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Meth ⫸Methamphetamine Megathread⫷

linzlandexpress

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Aug 11, 2010
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Methamphetamine Info & IV Megathread

Crystal_Meth.jpg


800px-Methamphetamine.svg.png

The Basics

What Is Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is a stimulant chemical commonly used as a recreational drug. It is legally prescribed as a treatment for ADD under the brand name Desoxyn, for both children and adults. On the street, it is generally found as an odorless, white or off-white, bitter-tasting powder, though it is also found in pills, capsules and larger crystals. It is frequently snorted, but is also used orally, smoked, and injected. Methamphetamine is commonly known as "speed," "meth," and "chalk." In its smoked form, it is often referred to as "ice," "crystal," "crank," and "glass." It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol. The drug was developed early last century from its parent drug, amphetamine, and was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers. Like amphetamine, methamphetamine causes increased activity and talkativeness, decreased appetite, and a general sense of well-being. However, methamphetamine differs from amphetamine in that at comparable doses, much higher levels of methamphetamine get into the brain, making it a more potent stimulant drug. It also has longer lasting and more harmful effects on the central nervous system.

Positive Effects:
Increased energy and alertness
Decreased need for sleep
Euphoria
Increased sexuality

Neutral Effects:
Excessive talking
Weight loss
Sweating

Negative Effects:
Disturbed sleep patterns
Tightened jaw muscles, grinding teeth (trismus and bruxia)
Loss of appetite (anorexia), leading to poor nutrition and weight loss with heavy use
Visual & auditory hallucinations, hearing voices (from sleep deprivation)
Reduced enjoyment of eating
Loss of interest in sex, over time
Itching, welts on skin
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Dry mouth, leading to serious tooth decay with chronic use
Excessive excitation, hyperactivity
Shortness of breath
Moodiness & irritability
Anxiousness & nervousness
Aggressiveness
Panic, suspiciousness, and paranoia
Involuntary body movements (uncontrollable movement and/or twitches of fingers, facial & body muscles, lip-smaking, tongue protrusion, grimacing, etc.)
Ego inflation, false sense of confidence and power, ego-inflation
Aggressive and violent behavior
Severe depression, suicidal tendencies

Effects of Habitual Use:
Fatal kidney and lung disorders
Possible brain damage
Permanent psychological problems
Lowered resistance to illnesses
Liver damage
Stroke
Cardiovascular crises, chest pains, heart attacks
Damage to gums, teeth, and can lead to tooth loss

Effects of Methamphetamine Use During Pregnancy (On Unborn Child):
Cardiac defects
Cleft palate
Birth defects
Addiction and withdrawal


Methamphetamine Addiction

Long-term use and methamphetamine abuse will profoundly alter brain function. Because of damage to the neurons, an addict’s emotional health will be adversely impacted. These changes can be acute and sometimes permanent. It should be noted that the contents of crystal meth, the street form of the methamphetamine drug, tend to be a combination of toxic chemicals such as lye, Drano, pseudoephedrine, battery acid, insecticides, solvents, and ether. These types of chemicals are not designed to be ingested.Management of meth addiction relies heavily on forms of behavioral therapy, along with a few drugs that can be of some help with the craving that follows withdrawal from the drug. There is no known drug that can directly counter the effects of meth on the brain, but there are treatments available that help to minimise and reverse damage sustained through addiction.

Signs of Addiction:
Head Banging
Self-Biting
Hair Pulling
Scratching at “crack bugs” (illusion of bugs crawling under the skin)
Skin infections
Severe dental decay
Psychosis

Treating Methamphetamine Addiction:

Professional guide to recovery from meth (PDF)

A previous addict's guide to quitting meth

Medication available for treating damage sustained through methamphetamine addiction

Withdrawal Symptoms

Methamphetamine is not known to be physically addictive. In most cases it takes between twenty four and forty eight hours for the drug to process through a person's system after the last dose is taken. While methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms can be very intense, they are generally psychological in nature.

