# data[].attributes.body
Meth affects pregnancy in a number of ways. It can cause premature birth, and abrupted placenta, which can cause heavy bleeding in the mother and result in death. Effects on the fetus include DNA damage, death, fetal stroke, and numerous life-long challenges.

http://pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki/What_are_the_Effects_of_Crystal_Meth_during_Pregnancy

# data[].attributes.body
1. The primary ingredient is an OTC Decongestant.
2. Meth works by interfering with the natural process of the brain.
3. Meth takes effect almost immediately.
4. Meth causes long-term health complications such as liver, kidney, and brain damage.
5. Users often develop meth mouth.
6. Pharmaceutical Meth is available legally, but is rarely prescribed to treat severe ADHD, and obesity.
7. Almost 11 million americans have tried meth at least once.
8. Meth is not instantly addictive.
9. Meth is a club drug.
10. Adolf Hitler gave his soldiers meth and other drugs to keep them alert.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A scary adventure into the horrors of Meth addiction "What's it Cost ?" is answered

# data[].attributes.body
A:  a treatment facility to help you recover from your addiction, call the 24 hour addiction line that is in your area, go to a hospital and they can point you in other directions or recommend treatment facilities based on the drug that you are addicted to.

http://drugabuse.com/library/how-to-help-a-drug-addict/

# data[].attributes.body
https://kleantreatmentcenters.com/addiction-info/crystal-meth/

# data[].attributes.headline
Q7: Can the drug cause a lifestyle disease or health complications?

# data[].attributes.subject
Q7: Can the drug cause a lifestyle disease or health complications?

# data[].attributes.body
A:  long time use of Methamphetamine can lead to a variety of  cardiovascular problems, such as, arrythmias, intracranial bleeding, and congestive heart failure. The cardiovascular problems are usually found in people who are addicted to methamphetamine.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=4507700

# data[].attributes.body
The quick effect of meth is the initial rush of good feelings, followed by a down after the effects wear off. After long-term use many mental problems such as psychosis, anxiety, and mood swings may develop. Physical problems will come about as well in the form of skin sores, "meth mouth", and weight loss

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is methamphetamine (meth)?

Crystal Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine-known as "meth"- is a laboratory-made, white, bitter-tasting powder. Sometimes it's made into a white pill or a shiny, white or clear rock called crystal. Meth is made in the United States and often in Mexico-in "superlabs"-big, illegal laboratories that make the drug in large quantities. But it is also made in small labs using cheap, over-the-counter ingredients such as pseudoephedrine, which is a common ingredient in cold medicines. Drug stores often put these products behind the counter so people cannot use them to create meth in home labs. Other chemicals, some of them toxic, are also involved in making methamphetamine. Meth is sometimes pressed into little pills that look like Ecstasy to make it more appealing to young people.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug. Stimulants are a class of drugs that can boost mood, increase feelings of well-being, increase energy, and make you more alert. But they also have dangerous effects like raising heart rate and blood pressure, and use can lead to addiction. Methamphetamine's pleasurable effects can disappear even before the drug levels fall in the blood, leading people to use more and more, sometimes not sleeping and using the drug for several days.

Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has high potential for abuse and is legally available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. It is prescribed by doctors in limited doses in rare cases for certain medical conditions.

How Methamphetamine Is Used

Methamphetamine is:

swallowed

snorted

injected with a needle

smoked

"Crystal meth" is a large, usually clear crystal that is smoked in a glass pipe. Smoking or injecting the drug delivers it very quickly to the brain, where it produces an immediate and intense high. Because the feeling doesn't last long, users often take the drug repeatedly, in a "binge and crash" pattern.

Expand All

What happens to your brain when you use methamphetamine?

All drugs change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, telling us how to act and behave. These neurotransmitters attach to molecules on neurons called receptors. (Learn more about how neurotransmitters work.)

