Meth How much damage have I done to my brain? 3 months of daily 0.1g meth use :(

[Tomukichi]

So I've(20 M) taken on average 0.1g of meth daily in a three month binge, but have since abstained for 7 months up to now. Would this period of meth usage give me permanent brain damage? I had ADHD before usage and tried to self-medicate (DO NOT TRY THIS FELLOW PSYCHONAUTS, BIG MISTAKE)

Throughout the period of usage there was only one night where I mixed meth and weed and alcohol and got completely brain dead(impossible to carry out any consistent thinking; got back to normal the next day). Other than that there were no crazy binges, as in I never went past 72 hours without sleeping at least 8 hours. Ate healthily too.

Experience-wise,
- I did an IQ test before usage, and did it again a few days ago; the scores were roughly the same.
- I felt like my ADHD has gotten worse, especially when it comes to time perception; however I couldn't be sure if it's due to changes in environmental conditions(my life's gotten more stressful now) or dopamine receptors damage from meth.
- I've never experienced the euphoria that's supposed to come from meth, and never developed an addiction or dependance(I do get senses of craving sometimes when I envision lighting up a pipe, but it's really miniscule). Could this mean my brain wasn't damaged
-The reason I'm asking this question is that I just feel less "conscious" from time to time. Before using meth I used to force myself to reflect on the passage of time, myself, and the world around me(as a way to mitigate ADHD), and it worked from time to time; during those times, I felt a strong sense of consciousness(where I am, who I am, what I'm supposed to do), and with it, a joyful sense of meaning. The last few days however, I felt as if my perceived experience was compressed into a thin line writhing through time; that is, I was only able to intuitively "see" things and concepts that were right in front of me, both spatially and temporally. For instance, before meth use I would go like "hmmm imma grab sandwiches from across the street and watch a movie after completing task XYZ later tonight", while nowadays I'm mostly like "gotta do this" "feeling hungry, let me check the fridge" "what do I do now maybe I should watch a movie" and boom the day is gone.
- In addition to this, I feel less conscious of my own presence now. It's much less about "what I'm ought to be like & what I ought to do" and more about "what ought to be done" these days. I used to have body image issues but these days I just felt as if I no longer cared.

My questions are:

Will the aforementioned dosage and length of usage inflict brain damage? If so, is it permanent?

What kind of brain damage was inflicted? Was it mostly damages to dopamine receptors or changes in neurochemistry, i.e. intensified ADHD?

Would my cognitive abilities be damaged? If so, what are the damages done?

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY!! ANY INPUT IS WELCOME\~

 

[Burnt Offerings]

A point a day is nothing. You’ll be fine

 

[GamallSkóli]

So I've(20 M) taken on average 0.1g of meth daily in a three month binge, but have since abstained for 7 months up to now. Would this period of meth usage give me permanent brain damage? I had ADHD before usage and tried to self-medicate (DO NOT TRY THIS FELLOW PSYCHONAUTS, BIG MISTAKE)

Throughout the period of usage there was only one night where I mixed meth and weed and alcohol and got completely brain dead(impossible to carry out any consistent thinking; got back to normal the next day). Other than that there were no crazy binges, as in I never went past 72 hours without sleeping at least 8 hours. Ate healthily too.

Experience-wise,
- I did an IQ test before usage, and did it again a few days ago; the scores were roughly the same.
- I felt like my ADHD has gotten worse, especially when it comes to time perception; however I couldn't be sure if it's due to changes in environmental conditions(my life's gotten more stressful now) or dopamine receptors damage from meth.
- I've never experienced the euphoria that's supposed to come from meth, and never developed an addiction or dependance(I do get senses of craving sometimes when I envision lighting up a pipe, but it's really miniscule). Could this mean my brain wasn't damaged
-The reason I'm asking this question is that I just feel less "conscious" from time to time. Before using meth I used to force myself to reflect on the passage of time, myself, and the world around me(as a way to mitigate ADHD), and it worked from time to time; during those times, I felt a strong sense of consciousness(where I am, who I am, what I'm supposed to do), and with it, a joyful sense of meaning. The last few days however, I felt as if my perceived experience was compressed into a thin line writhing through time; that is, I was only able to intuitively "see" things and concepts that were right in front of me, both spatially and temporally. For instance, before meth use I would go like "hmmm imma grab sandwiches from across the street and watch a movie after completing task XYZ later tonight", while nowadays I'm mostly like "gotta do this" "feeling hungry, let me check the fridge" "what do I do now maybe I should watch a movie" and boom the day is gone.
- In addition to this, I feel less conscious of my own presence now. It's much less about "what I'm ought to be like & what I ought to do" and more about "what ought to be done" these days. I used to have body image issues but these days I just felt as if I no longer cared.

