Speed Drug

• Feeling exhilarated, with more energy and confidence
• Not needing much sleep or food
• Pupils look wider and face paler
• Breathing and heart rate increase and blood pressure rises
• Dry mouth, diarrhoea, need to urinate more often
• Higher doses also cause flushing, sweating, headaches, teeth grinding, jaw clenching and racing heart
• Can sometimes cause amphetamine psychosis, when you lose contact with reality
• May be talkative and aggressive

• Mood swings
• Tolerance – you need to take more to get the same buzz
• Anxiety, depression, irritability and aggression
• Powerful cravings
• Weight loss
• Scratching or itchy skin
• You may become violent
• Meth mouth
• Mental health problems such as psychosis, paranoia, delusions and hallucinations
• Sniffing speed can damage the inside lining of your nose
• Injecting speed can cause vein damage and sharing needles puts you at risk of HIV and hepatitis

How Does Speed Drug Affect the Brain?

Similar to cocaine, speed drugs block the re-uptake of dopamine. Speed drugs release high levels of the brain chemical dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter used for motivation, body movement, pleasure, and reward. A rush of dopamine release in the brain due to speed abuse leads to an intense high, and continued reuse can lead to addiction.

Speed drug also increases levels of norepinephrine, serotonin (5-HT), and other brain chemicals. It can easily cross into the brain. Speed drug is able to enter the central nervous system (CNS) more readily than amphetamine, making it a more powerful and longer-lasting stimulant. However, amphetamine is also an active metabolite of methamphetamine, peaking in blood levels in roughly 12 hours.

Oral speed has a half-life of roughly 4 to 5 hours. Metabolism happens in the liver, and discharge happens primarily in the urine and is pH-dependent. About 62% of an oral dose is excreted in the urine within the first 24 hours, with about one-third as intact drug and the remainder as metabolites.

Is Speed Drug Use in Pregnancy Dangerous?

Speed drug use in pregnancy is of concern. There is limited knowledge of the fatal effects of speed drug abuse. Limited human studies have shown increased rates of low birth weight, premature delivery, separation of the placenta from the uterus, heart and brain abnormalities, fetal growth retardation, and withdrawal symptoms.

Research is continuing to assess the effect of speed dug use on social interactions, cognition, and medical health in children exposed to speed drugs in utero. Animal studies have shown birth defects and embryo death when high doses.

Babies born to mothers who are addicted to speed drugs may experience symptoms of withdrawal as demonstrated by significant weakness and agitation. Additionally, speed drugs are excreted in human milk, and mothers who take speed drugs should be advised to refrain from breastfeeding.

Symptoms Of Speed Abuse

Seemingly boundless energy

• Individuals under the influence of speed often have a sense of heightened energy and awareness, and they feel like they can do anything [4].

Unexplained loss of appetite or weight loss

• Speed drugs can increase the person’s metabolism and reduce their appetite.

Emotional instability

• Individuals who use speed can swing between feeling great under the influence of the substance and feeling down once its effects decrease.

Loss of interest in activities

• People who use speed drugs recreationally may lose interest in friends and activities they once enjoyed. (However, people who use stimulants for their effects on school or sports performance tend to continue their interest in those activities.

Hyperactivity

• People under the influence of speed can be restless, irritable, and fidgety.

Skin sores

• Some users of the meth form of speed drugs have the sensation of itchy skin, so they often scratch until they have developed sores.

Dental Problems

• Someone who uses meth form of speed drugs can develop a dry mouth, resulting in tooth decay or commonly known as meth mouth.

Withdrawal and Overdose Symptoms 

As with many addictive drugs, trying to stop speed cold turkey ( to stop using an addictive substance abruptly and completely) can result in uncomfortable and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can include anxiety, severe depression, panic, increased aggression, overwhelming urges to use speed drugs, and strong fatigue. Since the fear of dealing with unwanted withdrawal symptoms may make it harder for someone to stop abusing methamphetamines or amphetamines, speed drug addiction treatment addresses withdrawal and helps the individual carry out successful speed detox.

An overdose of speed can be very dangerous and needs immediate medical attention. Signs to watch out for include some or all of the following, and should be taken very seriously:

• Muscle twitches or muscular pain and tenderness
• Hallucinations
• Aggressive behavior
• Dark urine
• Overwhelming panic
• Rapid breathing
• Nausea and vomiting
• Seizures and convulsions

Proper Treatment is Crucial for Speed Drug Usage

If you’re using drugs, either illicit or prescribed, and it causes physical and behavioral dependency and addiction, the question shouldn’t be, what is a speed drug? Instead, the question should be how you can safely quit taking these prescription medications or illicit substances and stay away from them in the future. Meth Addiction Treatment begins with recognizing there is a problem. Once you decide you want to do something about your drug use, the next step is to get help and support.

Treatment programs use behavior change techniques through counseling or talk therapy. The goal is to help you understand your behaviors and why you use speed drugs. Involving friends and family during counseling can help support you and keep you from going back to using (relapsing).

Speed drugs require more and higher dosages over time to get the same effect, making them extremely dangerous in the way they damage the body. Luckily, we can provide treatment to live a clean and sober life without the use of these drugs. Some of the programs and services we provide to help with recovery from speed drug use include:

• Medically Assisted Drug Detox
• Integrated Secondary Mental Health Recovery Programs 
• Holistic Therapy
• Yoga for addiction recovery
• Addiction treatment massage
• Meditation for addiction recovery
• Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT)
• Cognitive-behavioral Therapy (CBT) 
• Dialectical behavior Therapy
• Family Therapy
• Group Therapy
• Individual Therapy
• 12 Step Support Groups

Find the Right Treatment Plan at We Level Up NJ

Don’t let speed drug addiction control your life for another day. While it’s not always easy to reach out and admit that there’s a problem, you can overcome your addiction. When you go to a drug rehab facility, you get the opportunity to work with trained and caring professionals who will give you the guidance and support you need to get a new level of recovery. It will take time and effort, but it will be worth it when you’re living a life of freedom, health, and recovery. Contact us today at We Level Up NJ today, and we can talk with you about your road to recovery. We want to help you live a sober and clean life.

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Voluntarily testimonials from the We Level Up Treatment Center network vary. Not intended as a guaranteed treatment or outcome as each person's journey is unique.