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lungs damaged from meth?

D

DaCookieMonstar

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 28, 2003
Messages
60
Location
Australia
hey pplz. This is something that happened to me a few weeks ago but is still giving me some trouble now.

Ok, now i'd hardly even heard of meth, let alone seen it before (i have a moderate history of amphetamine use though), when my mates all noticed that i was feeling a little sorry for myself and decided to shout me some. We all went to a mates place and one of them packed the pipe with what didnt look like that much. Well i got told to have a toke while he went to the toilet. i never heard him say that i had to pass it around the other 4 people (either did they actually)

Well needless to say i smoke the whole pipe to myself. It seemed to leave a really bad taste in my mouth (cannot describe it better than a speedy taste) and the smoke coming out of my mouthwas as thick as though id just smoked a bong. I had probably 5 of these really deep and thick tokes to finish the pipe.

Boy was i high. thats all i can say, but the following afternoon i noticed that i was getting very short of breath and panting a lot. even sitting doing nothing seemed to make no change. It got so bad that i was really getting extremely worried about myself (and so were my flatmates. I got driven to the local hopital, but it was busy and they didnt really take much notice of me (i think they put it down to asthma.) i got discharched after some ventolin (which didnt help) and returned home. I returned to that same hospital twice over three days only to recive the same response. My chest is now extremely sensitive to any pressure, and i get a sometimes searing pain in the top of my left lung.

Has anyone else had these same problems? why wont the doctors listen to me? will it go away?.

in pain.....:(
 
That sucks man, I cant help you out because I've never had anything like that happen to me or anyone I know, perhaps there was something nasty in the meth? did the pipe turn a wierd colour after you smoked it?

Get well soon hey
 
nah the pipe didnt seem that discoloured afterwards.
ive been told i may have just had too much for my lungs to handle. it felt like my lungs just wrent absorbing any oxygen ( I know it sounds weird)
thanks anyway.
 
Generally speaking, here in Asutralia it is only worth going to the emergency department in an actual emergency, or if there is nowhere else to go, such as an extended hours medical clinic. This is because they have to prioritise who they see - people with severe breathing problems, chest pain, bleeding wounds etc will always get seen first.

Did they do any tests while you were at the hospital? Did they get you to breathe into a little tube thingo (called a spirometer) to measure how strong your breathing is? Did they put a little electronic probe on your finger, attached to a noisy beeping machine (a pulse oximeter) which measures the oxygen saturation of your blood? Ddi they take a chest xray at all? If so, what did they say about it?

Does the pain happen only when you breathe in? Do you have any other symptoms, such as racing heart, fever, etc?
 
PG: Im pretty sure its not my heart as it only seems to hurt when i breathe in.

SBC: i did get taken straight into the emergency room and didnt have to wait at all (there was quite a few people in the waiting room too). the did put me onto a pulse oximeter the first time i went there, but not since. i know that at 11:00pm that night when they first took my pulserate that it was at 160 bpm (the nurse seemed a little stunned but nothing else was said.
They also put me onto a nebuliser straight away as they and myself thought it may have been asthma (but it didnt really seem to help. After a few hours they then sent me for a chest x-ray, but looked at it very breifly before discharging me. Since its been a few weeks since this happened all the other symptoms seemed to dissappear except for the pain in my left chest. Doctor has told me im just paranoid and gave me mirtazapine to calm me down and knock me out.
 
Did you tell them that you smoked meth? In this situation it really helps to be honost and to tell them as much information as possible.
 
the first question that i got asked from the doc was if i had been using any illicit drugs cos my body weight is rather low. I answered yes and told him what id had. he didnt seem deterred by this tho.
 
I know of the pain you describe I have expereinced similar pain for a few day after a big meth session. I sugest its due to burning/irritation from hot vapors (remeber meth smoke is a bit hotter than your standard bong hit)

I have also heard reports of nemonia (spelling?) being caused by exessive meth smoking. Take what I say with a pinch of salt as its second hand information. The story I was told was that after suffering breathing problems (shortness of breath, pain in lungs) they went to the doc. Aparently some water had built up in the lungs, meth being hygroscopic this may have been the cause.

As an aside: Meth pipes suck. You know all the stuff you exhaled, that was the equivalent of making some nice fat lines then snorting a bit of them then sneezing the rest everywhere. I recoment a test tube or bulb to smoke it in. As you can completly evaporate all meth in the chamber then inhale it all at once. This also reduces the risk of inhaling VERY hot vapors if using an oxy or similar tool to heat the device.

Edit: Just read your mention of parania, its very easy to convince yourself somethings wrong after a big meth bing. So try to be subjective if you feel that your physicaly / mentaly in trouble while on meth. Clearly dont ignore any problems completly just dont panic or jump to conclusion to quickly.....
 
I have also heard reports of nemonia (spelling?) being caused by exessive meth smoking.
Click to expand...

I've had the opposite effect, with the chemicals actually killing nasties and preventing bronchial infection...

But by no means take this as medical advice!!
 
I have a very close friend who is currently suffering from pnemonia two weeks after she quit smoking ice/meth. and another friend had a very similar experience a few months aga.
I have also experienced the pain you are talking about, that you only get when you breath in only mine was in my middle left rib section. the doctor told me i had pulled muscles...prob cos I didn't mention I had been smoking a shit load of meth/ice.
And my friend who is currently sick has had the same pain but closer to where you mentioned having it for approx 2 months. as she was continually smoking the stuff.
I haven't touched any for at least a month now, with no intention of ever getting seriously back into it. and I have found that my health in general has improved as well as my state of mind. I have no issue with anyone else who wants to do it, but its not for me.
Party hard but play safe.
 
