Methamphetamine* is one of the most common illegal drugs used in the United States and worldwide, and its use is spreading.
What is methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug**. There are a few different stimulants you’ve heard of, including caffeine, cocaine, and amphetamines. All of these chemicals “stimulate” or rev up your central nervous system, which can make you feel more alert, more energetic, or high (euphoric). However, it can also lead to unpleasant consequences, such as making your heart race, raising your blood pressure, or making you feel anxious or psychotic.
Methamphetamine can be prescribed in low doses (as a pill) to treat conditions such as ADHD. When abused for non-medical purposes, it is taken in much higher doses as a pill, powder or crystal. People may use methamphetamine to get high, enhance sexual experiences, stay awake, counteract the effects of other drugs, or deal with other problems.
What is meth addiction?
Methamphetamine is highly addictive, especially when taken in high amounts doses by snorting, smoking or injection. In the United States, about one percent of adults over 26 have used methamphetamine in the past year. Alarmingly, of these adults, more than half were addicted to methamphetamine, which is more than one million Americans.
What does it mean to be addicted? Addiction (also known as substance use disorder) is a chronic brain disease where people compulsively seek out and use drugs even though they are harming them. People with meth addiction lose control over how they use the drug, and it interferes with important aspects of their lives. They may feel a craving for methamphetamine and may feel sick if they cut back on their use. There are effective treatments on meth addiction, and SAMHSA is they work to make treatment accessible throughout the country.
What is a “high” on methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine use can be dangerous, even for people who are not addicted. Only in 2023, 36,000 Americans died from an overdose of psychostimulants—the majority of these were methamphetamine-related.
The term “hyper-reinforcement” is a term used to describe the unpleasant and potentially harmful effects that can occur after using a stimulant. These effects can be psychological or physical or both. Signs of overexertion may include:
- Chest pain or irregular heartbeat.
- Shortness of breath.
- Severe headache.
- Profuse sweating and hot skin.
- Abnormal movements such as stiff or jerky limbs or teeth grinding.
- Paranoia, confusion, intense agitation, insomnia or hallucinations.
The most dangerous form of overdosage is a potentially fatal overdose. Early recognition of the signs can save lives. Signs of a methamphetamine overdose may include:
- Severe chest pain.
- Signs of a stroke (inability to speak, confusion, loss of sensation or weakness on one side of the face or body, etc.).
- Seizure.
- Loss of consciousness or cardiac arrest (loss of pulse).
Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Stimulants Guide (PDF | 956 KB) (especially pages 3 and 4) to learn how to prevent, recognize, and help someone experiencing a stimulant overdose or overdose.
What are the other health effects of methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine can affect your health in many ways. The use of drugs such as methamphetamine to enhance planned sexual experiences is sometimes called “chemsex.” Chemsex is associated with a higher risk of acquiring or transmitting sexually transmitted infections. Long-term meth use can also cause heart failure, a debilitating condition where the heart pumps less efficiently, leading to shortness of breath and fluid buildup in the body. Another common consequence of chronic methamphetamine use is tooth wear and severe toothache. People who use methamphetamine are more likely to experience social problems such as homelessness and criminal justice involvement. These are just a few of the many harmful effects of methamphetamine use.
What are the effects of combining methamphetamine with other drugs?
About half of overdose deaths involving stimulants also involve opioids. The combination of opioids and methamphetamine is becoming increasingly common and is particularly dangerous. In some cases, people may unknowingly be exposed to opioids because the methamphetamine they use has been adulterated (“cut” or “laced”) with another drug or substance. Others knowingly combine the two drugs. Unfortunately, people who use both opioids and methamphetamine are less likely to access addiction treatment or stay in treatment once they start and are at higher risk of hospitalization, overdose, and other adverse health outcomes.
Need help?
If you or someone you know needs help to stop using substances – whether it’s methamphetamine, opioids or another drug – there are treatments that work. Call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 or text your zip code to 435748 (HELP4U) or use SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator to get help.
Many people who could benefit from treatment may not realize they have an addiction, may doubt that treatment will help them, or may have experienced stigma when seeking help. But with the right treatment plan, recovery is possible. However, if you are not ready to stop or reduce your meth use, it is important to stay as safe as possible. Check the CDC Stimulants Guide (PDF | 956 KB) (especially pages 9-11) for harm reduction strategies***.
*November 30, 2024 is National Meth Awareness Day, which was established in 2006 by former President George W. Bush.
** Stimulant drugs that are more likely to cause addiction are sometimes called psychostimulants with a potential for abuse. All psychostimulants are stimulants, but not all stimulants have a high potential for abuse.
***No federal funding is used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of recipients to purchase pipe in safer smoking kits. The grants include express prohibitions on federal funds being used to purchase drug paraphernalia.