My questions are:

Will the aforementioned dosage and length of usage inflict brain damage? If so, is it permanent?

What kind of brain damage was inflicted? Was it mostly damages to dopamine receptors or changes in neurochemistry, i.e. intensified ADHD?

Would my cognitive abilities be damaged? If so, what are the damages done?

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY!! ANY INPUT IS WELCOME\~

What Burnt Offerings said. I'm 70 years old. I've achieved some sort of altered state on a daily basis for the past 50 years, meth included... A LOT! (I will take a break every now and again if the mood strikes, and I avoid drugs that cause physical dependency) The human body is a truly incredible thing. It can withstand massive amounts of damage and abuse with no serious long term affects. It was discovered fairly recently that brain cells do regenerate (Thank God!) I'm a retired paramedic so I speak from experience. I've seen people with unbelievable trauma walking around at the scene of an accident or a shooting that for all intents and purposes should be dead.

You mentioned that you never experienced the euphoric high meth is known for. That would be due to your ADHD. Adderall and Vyvanse are nothing but refined methamphetamine. You were self medicating, not getting high.

Anywho, I said all that to say this. You'll be right as rain in no time. Don't sweat the small stuff. You'll live longer!

"I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. Worrying is like paying a debt you don't owe. I have spent most of my life worrying about things that have never happened."

~Mark Twain

 

[Tomukichi]

A point a day is nothing. You’ll be fine

A point a day is nothing. You’ll be fine

Thx heaps for the reply~ i do feel sort of off though like I used to only have ADD but now it seems like I have ADHD; I lost my sense of old self(I literally don’t have a clear image of myself now) etc etc.

My question comes down to what kind of damage I’ve done(bc there’s definitely some damage done, right?). From what I’ve understood from reading papers(please correct me if I’m wrong), there are mainly three kinds of damages: 1.neurochemistry changes(neurotransmitter depletion, dopamine/seratonine receptor damage, etc) that could heal over time 2.structural changes(receptor damage and death, neuron damage & death, causing physical addiction etc) that could be mitigated by neuroplasticity 3.neuron and cell death caused by apoptosis and extensive oxidative stress(permanent?)

Right now I just couldn’t put my finger on the kind of damage that I’ve done… the heightened ADD is expected, but for the other changes in my mentality and thinking patterns I just don’t know if they’re due to changes in my life circumstances or meth itself

Again, thx a lot for stopping by~

 

[GamallSkóli]

A point a day is nothing. You’ll be fine

Thx heaps for the reply~ i do feel sort of off though like I used to only have ADD but now it seems like I have ADHD; I lost my sense of old self(I literally don’t have a clear image of myself now) etc etc.

My question comes down to what kind of damage I’ve done(bc there’s definitely some damage done, right?). From what I’ve understood from reading papers(please correct me if I’m wrong), there are mainly three kinds of damages: 1.neurochemistry changes(neurotransmitter depletion, dopamine/seratonine receptor damage, etc) that could heal over time 2.structural changes(receptor damage and death, neuron damage & death, causing physical addiction etc) that could be mitigated by neuroplasticity 3.neuron and cell death caused by apoptosis and extensive oxidative stress(permanent?)

Right now I just couldn’t put my finger on the kind of damage that I’ve done… the heightened ADD is expected, but for the other changes in my mentality and thinking patterns I just don’t know if they’re due to changes in my life circumstances or meth itself

Again, thx a lot for stopping by~

Brother...you are WAY over thinking this situation. In the grand scheme of things, the amount of meth you've done is minuscule at best.

