What are the Symptoms of Methamphetamine Addiction?

A meth user may experience several levels of addiction.

• The initial meth response or “rush” can last up to 30 minutes compared with 2 to 5 minutes for crack cocaine.
• The “high” or euphoric state, generally lasts 4 to 16 hours.
• The “binge” is when the user uses meth uncontrollably in an attempt to maintain “the high”. This can last 3 to 15 days.
• “Tweaking” is the end of the binge phase. At this point, the user may become psychotic. He or she may experience auditory or visual hallucinations. The user may feel bugs crawling on the skin and pick at the skin creating lesions that may lead to chronic skin infections.

Chronic users may experience a vast array of serious side effects including: memory loss, anorexia, severe dental problems known as “meth mouth”, violent and aggressive behavior and paranoia. High doses may cause hyperthermia, or overheating, leading to cardiovascular collapse, strokes, heart attacks, organ failure, convulsions and death. Body stuffers and parachuters are at an extremely high risk of overdosing if the bag suddenly releases its contents.