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Summary
Methamphetamine - meth for short - is a very addictive stimulant drug. It is a powder that can be made into a pill or a shiny rock (called a crystal). The powder can be eaten or snorted up the nose. It can also be mixed with liquid and injected into your body with a needle. Crystal meth is smoked in a small glass pipe.
Meth at first causes a rush of good feelings, but then users feel edgy, overly excited, angry, or afraid. Meth use can quickly lead to addiction. It causes medical problems including
- Making your body temperature so high that you pass out
- Severe itching
- "Meth mouth" - broken teeth and dry mouth
- Thinking and emotional problems
NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Latest News
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Combination Treatment for Methamphetamine Use Disorder Shows Promise in NIH Study
(01/13/2021, National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Diagnosis and Tests
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Drug Testing
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Methamphetamine Use and Oral Health (American Dental Association) - PDF
- Methamphetamine Use and Pulmonary Hypertension (Pulmonary Hypertension Association) - PDF
Specifics
- Methamphetamine (Meth) (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
Images
- Methamphetamine (Drug Enforcement Administration)
Health Check Tools
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Test Your Knowledge: Methamphetamine
(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Statistics and Research
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Methamphetamine Alters Brain Structures, Impairs Mental Flexibility
(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
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Research Reports: Methamphetamine
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
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Stress-Induced Enzyme Compounds Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity
(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Methamphetamine
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Identification of Unique 4-Methylmethcathinone (4-MMC) Degradation Markers in Putrefied Matrices†.
- Article: Behavior Problems During Early Childhood in Children With Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure.
- Article: The Identification of Precursor Regulation Impact on the Methamphetamine Market and...
- Methamphetamine -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Drug Enforcement Administration
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National Institute on Drug Abuse
Also in Spanish
- Partnership at Drugfree.org (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
Children
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Mind Over Matter: Methamphetamine
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Methamphetamine (Meth) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
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Methamphetamine (Meth)
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
- Tips for Teens: The Truth about Methamphetamine (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
Women
- Methamphetamine/Dextroamphetamine and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Methamphetamine overdose (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Substance use -- amphetamines (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Tips for Teens: The Truth about Methamphetamine (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF