Methamphetamine, or meth, is a powerful stimulant that can make you feel more awake and active. If you feel that Sober living home any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact at While we receive compensation in the form of paid advertisements, these advertisements have absolutely no impact on our content due to our editorial independence policy.

Overdose Prevention

• In 2019, about 50% of METH users suffered from MUD, including 19,000 adolescents and 125,000 young adults (Fig. 1A, B) 8.
• This helpline is answered by Treatment X LLC, an addiction treatment provider with treatment facilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California.
• But other effects, like increased energy or higher body temperature, can linger for hours.
• The purchase, sale, and nonmedical consumption of all the aforementioned drugs are illegal, and these psychotropic drugs can be obtained only on the black market.

They receive advice from a trained therapist on how to avoid relapse and how to socialize in a drug-free environment. As part of the Matrix Model therapy, families are encouraged to actively participate in the recovery of their loved one. The Matrix model therapy has been effective in reducing METH use and craving during treatment and has shown somewhat better retention and abstinence rates than other behavioral interventions 74. Specifically, when investigated as an independent intervention, the Matrix model therapy reduced METH use and improved craving management and control 98. When combined with drug court supervision, the therapy improved retention and abstinence rates in individuals with MUD 99.

Other side effects

• Most exciting is the emerging development of vaccines to prevent methamphetamine intoxication or overdose.
• Methamphetamine users may experience a pre-psychotic state with delusional moods followed by psychosis with hallucinations and delusions.
• Two studies that compared Matrix model with treatment-as-usual reported a reduction in METH use, risky behaviors and more days of abstinence for 18 months 100, 101.

Benzodiazepines may be indicated for seizures or agitation, and antipsychotics may be necessary in patients with paranoia or frank psychosis. Markedly elevated blood pressure should be lowered, although there are no data regarding blood pressure goals or which medications to use. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Schedule meth abuse II stimulant, which makes it legally available only through a nonrefillable prescription.

Fact Sheet: Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine, or meth, is a powerful stimulant that speeds up the central nervous system, causing increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and how fast the body uses energy (Figure 1). Some forms of amphetamines, similar to meth, can be found in very low doses in medicines to treat health conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obesity, or sleep disorders. However, illegal meth is much stronger, more addictive, and very dangerous. Meth use can cause severe damage to the brain and body, leading to addiction, serious health problems, and potentially, death (National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA, n.d.-b). The primary interventions with evidence of efficacy in reducing METH use are behavioral therapies. The CM method has been most widely studied in subjects with MUD and overall demonstrated better outcomes than other behavioral therapies.

What Does Methamphetamine Do to Your Body?

• The drive to prevent withdrawal symptoms is a significant contributor to addictive behaviors.
• A hair test, on the other hand, could reveal meth usage up to 3 months after you last used meth.
• It’s also dangerous to combine meth with other stimulants, like cocaine.
• This class of drugs includes, among others, heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone, fentanyl and oxycodone.
• Your loved one might deny having a problem at all or refuse to seek help.

After the acute phase of withdrawal, a person may still experience low mood, anxiety, and cravings for the drug for several months. For instance, you might feel energized, confident, and more alert than usual. Healthline does not endorse the use of any illegal substances, and we recognize abstaining from them is always the safest approach. However, we believe in providing accessible and accurate information to reduce the harm that can occur when using.

Medical Disclaimer

People who frequently use meth often have teeth that break, turn black, rot, or fall out. You may use meth to make sex more pleasurable or to lower your inhibitions. But you may not think clearly when you’re high or make the same decisions as when you’re sober.

Continued meth abuse can affect a person’s decision-making and judgment skills. This means a person may take more risks, engage in dangerous behavior, or do things they wouldn’t normally do. Some changes to health from meth abuse can lead to real risks for a person’s long-term well-being.