Effects of Methamphetamine

With occasional use the body has time to recover. Prolonged use or using large quantities causes body chemicals to become depleted and systems shut down to allow the body to replenish energy supplies.

Withdrawal and depression can last for days, weeks or months depending on the length of use, strength of the drug and extent of biochemical disruption.

Methamphetamine mimics the action of adrenaline and dopamine. Feelings of increased alertness, agitation (flight or fight) and exhilaration or euphoria is a result from using methamphetamine. When there is too much stimulation, it produces feelings of panic, paranoia, hallucinations, rage, seizures and stroke.

Methamphetamine releases high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. It also appears to have a neurotoxic effect, damaging brain cells that contain dopamine and serotonin, another neurotransmitter. Over time, methamphetamine appears to cause reduced levels of dopamine, which can result in symptoms like those of Parkinson's disease, a severe movement disorder.

Research has shown that Methamphetamine has toxic effects. In animals, a single high dose of the drug has been shown to damage nerve terminals in the dopamine-containing regions of the brain. The large release of dopamine produced by methamphetamine is thought to contribute to the drug's toxic effects on nerve terminals in the brain. Dopamine- and serotonin-containing neurons are damaged and re-growth appears to be limited.

In the long term there are also toxic effects. Tests on animals have shown that as much as 50 percent of the dopamine producing cells in the brain are damaged after prolonged use. Researchers also have found that serotonin-containing nerve cells may be damaged even more extensively. Research is on going to determine if this damage is related to the psychosis seen in some long-term methamphetamine abusers.