There are many neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the one that reinforces cravings for pleasurable behaviors, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or playing a video game. With repeated use, stimulants like methamphetamine can disrupt how the brain's dopamine system works, reducing a person's ability to feel pleasure from normal, everyday activities. People will often develop tolerance, which means they must take more of the drug to get the desired effect. If a person becomes addicted, they might take the drug just to feel "normal."

After the "high" of methamphetamine wears off, many people experience a "crash" and feel tired or sad for days. They also experience a strong craving to take methamphetamine again to try to feel better.

Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs.

What happens to your body when you use methamphetamine?

Short-Term Effects
The short-term effects of methamphetamine include:

feeling very awake and active

lack of appetite

fast heart rate and irregular heartbeat

higher blood pressure

higher body temperature

increased risk for HIV/AIDS or hepatitis (a liver disease) from unsafe sex and shared needles

increased attention

euphoria, or a "high"

Methamphetamine can be even more harmful when mixed with alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Continued methamphetamine use can cause effects that last for a long time, even after a person quits using the drug. These effects include:

addiction

extreme weight loss

anxiety and confusion

problems sleeping

mood swings

severe dental problems

violent behavior

psychosis (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there)

skin sores caused by scratching

problems with thinking, emotion, and memory

paranoia-unreasonable distrust of others

Can you overdose or die if you use methamphetamine?

Yes, it is possible. Methamphetamine can raise your body temperature so much that you pass out. If not treated right away, this can cause death. Death can also occur from a heart attack or stroke because the drug raises your heartbeat and blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. In recent years, drug dealers have been secretly adding the deadly opioid fentanyl to methamphetamine, because it is cheaper to make. It is estimated that half of the deaths from meth use also involved a dangerous opioid like fentanyl.

Learn more about drug overdoses in youth.

Is methamphetamine addictive?

Yes. Methamphetamine use can quickly lead to addiction. That's when people seek out the drug over and over, even after they want to stop and even after it has caused damage to their health and other parts of their life.

Methamphetamine causes tolerance-when a person needs to take more of it to get the same high. People who usually eat or snort meth might start to smoke or inject it to get a stronger, quicker high.

People who try to quit using methamphetamine might experience very uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal. They might:

get really tired but have trouble sleeping

feel angry or nervous

feel depressed

feel a very strong craving to use methamphetamine

What should I do if someone I know needs help?

If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide-they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)

If you want to help a friend, you can:

If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.

For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit our Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.

Where can I get more information?

Drug Facts
Statistics and Trends

What happens to your brain when you use methamphetamine?

All drugs change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, telling us how to act and behave. These neurotransmitters attach to molecules on neurons called receptors. (Learn more about how neurotransmitters work.)

There are many neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the one that reinforces cravings for pleasurable behaviors, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or playing a video game. With repeated use, stimulants like methamphetamine can disrupt how the brain's dopamine system works, reducing a person's ability to feel pleasure from normal, everyday activities. People will often develop tolerance, which means they must take more of the drug to get the desired effect. If a person becomes addicted, they might take the drug just to feel "normal."

After the "high" of methamphetamine wears off, many people experience a "crash" and feel tired or sad for days. They also experience a strong craving to take methamphetamine again to try to feel better.

Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs.

What happens to your body when you use methamphetamine?

Short-Term Effects
The short-term effects of methamphetamine include:

feeling very awake and active

lack of appetite

fast heart rate and irregular heartbeat

higher blood pressure

higher body temperature

increased risk for HIV/AIDS or hepatitis (a liver disease) from unsafe sex and shared needles

increased attention

euphoria, or a "high"

Methamphetamine can be even more harmful when mixed with alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Continued methamphetamine use can cause effects that last for a long time, even after a person quits using the drug. These effects include:

addiction

extreme weight loss

anxiety and confusion

problems sleeping

mood swings

severe dental problems

violent behavior

psychosis (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there)

skin sores caused by scratching

problems with thinking, emotion, and memory

paranoia-unreasonable distrust of others

Can you overdose or die if you use methamphetamine?

