Methamphetamine is a highly potent stimulant drug. Unfortunately, about 2.5 million people aged 12 or older in the U.S. abuse meth each year. Meth addiction and abuse can have several negative effects on the body, including the brain and cognitive function.
What does meth do to your brain in the short or long term? We’ll explore that thoroughly in this article. Plus, we’re here to support those struggling with meth addiction, so we’ll also provide information on recovery and how treatment centers can provide the necessary support to prevent meth’s long-term impacts on the brain.
Overview of Methamphetamine
Meth is a powerful stimulant drug that works by speeding up the central nervous system and stimulating the release of neurotransmitters called dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine (also known as the feel-good hormones).
It’s most commonly produced, bought, and sold for recreational use when people want to experience a euphoric high or the increased energy it causes after use. While taking meth can make someone feel good or more energetic in the short term, it also has dangerous effects like the potential for overdose or adverse adaptations in the brain.
Brief History of Methamphetamine
Meth was originally produced in 1893 by Nagai Nagayoshi, a Japanese scientist. It was an expansion of the drug amphetamine that was introduced 6 years prior. The innovation involved adding an extra hydrogen and nitrogen bond to the compound, referred to as the “methyl” group, giving it the name methamphetamine.
The extra chemical bond in methamphetamine increases its absorption in the brain, making it much more powerful than regular amphetamine. That’s why meth is so potent, addictive, and impacts the brain’s structure greatly.
How is Methamphetamine Used?
Meth can be consumed by smoking, injecting, snorting, or orally ingesting it. It’s typically seen in a white powder or clear crystal-like pieces (known as crystal meth) that can be crushed or dissolved in water or alcohol for use.
Injecting or smoking meth is the most potent and results in the quickest high since it goes straight into the bloodstream up to the brain. Snorting is the next most potent use, producing results in 3 to 5 minutes. Finally, drinking it takes a bit longer, but produces effects within 15 to 20 minutes.
The meth high can last for a long time, up to 12 hours or more, depending on how much someone takes. Many people will use it in long binges where they take it for days on end in increasing dosages since it’s so addictive.
Short-Term Effects of Meth on the Brain
No matter which method someone uses to take meth, it works by entering the bloodstream after use and traveling to the brain. Once it reaches the brain, it essentially speeds up chemical functions and stimulates the release of the previously mentioned “feel-good” hormones dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
After taking meth, someone might feel like these chemical effects in the brain lift their mood or gives them a significant rush of energy. However, increasing the release of these chemicals typically leads to a hard crash after the drug wears off and strong cravings to take it again, which leads to dependence and addiction.
High doses of meth can also result in hallucinations, delusions, or increase aggression, which might lead to irrational or dangerous behavior after taking it.
Short-Term Impacts on the Rest of the Body
Meth can also cause other side effects in the rest of the body, such as raising your body temperature, increasing the heart rate, faster breathing, or making you not feel hungry.
These can have negative impacts in the short term, such as exacerbating existing heart conditions due to the increased heart rate or causing someone who takes meth in a binge-like pattern for days on end to go without eating the entire time.
Large doses of meth might also cause an overdose, which can lead to:
- Heart attack
- Hypertensive crisis from increased blood pressure
- Cardiac arrest, causing the heart to stop
- Seizures
- Stroke
Some common signs of a meth overdose include the person being unconscious, unresponsive, slowed or no breathing, chest pain, severe stomach pain, or very high body temperature. If someone is experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to call 911 immediately to get them treatment.
Long-Term Effects of Meth on the Brain
Clinical research has found that long-term meth addiction and abuse can have many negative effects on the brain. Primarily, due to meth’s neurotoxicity, it can cause significant structural and functional changes in parts of the brain associated with emotion, memory, motor control, and verbal learning.