Symptoms:
Craving
Exhaustion
Depression
Mental confusion
Restlessness and insomnia
Deep or disturbed sleep lasting up to 48 hours
Extreme hunger
Anxiety reactions

Treating methamphetamine withdrawal:
Methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms can be treated with a careful plan. In some cases the treatment requires a reduction in the dosage until the body adjusts to lower amounts, and, finally, no meth at all. It is also possible to help combat depression with anitdepressants as part of a treatment program. These are effective measures, especially in situations that feature medical uses for methamphetamine. For addicts who have been abusing meth for a long period of time, a combination of techniques might be used. There are residential treatment centers that specialize in treating severe addictions. These usually combine the step down method with pharmacological solutions. Counseling is also part of treating methamphetamine addiction and meth withdrawal symptoms. Abusers may learn techniques for helping them avoid focusing on the unpleasant effects of withdrawal. This can include meditation, physical activity and through developing a hobby. Overcoming any addiction is difficult, and one of the main reasons is due to withdrawal symptoms. Methamphetamine withdrawal is no exception. And due the nature of meth, withdrawals may be just as unpleasant as withdrawal from more physically addictive substances.

It is a good idea to get professional help if you are struggling with methamphetamine withdrawal and/or addiction.


Stimulant Psychosis

What is it?
Stimulant psychosis is a psychotic disorder that appears in some people who use stimulant drugs. The symptoms of stimulant psychosis are shared largely with the symptoms of organic psychosis, including hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, and, in extreme cases, catatonia. Physical symptoms of prolonged stimulant abuse or acute overdose tend to accompany these psychotic symptoms in cases of stimulant psychosis (but not organic psychosis). These additional symptoms may include aggression, arrhythmia, dilated pupils, diarrhea, hypertension, hyperthermia, nausea, rapid breathing, restlessness, seizures, sleep deprivation, tremor, and vomiting. Methamphetamine is well known to cause psychosis, typically when abused chronically or in high doses. Stimulant psychosis can manifest in a number of ways:

Hallucinations:
Auditory - This is the false perception of sound and the most frequent type of hallucination. Most frequently the user "hears voices." Command hallucinations are “voices” that may issue commands for violence to others.
Visual - Seeing a person, object or animal that does not exist in the environment.
Olfactory - This is the false perception of smelling odors that are not present in the environment.
Tactile - This is a false perception of the sense of touch, often of something on or under the skin.
Gustatory - A false perception of the sense of taste.

Delusions:
Persecution - The individual feels threatened and believes that others intend to harm him in some way. For example, the user thinks that the CIA intends to kill him.
Grandeur - The individual has an exaggerated feeling of importance, power or knowledge. For example, a user thinks that he is in control of the state.
Reference - The individual thinks that unrelated events or happenings are somehow connected to him or her, usually in a negative way. For example, a user watching TV thinks the news broadcaster is trying to get a message to him.
Being controlled - The individual believes certain objects or persons have control over his/her behavior. For example, the user believes the president of the United States has control over his behavior.
Somatic delusions - The individual believes his/her body or parts of the body are changing or being distorted. The user believes his brain is rotting.

Paranoia:
The individual has extreme suspicion of others, their actions or perceived intentions. For example, a user sees a duck on the river and thinks the police have placed a camera in the duck to watch him.

Obsessions:
Compulsion or repetitive behaviors are manifestations of chronic meth use. Users may become obsessed or perform repetitive tasks such as cleaning, assembling and disassembling objects or washing hands several times in a 15 minute period. Other repetitive tasks include formication, grinding of teeth, and pulling out hair.

Haldol Medication For Psychosis:
Haldol is effective in the treatment of psychosis, however it has a number of unpleasant and dangerous side effects. Common side effects include anticholinergic manifestations (dry mouth, blurred vision, urinary retention and constipation), nausea, gastrointestinal upset, skin rash, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, photosensitivity, decreased libido, gynecomastia, weight gain, extrapyramidal symptoms (pseudoparkinsonism, akinesia, akathisia, dystonia, oculogyric crisis), tardive dyskinesia, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. It is very important that the nurse be very familiar with the action and side effects of haldol.