Yes, it is possible. Methamphetamine can raise your body temperature so much that you pass out. If not treated right away, this can cause death. Death can also occur from a heart attack or stroke because the drug raises your heartbeat and blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. In recent years, drug dealers have been secretly adding the deadly opioid fentanyl to methamphetamine, because it is cheaper to make. It is estimated that half of the deaths from meth use also involved a dangerous opioid like fentanyl.

Learn more about drug overdoses in youth.

Is methamphetamine addictive?

Yes. Methamphetamine use can quickly lead to addiction. That's when people seek out the drug over and over, even after they want to stop and even after it has caused damage to their health and other parts of their life.

Methamphetamine causes tolerance-when a person needs to take more of it to get the same high. People who usually eat or snort meth might start to smoke or inject it to get a stronger, quicker high.

People who try to quit using methamphetamine might experience very uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal. They might:

get really tired but have trouble sleeping

feel angry or nervous

feel depressed

feel a very strong craving to use methamphetamine

What should I do if someone I know needs help?

If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide-they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)

If you want to help a friend, you can:

If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.

For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit our Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.

Where can I get more information?

Drug Facts
Statistics and Trends

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Methamphetamine-known as "meth"- is a laboratory-made, white, bitter-tasting powder. Sometimes it's made into a white pill or a shiny, white or clear rock called crystal. Meth is made in the United States and often in Mexico-in "superlabs"-big, illegal laboratories that make the drug in large quantities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Q4: What is the % of teens who use this drug in the US?

# data[].attributes.subject
Q4: What is the % of teens who use this drug in the US?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is methamphetamine (meth)?

Crystal Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine-known as "meth"- is a laboratory-made, white, bitter-tasting powder. Sometimes it's made into a white pill or a shiny, white or clear rock called crystal. Meth is made in the United States and often in Mexico-in "superlabs"-big, illegal laboratories that make the drug in large quantities. But it is also made in small labs using cheap, over-the-counter ingredients such as pseudoephedrine, which is a common ingredient in cold medicines. Drug stores often put these products behind the counter so people cannot use them to create meth in home labs. Other chemicals, some of them toxic, are also involved in making methamphetamine. Meth is sometimes pressed into little pills that look like Ecstasy to make it more appealing to young people.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug. Stimulants are a class of drugs that can boost mood, increase feelings of well-being, increase energy, and make you more alert. But they also have dangerous effects like raising heart rate and blood pressure, and use can lead to addiction. Methamphetamine's pleasurable effects can disappear even before the drug levels fall in the blood, leading people to use more and more, sometimes not sleeping and using the drug for several days.

Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has high potential for abuse and is legally available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. It is prescribed by doctors in limited doses in rare cases for certain medical conditions.

How Methamphetamine Is Used

Methamphetamine is:

swallowed

snorted

injected with a needle

smoked

"Crystal meth" is a large, usually clear crystal that is smoked in a glass pipe. Smoking or injecting the drug delivers it very quickly to the brain, where it produces an immediate and intense high. Because the feeling doesn't last long, users often take the drug repeatedly, in a "binge and crash" pattern.

Expand All

What happens to your brain when you use methamphetamine?

All drugs change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, telling us how to act and behave. These neurotransmitters attach to molecules on neurons called receptors. (Learn more about how neurotransmitters work.)

There are many neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the one that reinforces cravings for pleasurable behaviors, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or playing a video game. With repeated use, stimulants like methamphetamine can disrupt how the brain's dopamine system works, reducing a person's ability to feel pleasure from normal, everyday activities. People will often develop tolerance, which means they must take more of the drug to get the desired effect. If a person becomes addicted, they might take the drug just to feel "normal."

After the "high" of methamphetamine wears off, many people experience a "crash" and feel tired or sad for days. They also experience a strong craving to take methamphetamine again to try to feel better.

Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs.

What happens to your body when you use methamphetamine?

