A Medication-Assisted Treatment For Meth Addiction Shows Promise : Shots Health News : NPR

06/01/2025 Moeflon

These therapies, when combined with structured programs and support groups, form a comprehensive treatment approach for methamphetamine addiction. The symptoms of methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms include intense cravings, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and disrupted sleep patterns. Addressing these mental health complications requires integrated treatment approaches that combine addiction therapy with mental health care depressant wikipedia to ensure comprehensive recovery.

Phenomenology, and Treatment Literature

Pseudoephedrine, an ingredient in over-the-counter cold medicines, is usually the main ingredient used in illicit methamphetamine. Regardless of why a PA Addiction Treatment person uses crystal meth or for how long, treatment is possible. Prolonged use can cause serious health issues, including lasting damage to the heart and brain. Crystal meth has no medical use, and it carries a high risk of physical and psychological dependence. For anyone concerned about a loved one who may have a substance use disorder, NIDA provides information and guidance about what to do. A person with severe withdrawal symptoms may need to go through a medical detox program, where a doctor can monitor them and treat any symptoms as they appear.

MUD is re-emerging as a significant public health burden, a challenge for the clinician, and a difficult problem to solve for the researcher. Taken together, there is some evidence that contingency management, CBT, behavioral activation, and exercise help to maintain abstinence. Studies of anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, opioid antagonists, varenicline, and atomoxetine provided either low-strength or insufficient evidence of no effect on the outcomes of interest, i.e. abstinence, defined as 3 or more consecutive weeks with negative urine drug screens 78.

Does Insurance Cover Meth Addiction Treatment?

One example is cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps people cope with situations that may prompt drug use. While there are currently no Food and Drug Administration-approved medications to treat meth addiction, behavioral therapies can be effective. Meth rapidly releases high levels of dopamine into reward areas of the brain, making people want to continue to use meth.

Common Paraphernalia Associated With Meth Use

As such, the clinical response tomethamphetamine administration at low to moderate doses (5–30mg) includeseuphoria, arousal, reduced fatigue, euphoria, positive mood, tachycardia, hypertension,pupil dilation, peripheral hyperthermia, reduced appetite, behavioral disinhibition,short-term improvement in cognitive domains, and anxiety (for a review see Cruickshank and Dyer, 2009). In sum, methamphetamine has pervasive effects not only on the dopaminergicsystem, but also on noradrenergic, serotonergic, and opioidergic neurotransmitter systemsthroughout the brain. Further,preclinical data suggest that the endogenous opioid system is involved in the inductionand expression of methamphetamine-induced behavioral (locomotor) sensitization (Chiu et al., 2006), analogous to compulsive drugseeking behavior in humans (i.e., drug craving; Itzhak andAli, 2002), through its modulatory actions of the mesolimbic dopamine system(Ford et al., 2006). In the case ofdopamine, methamphetamine activates the mesolimbic, mesocortical circuit, and thenigrostriatal pathways, which have been related to the euphoric effects observedimmediately after the ingestion of the drug (Homer et al.,2008). Furthermore, the substantial time andresources devoted to the treatment of methamphetamine use disorders in the U.S.underscores the need for more efficacious, cost effective, and easily deliverabletreatments. Estimates from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), which provides informationon admissions to substance abuse treatment facilities that are licensed or certified bystate substance abuse agencies, suggest that treatment admissions for primarymethamphetamine increased from 78,248 individuals ages 12 or older (4.4% ofadmissions) in 2001 to 154,364 individuals (8.1%) in 2005, but then decreased to102,384 individuals (5.6%) in 2011 (SAMHSA,2013b).

ATS were widely prescribedin the 1950s and 1960s as a medication for depression and obesity, reaching a peak of 31million prescriptions in the U.S. in 1967 (Anglin et al.,2000), with a roughly estimated 9.7 million Americans identified as past-yearusers of amphetamines in 1970 (Rasmussen, 2008).The rates of ATS use declined following the passage of the Comprehensive Drug AbusePrevention and Control Act of 1970, which reclassified amphetamine to a more restrictiveschedule, thereby limiting its accepted medical use (Gonzales et al., 2010).
Effective treatment can help people enter addiction recovery from meth.
Though meth addiction is a complex condition, help is still available.
Crystal meth has no medical use, and it carries a high risk of physical and psychological dependence.
Physical dependence, on the other hand, refers to when a person uses a substance to the point that their body adapts to its presence, and discontinuing use would produce withdrawal symptoms.
Read more about the causes of methamphetamine addiction.

Additionally, individuals who inject meth are at an increased risk of contracting certain bloodborne diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis B and C.1 Studies indicate that meth use may worsen the progression of HIV/AIDS and its health consequences.1 Furthermore, research suggests a potential association between past meth use and Parkinson’s disease.1 Individuals who smoke meth report a euphoric “rush,” an intense pleasurable feeling that only lasts a couple of minutes, which contributes to its addictive potential since individuals may try to maintain the high by repeatedly using more meth.4,5 Individuals who use meth via injection report similarly quick-onset, euphoric effects. There are a variety of methods in which people can use methamphetamine. Meth is a chemical derivative of amphetamine, another stimulant substance that, in pharmaceutical formulations, is approved for the treatment of conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the sleep disorder narcolepsy.1 Even living in a residence that was once a former meth lab can be detrimental to an individual’s health, as residual chemicals can remain on surfaces in the home for months to years after. Many people that cook meth suffer from severe health problems, including asthma, insomnia, tremor, and delusions.