Additional Information on Haldol




Useful Links


Injection; IV Complications and Info MEGATHREAD & FAQ

Safe injection Technique

How to Get Needles Mega Thread

Correct Needle Width & Syringe Size for Meth IV


Dangers of contracting HIV/AIDS and hepatitis

Comprehensive list of methamphetamine health issues

Detailed information on methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms

Treating Methamphetamine Addiction (PDF)

Additional Information on Haldol

Methamphetamine Dosage Guidelines

Erowid Methamphetamine Vault

A medical professional's guide to recovery from meth (PDF)

A previous addict's guide to quitting meth

Medication used for methamphetamine addiction




Original Post:

Anyone who has ever done a shot of meth knows who quickly it can go from Awesome.....to Oh NO! A missed shot of meth can make your arm feel like its about to explode. Not to mention the actual feel of a good hit. The cough, the burn in the chest, the euphoric Ahhhhhhh.....I just want a place that we can discuss this and other things so that we are able to learn and help prevent bad things from happening.

How much should one person take at a time?

How often should you do a shot?

How do you know when you have been 'smoked down'?

When is it time to up your dosage?

What are the steps in preparing a shot of ice? Water - Dope ratio

Stuff like that.......
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Wth is with these replies?

I've personally only smoked meth, but I agree about the need for a IV meth thread similar to the heroin ones. I don't even know for sure if there is one or not cause I'm new and not interested in IVing it, but if there isn't one there should be.
 
How much should one person take at a time?
Depends on the person's tolerance, quality of dope, setting and mindframe...
For myself: I usually shot 1/8th of a gram of decent powder, less when I had some ice.

How often should you do a shot?
See above
For myself: I usually felt the need to redose about every 6-8 hours.

How do you know when you have been 'smoked down'?
Don't know what that means

When is it time to up your dosage?
When your usual dosage doesn't get you high or relieve crash symptoms.

What are the steps in preparing a shot of ice? Water - Dope ratio
I'd say 50%-50% is about right, to start. As a person gains their own technique they become set in their ways. Like me for instance: with heroin, I would always use a full 100 units of water when I would shoot a dose (usually 1/10th of a gram). People would say, "Damn, how much water do you use?" because they would usually use 30-80 units. It was just my own method.
That said, just put dope in spoon, add water, some people add heat but some don't. Filter, draw, slam.
 
I don't use Methamphetamine either, but how could we call ourselves an objective harm reduction forum, scoffing at the idea of using one drug while providing much invaluable information about the next? It would be irrational and hypocritical to have loads of info regarding IV use of Heroin and Cocaine, but not Meth just because some of us are against the use of the drug.

Better that someone who is determined to use Methamphetamine intravenously researches it here first and does it safely. Harm reduction shouldn't discriminate between substances.
 
I feel the same way about people injecting meth as i do about children eating hash brownies..it doesnt concern me, therefore why should it concern anyone other than people in the users' immediate environment.
 
I started IV'ing meth in January of this year after having smoked it for the first time in October of 2009 and quickly saw my life as I knew it come to a screeching halt in early June. I lost everything, house, job, car, dogs...I would highly recommend leaving this drug alone, but if you're going to mess with it, IV is the cleanest delivery system, just make sure you are experienced in shooting and have plenty of discipline when it comes to drug use.

IMHO the following would be decent guidelines for your posted questions:

How much should one person take at a time?
Depends on indididual tolerance, quality of dope, ice, etc - if you're new to meth, a good starting shot might be 1/8 of a gram (.125). If your tolerance has increased due to frequent use, perhaps 1/4 gram (.25 - typically a purchased "twenty" in the US). Always test your dope prior to injection (especially when you obtain from several sources), to test: roll a small bowl in a piezo first, or run it on foil. Quantities just go up from there.

How often should you do a shot?
The rule of thumb prior to doing a follow-up shot is as follows: if you can't hit yourself then you're probably still high, no shot needed. Probably 4-6 hours after your first shot, but as stated above, if you can't hit a vein then you're too high to have another shot.

How do you know when you have been 'smoked down'?
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "smoked down", perhaps you can explain this. Not a known term in meth circles.

When is it time to up your dosage?
If you're not getting ANY rush from your shot and you haven't missed, you probably need to up your dose.

What are the steps in preparing a shot of ice? Water - Dope ratio:
I've always used the same formula for prepping a shot of meth: whether I'm prepping a single shot or a shot for two, I ALWAYS use the same amount of water -40 units. That way I always know what comes back after I draw up. If the mixture is too thick, draw up a little more water into your syringe.
As far as method goes, put your meth in a spoon, add water, crush/stir so there aren't any chunks, cotton/wheel filter, draw up, bang away.

I can't stress enough that it is CRUCIAL you do NOT miss when injecting meth. Lord knows I missed plenty when I first started, unfortunately one of my misses ended up abscessing and getting infected. I had to be treated with IV antibiotics to cure the abscess, and I'm left with a gnarly little scar that'll probably never go away. Also, make sure that EVERYTHING that comes into contact with your dope is ABSOLUTELY CLEAN. Your spoon, your syringe, your water (tap water is fine) should be as clean as possible, that's just common sense.

Hope this helps

MsKitten
 
In my opinion (as a non-meth user and harm-reductionist) this is EXACTLY the kind of thread we need. The people who are going to IV meth are going to IV meth. I'd prefer they did it with some kind of guidance. The more harmful the drug, the more harm-reduction and education necessary
 
The people who are going to IV meth are going to IV meth.

Pinpoint - You are exactly right.

Once someone gets it in their mind, it stays there. There might as well be something on this website to help them and keep them from hurting themselves.
 
Pinpoint - You are exactly right.

Once someone gets it in their mind, it stays there. There might as well be something on this website to help them and keep them from hurting themselves.

That's the whole point in harm reduction - people are going to use drugs if they want to, so why not provide access to information. We have all sorts of threads on how to IV pills and about shooting heroin etc, I don't shoot meth but I still think people messing with it should know as much as possible. HR is about making informed decisions and being safe.

How can anyone act like they're better because they shoot H instead of meth? 8)
 
Any further off topic posts are going to get an infraction.

It is possible to IV meth and have a good experience with it.
 
well a half gram i can get 8 shots out of it ..but i have shot the hole half gram & started hallucinating instantly ...lol it was some good shit lol , its the only way to fly !!! if u dont inject it ...your wasting it !!
 
How much should one person take at a time?

If your dealing with pure ice, I'd say between 50-150mgs. 0.05gram to 0.15grams. I've did 0.15 150mgs my first time trying meth. I've never smoked or snorted it, I went into IV my first time trying because I wanted the best high.

How often should you do a shot?
Try not to redose, I'd say wait a week. When you start coming down, don't redose, have some benzos on hand. It really helps with the paranoia and hearing voices.

How do you know when you have been 'smoked down'?

No Idea what this means.

When is it time to up your dosage?

When you build a tolerance.

What are the steps in preparing a shot of ice? Water - Dope ratio
Use all sterile equipment, use about 40-60units of sterile saline, 100 unit syringe, about 30-31 gauge, swab with alcohol, insert syringe, register and push plunger. Don't miss the shot otherwise you won't get the intense rush.

I've only shot meth 5 times, and its highly addictive. Only reason I've managed to not do it is the fact that I don't have a dealer. Otherwise I'd do it every week if possible. I don't suggest injecting meth. I've been clean off meth for 3 months now.

-PLUR
 
Wats up guys, im a bit of a regular user of meth but am still not touching the needle. It is damm tempting but I know its over if I do it, just out of curiosity what does the buzz actually feel like. The only time I would do it is if I was old and retired and had the money.
 
Don't miss the shot otherwise you won't get the intense rush.
I'm curious as to how strong the rush with meth is, and how would it compare to the rush of heroin. I for one can seriously get off on the rush you get from H. Also, how is the high that's left behind, is it pretty euphoric? I'm kinda curious about meth, I use Adderall on a semi regular basis and have always kinda wondered how much more I could get done using meth, or maybe I wouldn't get anything done. ;)




Peace. Love. Unity. Respect.
I'd give you a bracelet and do the handshake, but sadly, this is the internet. :(
 
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