Short-Term Effects
The short-term effects of methamphetamine include:

feeling very awake and active

lack of appetite

fast heart rate and irregular heartbeat

higher blood pressure

higher body temperature

increased risk for HIV/AIDS or hepatitis (a liver disease) from unsafe sex and shared needles

increased attention

euphoria, or a "high"

Methamphetamine can be even more harmful when mixed with alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Continued methamphetamine use can cause effects that last for a long time, even after a person quits using the drug. These effects include:

addiction

extreme weight loss

anxiety and confusion

problems sleeping

mood swings

severe dental problems

violent behavior

psychosis (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there)

skin sores caused by scratching

problems with thinking, emotion, and memory

paranoia-unreasonable distrust of others

Can you overdose or die if you use methamphetamine?

Yes, it is possible. Methamphetamine can raise your body temperature so much that you pass out. If not treated right away, this can cause death. Death can also occur from a heart attack or stroke because the drug raises your heartbeat and blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. In recent years, drug dealers have been secretly adding the deadly opioid fentanyl to methamphetamine, because it is cheaper to make. It is estimated that half of the deaths from meth use also involved a dangerous opioid like fentanyl.

Learn more about drug overdoses in youth.

Is methamphetamine addictive?

Yes. Methamphetamine use can quickly lead to addiction. That's when people seek out the drug over and over, even after they want to stop and even after it has caused damage to their health and other parts of their life.

Methamphetamine causes tolerance-when a person needs to take more of it to get the same high. People who usually eat or snort meth might start to smoke or inject it to get a stronger, quicker high.

People who try to quit using methamphetamine might experience very uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal. They might:

get really tired but have trouble sleeping

feel angry or nervous

feel depressed

feel a very strong craving to use methamphetamine

What should I do if someone I know needs help?

If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide-they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)

If you want to help a friend, you can:

If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.

For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit our Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.

Where can I get more information?

Drug Facts
Statistics and Trends

What happens to your brain when you use methamphetamine?

All drugs change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, telling us how to act and behave. These neurotransmitters attach to molecules on neurons called receptors. (Learn more about how neurotransmitters work.)

There are many neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the one that reinforces cravings for pleasurable behaviors, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or playing a video game. With repeated use, stimulants like methamphetamine can disrupt how the brain's dopamine system works, reducing a person's ability to feel pleasure from normal, everyday activities. People will often develop tolerance, which means they must take more of the drug to get the desired effect. If a person becomes addicted, they might take the drug just to feel "normal."

After the "high" of methamphetamine wears off, many people experience a "crash" and feel tired or sad for days. They also experience a strong craving to take methamphetamine again to try to feel better.

Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs.

What happens to your body when you use methamphetamine?

Short-Term Effects
The short-term effects of methamphetamine include:

feeling very awake and active

lack of appetite

fast heart rate and irregular heartbeat

higher blood pressure

higher body temperature

increased risk for HIV/AIDS or hepatitis (a liver disease) from unsafe sex and shared needles

increased attention

euphoria, or a "high"

Methamphetamine can be even more harmful when mixed with alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Continued methamphetamine use can cause effects that last for a long time, even after a person quits using the drug. These effects include:

addiction

extreme weight loss

anxiety and confusion

problems sleeping

mood swings

severe dental problems

violent behavior

psychosis (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there)

skin sores caused by scratching

problems with thinking, emotion, and memory

paranoia-unreasonable distrust of others

Can you overdose or die if you use methamphetamine?

Yes, it is possible. Methamphetamine can raise your body temperature so much that you pass out. If not treated right away, this can cause death. Death can also occur from a heart attack or stroke because the drug raises your heartbeat and blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. In recent years, drug dealers have been secretly adding the deadly opioid fentanyl to methamphetamine, because it is cheaper to make. It is estimated that half of the deaths from meth use also involved a dangerous opioid like fentanyl.

Learn more about drug overdoses in youth.

Is methamphetamine addictive?

Yes. Methamphetamine use can quickly lead to addiction. That's when people seek out the drug over and over, even after they want to stop and even after it has caused damage to their health and other parts of their life.

