016) The Cardiac Complications of Methamphetamines — Heart, Lung and Circulation doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2015.10.019
- [4]^McCann UD, Wong DF, Yokoi F, Villemagne V, Dannals RF, Ricaurte GA (1998) Reduced striatal dopamine transporter density in abstinent methamphetamine and methcathinone users: evidence from positron emission tomography studies with [11C]WIN-35,428 — Journal of Neuroscience PMID:9763484