These structural changes in the brain from meth can lead to:
- Memory loss
- Feeling emotionally numb or emotionally unstable
- Reduced coordination and motor control
- Reduced cognitive ability
- Increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease
- Increased risk of psychosis or hallucinations
While some of these changes in the brain’s structure can have a lasting impact, research has shown effects of meth on the brain are partially reversible when someone stops taking it for a year or longer.
Neuroimaging studies have shown increased activation in critical brain metabolites after abstinence, along with improved performance in motor and verbal memory tests. Therefore, the right treatment that leads to long-lasting recovery can make a significant impact.
Meth Addiction and the Brain
Meth’s long-term impacts on the brain can also cause addiction and affect someone’s ability to recover.
One of the main effects of meth on the brain that influences addiction is it changes your natural dopamine system after long-term use.
Since meth stimulates a significant release of dopamine when someone takes it, the brain starts to get used to that big release of the chemical for extended durations of time caused by the drug entering the system. Over time, the brain’s natural dopamine production and release significantly slow down.
This is why someone might feel very low, emotionally unstable, or have strong cravings for meth during recovery since they feel depleted of a primary feel-good hormone.
Fortunately, along with the studies that show increases in the brain’s cognitive function when someone stops taking meth for an extended time, similar effects happen with dopamine production, so things will improve with abstinence from meth.
That’s where proper treatment for meth addiction comes in, such as medical detox and residential care that helps those struggling through these difficult moments.
Recovery and Healing
Due to meth’s effects on the brain, early intervention is essential. Fortunately, recovery from meth addiction is possible, and you don’t have to go through it on your own. Since meth’s withdrawal symptoms and cravings can be so strong when someone stops taking it, medical treatment at a rehab center will lead to the best results.
Most treatment programs start with a medical detox to get the meth out of the body’s system. Then, it’s best to follow that up with a full residential care program that consists of therapy, support groups, building life skills, and creating a plan for long-term success and sobriety.
During detox and residential care at our facility, patients are given around-the-clock medical and emotional support from our friendly staff to ensure they feel as comfortable as possible.
Conclusion
Meth is a highly addictive substance, and long-term abuse can have severe effects on the brain. That’s why early intervention and the proper treatment are essential for a full recovery and a healthier and happier life.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with meth addiction, you don’t have to go through it alone. You can find help at our treatment center, where we provide you with tailored treatment programs based on your needs, medical detox, and residential treatment with the guidance of our friendly and knowledgeable medical team.
Contact us today to learn more.
References
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019). What is the scope of methamphetamine use in the United States? National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-scope-methamphetamine-misuse-in-united-states
- (2013, May). Methamphetamine use: A comprehensive review of molecular, preclinical and clinical findings [Review of Methamphetamine use: A comprehensive review of molecular, preclinical and clinical findings.] Science Direct. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871612004577?via%3Dihub
- Courtney, K. E., & Ray, L. A. (2014). Methamphetamine: An update on epidemiology, pharmacology, clinical phenomenology, and treatment literature. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 143, 11–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.08.003
- Thompson, P. M., Hayashi, K. M., Simon, S. L., Geaga, J. A., Hong, M. S., Sui, Y., Lee, J. Y., Toga, A. W., Ling, W., & London, E. D. (2004). Structural abnormalities in the brains of human subjects who use methamphetamine. The Journal of Neuroscience: The Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 24(26), 6028–6036. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0713-04.2004
- Salo, R., Buonocore, M. H., Leamon, M., Natsuaki, Y., Waters, C., Moore, C. D., Galloway, G. P., & Nordahl, T. E. (2011). Extended findings of brain metabolite normalization in MA-dependent subjects across sustained abstinence: A proton MRS study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 113(2-3), 133–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.07.015
- Wang, G.-J., Volkow, N. D., Chang, L., Miller, E., Sedler, M., Hitzemann, R., Zhu, W., Logan, J., Ma, Y., & Fowler, J. S. (2004). Partial Recovery of Brain Metabolism in Methamphetamine Abusers After Protracted Abstinence. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(2), 242–248. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.161.2.242