Methamphetamine causes tolerance-when a person needs to take more of it to get the same high. People who usually eat or snort meth might start to smoke or inject it to get a stronger, quicker high.

People who try to quit using methamphetamine might experience very uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal. They might:

get really tired but have trouble sleeping

feel angry or nervous

feel depressed

feel a very strong craving to use methamphetamine

What should I do if someone I know needs help?

If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide-they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)

If you want to help a friend, you can:

If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.

For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit our Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.

Where can I get more information?

Drug Facts
Statistics and Trends

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Methamphetamine-known as "meth"- is a laboratory-made, white, bitter-tasting powder. Sometimes it's made into a white pill or a shiny, white or clear rock called crystal. Meth is made in the United States and often in Mexico-in "superlabs"-big, illegal laboratories that make the drug in large quantities.

# data[].attributes.body
Meth is a manmade drug made in labs or with over-the-counter drugs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is methamphetamine (meth)?

Crystal Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine-known as "meth"- is a laboratory-made, white, bitter-tasting powder. Sometimes it's made into a white pill or a shiny, white or clear rock called crystal. Meth is made in the United States and often in Mexico-in "superlabs"-big, illegal laboratories that make the drug in large quantities. But it is also made in small labs using cheap, over-the-counter ingredients such as pseudoephedrine, which is a common ingredient in cold medicines. Drug stores often put these products behind the counter so people cannot use them to create meth in home labs. Other chemicals, some of them toxic, are also involved in making methamphetamine. Meth is sometimes pressed into little pills that look like Ecstasy to make it more appealing to young people.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug. Stimulants are a class of drugs that can boost mood, increase feelings of well-being, increase energy, and make you more alert. But they also have dangerous effects like raising heart rate and blood pressure, and use can lead to addiction. Methamphetamine's pleasurable effects can disappear even before the drug levels fall in the blood, leading people to use more and more, sometimes not sleeping and using the drug for several days.

Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has high potential for abuse and is legally available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. It is prescribed by doctors in limited doses in rare cases for certain medical conditions.

How Methamphetamine Is Used

Methamphetamine is:

swallowed

snorted

injected with a needle

smoked

"Crystal meth" is a large, usually clear crystal that is smoked in a glass pipe. Smoking or injecting the drug delivers it very quickly to the brain, where it produces an immediate and intense high. Because the feeling doesn't last long, users often take the drug repeatedly, in a "binge and crash" pattern.

Expand All

What happens to your brain when you use methamphetamine?

All drugs change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, telling us how to act and behave. These neurotransmitters attach to molecules on neurons called receptors. (Learn more about how neurotransmitters work.)

There are many neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the one that reinforces cravings for pleasurable behaviors, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or playing a video game. With repeated use, stimulants like methamphetamine can disrupt how the brain's dopamine system works, reducing a person's ability to feel pleasure from normal, everyday activities. People will often develop tolerance, which means they must take more of the drug to get the desired effect. If a person becomes addicted, they might take the drug just to feel "normal."

After the "high" of methamphetamine wears off, many people experience a "crash" and feel tired or sad for days. They also experience a strong craving to take methamphetamine again to try to feel better.

Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs.

What happens to your body when you use methamphetamine?

Short-Term Effects
The short-term effects of methamphetamine include:

feeling very awake and active

lack of appetite

fast heart rate and irregular heartbeat

higher blood pressure

higher body temperature

increased risk for HIV/AIDS or hepatitis (a liver disease) from unsafe sex and shared needles

increased attention

euphoria, or a "high"

Methamphetamine can be even more harmful when mixed with alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Continued methamphetamine use can cause effects that last for a long time, even after a person quits using the drug. These effects include:

addiction

extreme weight loss

anxiety and confusion

problems sleeping

mood swings

severe dental problems

violent behavior

psychosis (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there)

skin sores caused by scratching

problems with thinking, emotion, and memory

paranoia-unreasonable distrust of others

Can you overdose or die if you use methamphetamine?

