possible skin thinning and lack of sweat due to meth use

[creampuff]

so recently i noticed some changes in my body that i can only presume are due to my meth usage.

i never actually perspired much while i'm on meth. in the beginning, i would sweat, but not enough to the point where it was visibly noticeable. for the past month, i did not sweat more than i would if i was sober. i'm concerned about this because everyone i know and the information i've gathered from google seems to be inconclusive. it also seems that i'm singled out because i haven't found much evidence that it's happened to anyone else.

my other concern is my skin. i'm absolutely sure that my skin has thinned because of the meth. things that normally would not puncture or damage it through physical impact now do. it also just feels thinner. i plucked my eyebrows yesterday and after the hair and folicle was removed, i could see a red pore of which that hair used to inhabit. it's nothing too drastic but i can just see a difference.

can anyone help provide some guidance regarding my concerns? i haven't had any luck finding answers so anything would be much appreciated.

edit: i haven't altered anything i normally would or would not do to my skin and i do drink fluids in case that helps towards a more specified answer.

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

Your skin isn't getting thinner, you're more than likely very dehydrated and probably deficient in various vitamins and minerals (which is why you're getting damaged easier and its easier for your hair to come out).

I recommend taking the following steps:

-Stop using methamphetamine, or at least reduce your dosage and frequency of use.
-Follow HR (harm reduction) procedures such as making sure you're eating enough and stay hydrated. Amphetamines (esp. methamphetamine) dehydrate you very easily and make it hard to tell if you're consuming enough fluids. Keep a bottle of water handy and sip from it. Gatorade and other sports drinks with electrolytes help a lot too. Taking vitamins makes a big difference.

Hope this helps!

-NT

 

[effie]

It is theoretically possible that your meth use has stressed your body, causing release of cortisol (a natural steroid) which can potentially thin the skin but it is a real stretch to come up with such a tenuous link! I side with NT here, you are probably just dehydrated - your skin loses it's natural elasticity when this happens and that would explain the "pore" left behind when you plucked your eyebrows. You may also be deficient in vitamin C which is needed for collagen production.. so plenty of water, a good multivit, high dose vit C (and plenty of fruit) and a moisturiser (ask your pharmacist for an oil-based not water-based one) is what I suggest!

In terms of the sweating, amphetamines do fuck with your thermoregulation - people do initially sweat a lot as their body temp rises (via the hypothalamous in the brain) but thinking laterally your body could compensate for this by downregulating the feedback loop, so you generally sweat less compared to other, non-down-regulated people.. this is pure speculation though!

Overall it sounds like you are getting quite concerned about the physical side effects of your meth use, and your health in general.. when it starts affecting your health it's time to rethink your drug use

 

[creampuff]

Thank you. That does help. I've been trying to fully quit for a while now. It is hard because I have hidden it from everyone I know so well for so long. I'm almost incapable of eating because my appetite is gone because of that stuff. I used to IV it but now I smoke it and I think that is most of the problem. And my hair does fall out easier now and I thought it was just my shampoo but that makes more sense, haha. Thanks, NT.

And effie thanks for your input too. I definitely know I have a problem and I'm taking steps towards quitting this habit. It's been bad news for me mostly and I'm re-evaluating. I never knew about the cortisol thing but seeing as I haven't had more than a total of 8 hours of sleep in the last 2 weeks, that could be a factor. Thank you!