That's not to say the way you feel isn't important because it is. You could be feeling off for any number of reasons that don't involve your meth use in any way. You're right that it could be due to life changes. That includes changes due to your age or you could be experiencing some sort of environmental depression. You could also have low vitamin D or testosterone levels. When's the last time you had a physical? You might pay your doctor a visit. If you decide to go that route be completely honest with him about your concerns. I promise you, whatever you throw at him...he's heard worse! Lol!

I wish you nothing but the best. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[SuperPsych]

I started abusing hard stimulants at 17. Lots of adderall and research chemical stimulants including a heavy A-PVP addiction that included much higher doses than you have been using, in a worse binge pattern and for far longer. Once I turned 20 I began using meth daily which went on for some years with a couple of small breaks. At one point I was using 1 gram or more of meth a day to feel normal. It got to the point where I actually needed meth to be able to eat. I'm 29 now and have been off of meth for a couple of years and I'm fine. I struggle with depression but I struggled with that before I ever touched meth. I still have my intelligence and wit. I doubt that you did any permanent damage. Had you used 100mg of meth a day for years and years maybe there'd be lasting damage, but even then 100mg isn't an outrageous amount. Take comfort in the fact that your use only went on for 3 months. That's an incredibly short amount of time when looking at the bigger picture

 

[brokedownpalace10]

You did not likely do any dain bramage on those doses. You just put your brain chemicals out of whack, maybe.
7 months is more than enough time to have them rebalance.
If you have ADD, remembering being medicated and more alert might make your current mental state seem inferior by comparison. I suspect that's what has happened.
Go to the doc and get a proper ADD medication. One with less side effects and addiction potential.

 

[deficiT]

Just give it more time. Things will balance out in the end. I put myself through some tremendous amounts of abuse, and I'm still kicking it somehow. I suggest you don't go that route, staying off meth is a good thing and I understand why you would use it to self medicate for ADHD, I have the same problem.

 

[brokedownpalace10]

Just give it more time. Things will balance out in the end. I put myself through some tremendous amounts of abuse, and I'm still kicking it somehow. I suggest you don't go that route, staying off meth is a good thing and I understand why you would use it to self medicate for ADHD, I have the same problem.

I did enough meth in large doses to actually permanently change my brain. My emotional responses to things were different after.
Years went by. I got better. Your brain changes throughout life anyway.


Now the years are rolling by me
They are rockin' evenly
I am older than I once was
And younger than I'll be; that's not unusual
Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same

 

[Tomukichi]

I did enough meth in large doses to actually permanently change my brain. My emotional responses to things were different after.
Years went by. I got better. Your brain changes throughout life anyway.


Now the years are rolling by me
They are rockin' evenly
I am older than I once was
And younger than I'll be; that's not unusual
Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same

Could you please elaborate on your change in emotional responses to things? I think I’m facing the same issue
On a related note, what was your dosage and for how long?

 

[brokedownpalace10]

Could you please elaborate on your change in emotional responses to things? I think I’m facing the same issue
On a related note, what was your dosage and for how long?

Lost my temper more easily. Lost one job and things got shaky on the next one until I learned to listen to the little voice in my head saying, "SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH."

That could have just been extended withdrawal.

More typically, an inability to feel pleasure in things for a long time. I eventually got to more being happy about "figuring shit out" for a while. Hard to describe, but I actually think I substituted an acetylcholine reward system for the dopamine one for a period.

All that kind of stabilized after a few years. I was a different man, but any love affair would have left me a different man.

I didn't bang meth for very long, less than a year. Had a longer drop speed thing years before, but I think injecting meth did more to my brain. I only did it on weekends, but did large doses chasing that rush. I'd cook up 5, 15mg Desoxyn per shot, 2-3 shots. Also 5, 75mg Preludin was a nice shot.

 

[jmr777]

on average 0.1g of meth daily in a three month binge

R.i.p. dude.....

Lol

 

[Tomukichi]

R.i.p. dude.....

Lol

For real?

 

[4meSM]

For real?

You’re fine dude. I’m pretty sure that you’ve done 0 long term damage. But worrying about it non stop is terrible because of the nocebo effect… You’ll start to feel guilty, develop anxiety and attribute some of your symptoms to brain damage, and you may start taking other drugs because of it and get into a shitty vicious circle.
Just chill and give your body and mind some time to get used to your regular life again. Trust me on this.