Yes, it is possible. Methamphetamine can raise your body temperature so much that you pass out. If not treated right away, this can cause death. Death can also occur from a heart attack or stroke because the drug raises your heartbeat and blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. In recent years, drug dealers have been secretly adding the deadly opioid fentanyl to methamphetamine, because it is cheaper to make. It is estimated that half of the deaths from meth use also involved a dangerous opioid like fentanyl.

Learn more about drug overdoses in youth.

Is methamphetamine addictive?

Yes. Methamphetamine use can quickly lead to addiction. That's when people seek out the drug over and over, even after they want to stop and even after it has caused damage to their health and other parts of their life.

Methamphetamine causes tolerance-when a person needs to take more of it to get the same high. People who usually eat or snort meth might start to smoke or inject it to get a stronger, quicker high.

People who try to quit using methamphetamine might experience very uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal. They might:

get really tired but have trouble sleeping

feel angry or nervous

feel depressed

feel a very strong craving to use methamphetamine

What should I do if someone I know needs help?

If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide-they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)

If you want to help a friend, you can:

If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.

For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit our Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.

Where can I get more information?

Drug Facts
Statistics and Trends

What happens to your brain when you use methamphetamine?

All drugs change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, telling us how to act and behave. These neurotransmitters attach to molecules on neurons called receptors. (Learn more about how neurotransmitters work.)

There are many neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the one that reinforces cravings for pleasurable behaviors, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or playing a video game. With repeated use, stimulants like methamphetamine can disrupt how the brain's dopamine system works, reducing a person's ability to feel pleasure from normal, everyday activities. People will often develop tolerance, which means they must take more of the drug to get the desired effect. If a person becomes addicted, they might take the drug just to feel "normal."

After the "high" of methamphetamine wears off, many people experience a "crash" and feel tired or sad for days. They also experience a strong craving to take methamphetamine again to try to feel better.

Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs.

What happens to your body when you use methamphetamine?

Short-Term Effects
The short-term effects of methamphetamine include:

feeling very awake and active

lack of appetite

fast heart rate and irregular heartbeat

higher blood pressure

higher body temperature

increased risk for HIV/AIDS or hepatitis (a liver disease) from unsafe sex and shared needles

increased attention

euphoria, or a "high"

Methamphetamine can be even more harmful when mixed with alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Continued methamphetamine use can cause effects that last for a long time, even after a person quits using the drug. These effects include:

addiction

extreme weight loss

anxiety and confusion

problems sleeping

mood swings

severe dental problems

violent behavior

psychosis (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there)

skin sores caused by scratching

problems with thinking, emotion, and memory

paranoia-unreasonable distrust of others

Can you overdose or die if you use methamphetamine?

Yes, it is possible. Methamphetamine can raise your body temperature so much that you pass out. If not treated right away, this can cause death. Death can also occur from a heart attack or stroke because the drug raises your heartbeat and blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. In recent years, drug dealers have been secretly adding the deadly opioid fentanyl to methamphetamine, because it is cheaper to make. It is estimated that half of the deaths from meth use also involved a dangerous opioid like fentanyl.

Learn more about drug overdoses in youth.

Is methamphetamine addictive?

Yes. Methamphetamine use can quickly lead to addiction. That's when people seek out the drug over and over, even after they want to stop and even after it has caused damage to their health and other parts of their life.

Methamphetamine causes tolerance-when a person needs to take more of it to get the same high. People who usually eat or snort meth might start to smoke or inject it to get a stronger, quicker high.

People who try to quit using methamphetamine might experience very uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal. They might:

get really tired but have trouble sleeping

feel angry or nervous

feel depressed

feel a very strong craving to use methamphetamine

What should I do if someone I know needs help?

If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide-they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)

If you want to help a friend, you can:

If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.

For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit our Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.

Where can I get more information?

