What are the Side Effects of Smoking Crystal Meth?

Methamphetamine, sometimes referred to by the name of its rock form, crystal meth, is a highly addictive drug. Smoking this drug has incredibly negative consequences for the user. Meth is a stimulant like amphetamines, but it affects your neurological system more severely than speed does.

How Do People Use Methamphetamine?

Although the euphoric effects of crystal meth are the main reason it is abused, other factors make the drug desirable. Your sense of confidence and well-being can both be improved by medicine. Users view it as a simple way to improve their energy levels and maintain their alertness throughout the day and night. [1]

Due to its impact on appetite, crystal meth is occasionally used to accelerate weight reduction, much like amphetamines. Although methamphetamine users view these effects as advantageous, the drug can also damage physical and mental health.

Is Smoking Meth the Same as Snorting It in Terms of Side Effects?

Many risks come with smoking or snorting meth. While some may inject the drug to abuse it, many also snort and smoke it. People might think they have a lower danger of addiction, overdose, or other negative outcomes from snorting meth because it has fewer strong effects than other drug methods, but this is untrue.

However, those who snort meth may have the following issues:

• Damage to nasal tissues
• Elevated heart rate
• An increased amount of nosebleeds
• Problem with sinuses

Meth smoking can be very harmful as well. Smoking provokes the drug to enter the bloodstream immediately, expediting the euphoric effects.

What are the Side Effects of Methamphetamine Use?

The side effects of using meth come on quickly, even with short-term use.

Long-term meth use can harm your health permanently. Therefore, you must stop using and seek help immediately if you or someone you know has been using meth and has started to exhibit the side effects below.

• Violent behavior
• Rapid heart rate
• Mood swings
• Meth mouth and tooth decay
• Dry mouth
• Delusions
• Paranoia
• Disheveled appearance

Many people fall into the trap of attempting meth. Some even die from it. Avoid becoming trapped in an addictive cycle. Instead, visit a reputable, compassionate treatment center immediately to get the assistance you need for long-term recovery.

How Does Meth Use Affect the Brain?

Meth damages your brain in many ways. By increasing your dopamine levels, your brain might begin to decrease creating the chemical naturally, therefore relying on your next fix to make you feel pleasure. Here are a few other ways meth attacks the brain:

Kills Off Glial Cells

An important component of the central nervous system is glial cells. They are in charge of myelin cell development, infection resistance, and signaling abilities. Meth use harms and kills these cells across various brain regions, mainly in the prefrontal cortex.

The ability to pay attention, think abstractly, form opinions, and make decisions depends on this brain area.

Acts As A Neurotoxin

Glutamate calcium levels in the brain rise as a result of methamphetamine consumption. The neurotoxic effects of glutamate calcium will harm the neurons.

Communication between the neurons will be impaired if the dendrites are damaged. There will be several problems with both cognitive and motor functions as a result.

Fewer Myelin Cells

White matter cells, also known as myelin cells, are crucial for interneuronal communication. The central nervous system‘s many fundamental processes are carried out by these cells. Glial cells, which produce myelin, are destroyed by methamphetamine.

How Long Does it Take for The Side Effects of Meth to Wear Off?

People frequently seek crystal meth Due to its enduring euphoric high. People usually get high from smoking or injecting crystal meth that can last up to 8 hours.

What are the Risk Factors for Meth Addiction?

Your risk factor for developing a dependence or addiction to meth varies depending on your circumstances. Although addiction does not discriminate based on class, race, or status, there are some reasons someone may be more likely to become addicted to meth.

For instance, a family history of addiction may lead to a repeated drug abuse or dependence cycle. Sometimes the likelihood of becoming addicted to substances can be predicted by a person’s genes.

People with mental health or personality disorders may become dependent on drugs because of the way they interact with their brain chemistry. In addition, other factors like peer pressure or lack of family support may put someone at risk of becoming addicted to substances like meth also.

What are the Risks of Long-Term Use of Meth?

When a patient taking crystal meth becomes high, their brains are instantaneously changed, just like other drugs. However, the alterations don’t stop with the high. Meth use over time can alter your brain’s structure and function, leading to various mental health problems, including brain damage.

Methamphetamine abuse is also linked to rapid weight loss and HIV/AIDS, causing the user to become underweight and, at times, suffer from anorexia. Other problems like memory loss are also prevalent in people who use meth long-term.

Misuse of methamphetamine increases the chance of getting HIV and hepatitis B and C, not just for those who inject the substance but also for those who do not. HIV and other infectious diseases are mainly disseminated among those struggling with meth use by sharing or reusing contaminated syringes, needles, or other accessory items.[2]

But regardless of how it is consumed, methamphetamine has potent effects that can impair inhibition and judgment and encourage dangerous activities like illegal actions and unprotected sex.

Meth Addiction Statistics: What You need to Know

Methamphetamine addiction affects over 1.5 million people annually, with people as young as 12 abusing the drug.[3] This is a serious concern among adolescents and adults. Students are at risk of abusing meth, with some victims as young as 8th grade.[3]

Amanda is a prolific medical content writer specializing in eating disorders and addiction treatment. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Purdue University with a B.S. in Social Work. Read more