 

[FaithinThedevil]

So I've(20 M) taken on average 0.1g of meth daily in a three month binge, but have since abstained for 7 months up to now. Would this period of meth usage give me permanent brain damage? I had ADHD before usage and tried to self-medicate (DO NOT TRY THIS FELLOW PSYCHONAUTS, BIG MISTAKE)

Throughout the period of usage there was only one night where I mixed meth and weed and alcohol and got completely brain dead(impossible to carry out any consistent thinking; got back to normal the next day). Other than that there were no crazy binges, as in I never went past 72 hours without sleeping at least 8 hours. Ate healthily too.

Experience-wise,
- I did an IQ test before usage, and did it again a few days ago; the scores were roughly the same.
- I felt like my ADHD has gotten worse, especially when it comes to time perception; however I couldn't be sure if it's due to changes in environmental conditions(my life's gotten more stressful now) or dopamine receptors damage from meth.
- I've never experienced the euphoria that's supposed to come from meth, and never developed an addiction or dependance(I do get senses of craving sometimes when I envision lighting up a pipe, but it's really miniscule). Could this mean my brain wasn't damaged
-The reason I'm asking this question is that I just feel less "conscious" from time to time. Before using meth I used to force myself to reflect on the passage of time, myself, and the world around me(as a way to mitigate ADHD), and it worked from time to time; during those times, I felt a strong sense of consciousness(where I am, who I am, what I'm supposed to do), and with it, a joyful sense of meaning. The last few days however, I felt as if my perceived experience was compressed into a thin line writhing through time; that is, I was only able to intuitively "see" things and concepts that were right in front of me, both spatially and temporally. For instance, before meth use I would go like "hmmm imma grab sandwiches from across the street and watch a movie after completing task XYZ later tonight", while nowadays I'm mostly like "gotta do this" "feeling hungry, let me check the fridge" "what do I do now maybe I should watch a movie" and boom the day is gone.
- In addition to this, I feel less conscious of my own presence now. It's much less about "what I'm ought to be like & what I ought to do" and more about "what ought to be done" these days. I used to have body image issues but these days I just felt as if I no longer cared.

My questions are:

Will the aforementioned dosage and length of usage inflict brain damage? If so, is it permanent?

What kind of brain damage was inflicted? Was it mostly damages to dopamine receptors or changes in neurochemistry, i.e. intensified ADHD?

Would my cognitive abilities be damaged? If so, what are the damages done?

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY!! ANY INPUT IS WELCOME\~

Just like everyone else has said, you are way over thinking it, unless you are trying to convince yourself that you did do damage too have an excuse to continue to use meth.

 

[jmr777]

For real?

Lol no was jk

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

See a neurologist, and a medical doctor. You will not get into legal trouble for doing this.

Any use of methamphetamine daily, even 0.1g or an addiction phase of it as you had with 3 months daily use or continued current use will damage your brain. I read that even the experimental casual use of it 1-3x by new users or people who are not yet addicted, or they tried it once or a few times and hated it, also damages the brain. Stay safe.

I never used METH but I read here on bluelight how any use of it does damage the brain as it is that neurotoxic.

 

[only1truelove4ever]

anything that crosses the BBB or that is psychoactive is technically neurotoxic. believe matthew 15 and mark 7
and dont worry about it. its the only way to not damage and not become hooked.

 

[SpiralusSancti]

anything that crosses the BBB or that is psychoactive is technically neurotoxic.

Not true at all. Even if you consider taking insane amounts, there are many compounds that’ll kill you via different mechanisms long before they become neurotoxic. And in normal doses, hell even in doses that’ll kill you if not put on life support there’s probably less neurotoxic compounds used and abused than those that are neurotoxic. That doesn’t make them safe but toxicity for other organs of many compounds is far greater than for the brain. But I guess you adjusted definition of neurotoxic to any change in the brain and that is not a valid definition of neurotoxicity. There are even endogenous compounds that are neurotoxic but so are those that are neuroprotective. And there are neuroprotective psychoactive substances too.