Drug Facts
Statistics and Trends

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Methamphetamine-known as "meth"- is a laboratory-made, white, bitter-tasting powder. Sometimes it's made into a white pill or a shiny, white or clear rock called crystal. Meth is made in the United States and often in Mexico-in "superlabs"-big, illegal laboratories that make the drug in large quantities.

# data[].attributes.body
Meth is consumed by smoking, inhaling, injecting, and eating.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is methamphetamine (meth)?

Crystal Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine-known as "meth"- is a laboratory-made, white, bitter-tasting powder. Sometimes it's made into a white pill or a shiny, white or clear rock called crystal. Meth is made in the United States and often in Mexico-in "superlabs"-big, illegal laboratories that make the drug in large quantities. But it is also made in small labs using cheap, over-the-counter ingredients such as pseudoephedrine, which is a common ingredient in cold medicines. Drug stores often put these products behind the counter so people cannot use them to create meth in home labs. Other chemicals, some of them toxic, are also involved in making methamphetamine. Meth is sometimes pressed into little pills that look like Ecstasy to make it more appealing to young people.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug. Stimulants are a class of drugs that can boost mood, increase feelings of well-being, increase energy, and make you more alert. But they also have dangerous effects like raising heart rate and blood pressure, and use can lead to addiction. Methamphetamine's pleasurable effects can disappear even before the drug levels fall in the blood, leading people to use more and more, sometimes not sleeping and using the drug for several days.

Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has high potential for abuse and is legally available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. It is prescribed by doctors in limited doses in rare cases for certain medical conditions.

How Methamphetamine Is Used

Methamphetamine is:

swallowed

snorted

injected with a needle

smoked

"Crystal meth" is a large, usually clear crystal that is smoked in a glass pipe. Smoking or injecting the drug delivers it very quickly to the brain, where it produces an immediate and intense high. Because the feeling doesn't last long, users often take the drug repeatedly, in a "binge and crash" pattern.

Expand All

What happens to your brain when you use methamphetamine?

All drugs change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, telling us how to act and behave. These neurotransmitters attach to molecules on neurons called receptors. (Learn more about how neurotransmitters work.)

There are many neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the one that reinforces cravings for pleasurable behaviors, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or playing a video game. With repeated use, stimulants like methamphetamine can disrupt how the brain's dopamine system works, reducing a person's ability to feel pleasure from normal, everyday activities. People will often develop tolerance, which means they must take more of the drug to get the desired effect. If a person becomes addicted, they might take the drug just to feel "normal."

After the "high" of methamphetamine wears off, many people experience a "crash" and feel tired or sad for days. They also experience a strong craving to take methamphetamine again to try to feel better.

Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs.

What happens to your body when you use methamphetamine?

Short-Term Effects
The short-term effects of methamphetamine include:

feeling very awake and active

lack of appetite

fast heart rate and irregular heartbeat

higher blood pressure

higher body temperature

increased risk for HIV/AIDS or hepatitis (a liver disease) from unsafe sex and shared needles

increased attention

euphoria, or a "high"

Methamphetamine can be even more harmful when mixed with alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Continued methamphetamine use can cause effects that last for a long time, even after a person quits using the drug. These effects include:

addiction

extreme weight loss

anxiety and confusion

problems sleeping

mood swings

severe dental problems

violent behavior

psychosis (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there)

skin sores caused by scratching

problems with thinking, emotion, and memory

paranoia-unreasonable distrust of others

Can you overdose or die if you use methamphetamine?

Yes, it is possible. Methamphetamine can raise your body temperature so much that you pass out. If not treated right away, this can cause death. Death can also occur from a heart attack or stroke because the drug raises your heartbeat and blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. In recent years, drug dealers have been secretly adding the deadly opioid fentanyl to methamphetamine, because it is cheaper to make. It is estimated that half of the deaths from meth use also involved a dangerous opioid like fentanyl.

Learn more about drug overdoses in youth.

Is methamphetamine addictive?

