However, NIDA is funding research into developing medications to treat stimulant addiction. A 2018 study linked methamphetamine misuse to a moderately increased risk of Parkinson’s disease and premature onset. However, the authors suggest that more research is needed to assess how other factors affect an individual’s risk of developing Parkinson’s. As with many stimulants, people often misuse methamphetamine in a “binge and crash” pattern.
The stimulant can also bring about a severe crash when the inebriating effects wear off, causing the user to sleep for days afterward. “Tweaking” occurs when the body and mind of the meth addict stop reacting to the drug, and the addict “enters a state that is almost psychotic,” according meth addiction to Methamphetamine Addiction. By the 1950s, amphetamine, marketed as Benzedrine, was widely used to treat asthma, hayfever and colds. During the Vietnam War, amphetamine, nicknamed “pep pills,” was issued to American soldiers to “increase alertness” during lengthy jungle expeditions.
How meth is administered can affect the half-life and how long meth stays in your body. In some cases, methamphetamine is cut with prescription medications, ranging from antidepressants to laxatives. These additives can enhance or alter the effect of the drug on a person’s system. Originally taken as a decongestant, antidepressant and weight loss https://ecosoberhouse.com/ aid, methamphetamine was once widely and legally available in tablet and injectable forms. Methamphetamine releases a large amount of dopamine in brain cells. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, meaning it sends messages of pleasure and reinforcement, so when someone takes meth, they feel good and try to seek those pleasurable feelings again.
Treatment may also address other underlying conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety. Your doctor can assess your overall health by performing a physical exam. They can also refer you to a treatment center and answer any questions you may have.