Overview: Methamphetamine (meth) increases synaptic levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine, and has alpha and beta-adrenergic agonist effects. Norepinephrine is responsible for methamphetamine’s alerting, anorectic, locomotor and sympathomimetic effects; dopamine stimulates locomotor effects, psychosis, and perception disturbances; and serotonin is responsible for delusions and psychosis. (Click the graphic to enlarge, and again to minimize)
Short-Term: Effects Taking even small amounts of methamphetamine can result in many of the same health effects as other stimulants, such as cocaine or amphetamines. These include:
Long-term: methamphetamine use has many other negative consequences, including:
Methamphetamine overdose
Drug overdose deaths involving psychostimulants with abuse potential rose from 547 in 1999 to 23,837 in 2020 and continued to increase to 32,537 deaths in 2021 (DHHS 2023).
Methamphetamine overdose often leads to a stroke, heart attack, or organ problems, first responders and emergency departments try to treat the overdose by treating these conditions, with the intent of:
References
Darke, S., Duflou, J., & Kaye, S. (2017). Prevalence and nature of cardiovascular disease in methamphetamine-related death: A national study. Drug and alcohol dependence, 179, 174–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.07.001
Isoardi, K. Z., Mudge, D. W., Harris, K., Dimeski, G., & Buckley, N. A. (2020). Methamphetamine intoxication and acute kidney injury: A prospective observational case series. Nephrology (Carlton, Vic.), 25(10), 758–764. https://doi.org/10.1111/nep.13762
Kevil, C. G., Goeders, N. E., Woolard, M. D., Bhuiyan, M. S., Dominic, P., Kolluru, G. K., Arnold, C. L., Traylor, J. G., & Orr, A. W. (2019). Methamphetamine Use and Cardiovascular Disease. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology, 39(9), 1739–1746. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.119.312461
McCarthy, E., & McClain, E. (2019). Methamphetamine-Induced Lung Injury. European journal of case reports in internal medicine, 6(6), 001067. https://doi.org/10.12890/2019_001067
NIDA. 2021, April 13. What are the immediate (short-term) effects of methamphetamine misuse?. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-are-immediate-short-term-effects-methamphetamine-misuse on 2023, September 28
NIDA. 2022, January 12. What are the long-term effects of methamphetamine misuse?. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-are-long-term-effects-methamphetamine-misuse on 2023, September 28
Pillai, S., Cesarz, B., Boulware, C., & Khan, A. (2019). Hypotension, Severe Hyperthermia (42°C), Rhabdomyolysis, and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Induced by Lethal Dose of Methamphetamine. Cureus, 11(7), e5245. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.5245
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023, February 13). What is the scope of methamphetamine use in the United States?. National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-scope-methamphetamine-misuse-in-united-states