Yes. Methamphetamine use can quickly lead to addiction. That's when people seek out the drug over and over, even after they want to stop and even after it has caused damage to their health and other parts of their life.

Methamphetamine causes tolerance-when a person needs to take more of it to get the same high. People who usually eat or snort meth might start to smoke or inject it to get a stronger, quicker high.

People who try to quit using methamphetamine might experience very uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal. They might:

get really tired but have trouble sleeping

feel angry or nervous

feel depressed

feel a very strong craving to use methamphetamine

What should I do if someone I know needs help?

If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide-they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)

If you want to help a friend, you can:

If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.

For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit our Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.

Where can I get more information?

Drug Facts
Statistics and Trends

What happens to your brain when you use methamphetamine?

All drugs change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, telling us how to act and behave. These neurotransmitters attach to molecules on neurons called receptors. (Learn more about how neurotransmitters work.)

There are many neurotransmitters, but dopamine is the one that reinforces cravings for pleasurable behaviors, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or playing a video game. With repeated use, stimulants like methamphetamine can disrupt how the brain's dopamine system works, reducing a person's ability to feel pleasure from normal, everyday activities. People will often develop tolerance, which means they must take more of the drug to get the desired effect. If a person becomes addicted, they might take the drug just to feel "normal."

After the "high" of methamphetamine wears off, many people experience a "crash" and feel tired or sad for days. They also experience a strong craving to take methamphetamine again to try to feel better.

Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person uses drugs.

What happens to your body when you use methamphetamine?

Short-Term Effects
The short-term effects of methamphetamine include:

feeling very awake and active

lack of appetite

fast heart rate and irregular heartbeat

higher blood pressure

higher body temperature

increased risk for HIV/AIDS or hepatitis (a liver disease) from unsafe sex and shared needles

increased attention

euphoria, or a "high"

Methamphetamine can be even more harmful when mixed with alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Continued methamphetamine use can cause effects that last for a long time, even after a person quits using the drug. These effects include:

addiction

extreme weight loss

anxiety and confusion

problems sleeping

mood swings

severe dental problems

violent behavior

psychosis (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there)

skin sores caused by scratching

problems with thinking, emotion, and memory

paranoia-unreasonable distrust of others

Can you overdose or die if you use methamphetamine?

Yes, it is possible. Methamphetamine can raise your body temperature so much that you pass out. If not treated right away, this can cause death. Death can also occur from a heart attack or stroke because the drug raises your heartbeat and blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. In recent years, drug dealers have been secretly adding the deadly opioid fentanyl to methamphetamine, because it is cheaper to make. It is estimated that half of the deaths from meth use also involved a dangerous opioid like fentanyl.

Learn more about drug overdoses in youth.

Is methamphetamine addictive?

Yes. Methamphetamine use can quickly lead to addiction. That's when people seek out the drug over and over, even after they want to stop and even after it has caused damage to their health and other parts of their life.

Methamphetamine causes tolerance-when a person needs to take more of it to get the same high. People who usually eat or snort meth might start to smoke or inject it to get a stronger, quicker high.

People who try to quit using methamphetamine might experience very uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal. They might:

get really tired but have trouble sleeping

feel angry or nervous

feel depressed

feel a very strong craving to use methamphetamine

What should I do if someone I know needs help?

If you, or a friend, are in crisis and need to speak with someone now:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they don't just talk about suicide-they cover a lot of issues and will help put you in touch with someone close by)

If you want to help a friend, you can:

If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used.

For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit our Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.

Where can I get more information?

Drug Facts
Statistics and Trends

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Methamphetamine-known as "meth"- is a laboratory-made, white, bitter-tasting powder. Sometimes it's made into a white pill or a shiny, white or clear rock called crystal. Meth is made in the United States and often in Mexico-in "superlabs"-big, illegal laboratories that make the drug in large quantities.

# data[].attributes.body
Meth

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, meth creates what is called tolerance, where you need to take more to get the same high.

https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/methamphetamine-meth