I read a while back that heat kills alot of the meth amphetamine when you heat it up and smoke it. Something like 75% was destroyed in the heating process. In fact I read it here on bluelight about a year ago.

I am guessing ICE is made so you can heat it without damaging it.

I personally wonder why you dont just shoot it up with so many (free) needle exchanges around if you are looking for the rush.

I personally swallow speed, as I like the slow build up.

But if want a quick build up, swallow a few tablespoons of Dexsal or Eno (from your supermarket) about 10-15 minutes before swallowing the speed, and it comes on MUCH faster, about 2-3 times faster in my experience.

Because speed is slowly absorbed in an acid enviroment.

Dexsal and Eno change your stomach and intestines to a more alkaline enviroment so the speed is absorbed much quicker.
 
Not sure of an exact medicle term, I beliveve it's a NumoThorax? (sp?)
or Neuro Thorax, (Sorry Brain Fade)

Bascially an air bubble forms in between the lining of the lung and the thoraxics or breast plate, making it really hurt when you breathe.

I have had it twice before, It once lasted 3 days, and i was getting worried,
however, it went away by itself...

My friend also had it once, and required to vist Accident and Emergency,
X-Rays were taken and the bubble had to be popped by inserting a needle through the chest plate. (Cool Huh?)

Most common in thin males around 15 > 25

You shouldn't really be surprised, Speed or Amphetamine is one of the worst drugs for the physical body, and side effects are common...

I'll guess that it does have something to with smoking!!!!
However both times i had it, i hat EATEN speed, and smoked large number of cones. Same with my friend.

So it's not in the smoking of speed, but it's related to breathing, possibly the levels of nitrate in your oxygen and lungs..... But thats a guess...

It kept me away from taking speed, and taking large amounts of pot,
together for around 5 years, however, have not a problem in quite some time.

If it happens again badly, do go to the hosipital and do tell them it's speed.
Most "smart" doctors are aware of such a problem.

Hope it helps!
 
Dr . Beat: Interesting that you read that "something like 75%" is broken down in the heating proccess. Nice round figure to........ sure it wasnt 74.54345%?
Seriously I will clear a few things up for you:

1- Melting Point of Methamphetamine Hydrocloride = 173 degree's, (from
-------- memory lookup the merc index to clarify this). Clearly the compound
-------- will break down if directly exposed to 1000 degree's, so when you say
-------- "heating proccess" to you mean a lighter applied to glass or a dirrect
-------- butane torch?

2- "ICE" is a slang name for a number of substances and has been covered
-------- before many times. Im sure none of the substances are "made" so you
-------- can heat it without damaging it. Pure co-incidence.

3- I assume in your referance to speed your talking of is a less pure compound
-------- that contains methamphetamine hydrocloride or a close relative such
-------- as the sulphate.

4- Your sugestion about baseifing your stomach befor eating is a relevant idea.
-------- It would deffinatly reduce harm done to the lungs by completly ignoring
-------- the vaporisation technique.
 
It's probably not a pneumothorax as that should have shown up on the XRay. And you'd possibly be dead by now if it was.:) (pneumothorax is a punctured lung).

Pneumonia should also show up on an Xray, and you would probably have other symptoms if it was pneumonia, like a fever and a productive cough. I'm stumped - I will try to do some research for you.
 
please do. ive done all the research i can but found nothin.
i have been given the number of a good doctor (so ive been told), so ill see what he has to say about it and let u know
 
Damn, I thought I moved this to Health Q&A the first time I read it.

BT


--> Health Q&A
 
This same type of breathing problem happened to me, only it was after I drank a ton of coffee. I am really sensitive to stimulants.

I was convinced I had asthma. I had the feeling that I couldn't catch my breath, like I wasn't getting enough oxygen. I got really worried and the problem got worse. I was getting dizzy, yawning constantly, and well, I couldn't breath!

I went to the doctor and he told me that it was anxiety. I didn't believe him, so I went to a specialist. He did all of the fancy lung tests, and well, yes, my lungs are functioning perfectly. It was ANXIETY.

I would be willing to bet your breathing problem was in large part due to anxiety also. 5 big hits off a pipe of pretty much anything probably isn't enough to do what you described. And meth amps up your nervous system. Worrying about your breathing only makes your breathing worse.

I can contol this problem easily now. Long slow breaths. And xanax.
 
I have been trying to research this in various journals (all of which have been most difficult to access!) This question had me stumped, but I kept on looking! There wasn't much literature on respiratory problems from inhaled meth. The articles I did find focussed more on the cardiac problems people get from meth, including chest pain, changes to the hearts rate and rhthym etc.

Eventually I found 2 cases of people sufferingpneumomediastinum after Ecstasy use:
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum and ecstasy abuse
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum and Ecstasy abuse
I also found this:
Ecstasy Induced Retropharyngeal Emphysema

Apparently, the action of inhaling (either nasally or via the mouth) can result in pressure on the alveoli (little air sacs) in the lungs. This is particularly a problem if you hold your breath really hard, like many people do after inhaling smoke. This pressure can cause the alveoli to burst, so that air escapes into the mediastinum (the area between the lungs). This can cause pain. Usually you would see this on an X-Ray, but it might be difficult to see. It would usually clear in about 2 weeks apparently, so this might not fit with what you describe. This article describes what happens:
Neck Pain and Dyspnea in a Swimmer

I am not a Dr, so I don't know if this is what you have, but I couldn't find much else to explain it. The tests you have had rule out most things, unless whatever it is is being missed on X-ray (which happens occasionally). It would be worth getting a referral to a respiratory specialist, who can do more tests. Just be sure to tell him/her exactly what happened.
Let us know what the outcome is. Good luck!
 
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