Universal preventive interventions such as Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) have resulted in lasting protective effects on youth substance use generally, and for methamphetamine use and opioid misuse specifically (8). Given the high rates of co-occurring substance use identified, along with trends of increasing opioid-related overdose deaths and treatment admissions that involve methamphetamine (4,5), prevention and treatment efforts will need to be comprehensive and broad-based. Particularly concerning were high rates of co-occurring substance use or mental illness among adults using methamphetamine. Among adults using methamphetamine within the past year, estimated prevalences of past-year use or misuse of other substances included cannabis use (68.7%), prescription opioid misuse (40.4%), cocaine use (30.4%), prescription sedative or tranquilizer misuse (29.1%), prescription stimulant misuse (21.6%), and heroin use (16.9%).

Crack cocaine and meth are both stimulant drugs, but crack is derived from cocaine and the coca leaf of central and South America. Methamphetamine can easily be mistaken for other illicit drugs due to the way it looks and the effects it has on a person’s behavior. The half-life of meth is nine to 24 hours, depending on the age, weight, and overall health of the person using meth. Common symptoms include intense cravings, depression, dehydration, anxiety, and more. Detox will help rid the body of meth toxins and put you on the path to recovery.

This would allow in turn for the evaluation of neurotoxic and neurocognitive effects ofprolonged methamphetamine use in the context of treatment outcomes and enable theidentification of biomarkers with predictive validity. A number of gaps remain in the treatment literature for methamphetamine addiction.As described above, research is critically needed in pharmacologic treatment development(NIDA, 2005), particularly with novel targets andpotentially novel delivery systems (e.g., vaccines; Kostenet al., 2014). Much more targeted, well-controlled research is indicated to fullyunderstand the mechanisms and potential efficacy of these agents in the treatment ofmethamphetamine use disorders specifically, particularly given that these medications werecommonly studied in small trials, distinct subpopulations, and/or predominately amphetamineusing samples. Treatment with dextroamphetamine, as a potential substitution therapy, has beenshown to reduce craving, but not methamphetamine use, in treatment seeking individualswith methamphetamine dependence (Galloway et al.,2011).

Crystal meth is a powerful stimulant drug that can cause feelings of euphoria and high energy.
It travels through the bloodstream and enters the brain quickly.
Long-term use of meth can cause significant damage to the brain and the cells that make dopamine as well as to the nerve cells containing serotonin.
Additionally, methamphetamine abuse is linked to physical health issues such as cardiovascular stress, hyperthermia, and muscle breakdown, which exacerbate overall health risks.
For example, the brain correlatesof learning and cognitive control in methamphetamine abusers have been investigated using acolor-word Stroop task administered during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
There is modest evidence for the efficacy of psychosocialinterventions, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in particular; however, these treatmentsare time-intensive, expensive, and the outcomes are relatively poor at longer follow-upperiods.

A decade later, at 33, the woman had “meth mouth” caused by the drug’s harsh chemicals. What is most shocking is the apparent signs of “meth mouth.” Like many meth users, the skin on his lips is chapped and scabbed. The prolonged abuse of methamphetamines can destroy an individual’s life.

Getting Help for Meth Addiction

Although explosions can happen while methamphetamine is being made, nitroglycerine is not involved. Get help finding the treatment you deserve today. No one is immune to the impact of chronic substance abuse, but you do not have to deal with it alone. The woman is also in the early stages of “meth mouth.” Pictured below is a 5-year meth transformation. In the first mugshot, the woman who was 29 at the time was already an avid meth user.

Meth will usually make people agitated, have aggressive or violent behavior, and act hyperactive. Some of the tell-tale signs of meth use are tooth decay (meth mouth), facial and body tics, excessive sweating, paranoia, and manic episodes. Typically, a meth high occurs in stages that start with a powerful whats an enabler initial rush and ends with a crash.

1 Epidemiology of Methamphetamine

Another example uses motivational incentives in the form of vouchers or rewards that the person can earn as encouragement for not using meth or other substances. Through evidence-based treatment and support, it is possible to live life free from meth. The side effects of anxiety and paranoia may develop into an anxiety disorder. Mixing meth with other drugs, intentionally or unintentionally, makes an overdose more probable. Polysubstance use increases the risk of adverse long-term effects.

Symptoms And Warning Signs Of Meth Abuse

A person who regularly uses crystal meth also has a high risk of becoming overly reliant on the drug or developing a substance use disorder. When people take crystal meth in high dosages, it can cause drug-induced psychosis or bleeding in the brain. Although methamphetamine has medical purposes, people use forms of it as a recreational drug. “Crystal meth” is a street name for the drug methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant that carries a high risk of physical dependence.

The complications of methamphetamine addiction include cardiovascular issues like heart attacks and strokes and neurological damage, such as memory loss and impaired cognition and decision-making. Over time, the brain’s ability to produce and regulate dopamine naturally becomes impaired, leading to dependence, withdrawal symptoms, and escalating use. Methamphetamine addiction is a chronic form of dependence on the powerful stimulant methamphetamine, characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and inability to control use despite severe negative consequences. Co-occurring mental health disorders are the conditions a person has alongside a substance use disorder. There are no specific medications designed to treat meth addiction; however, some medications can be helpful in managing specific symptoms of withdrawal like those that address depression, anxiety, and tremors. Meth use and dependence can cause anxiety just as someone struggling with anxiety may take a drug like meth to self-medicate difficult symptoms of an anxiety disorder.

The severity of the withdrawal syndrome appears to be related to thefrequency of use, yet methamphetamine withdrawal largely resolves spontaneously (Newton et al., 2004), and usually within 14 days ofabstinence (Zorick et al., 2010). Due to its structuralsimilarity, methamphetamine substitutes for the dopamine transporter (DAT), noradrenalinetransporter (NET), serotonin transporter (SERT) and vesicular monoamine transporter-2(VMAT-2) and reverses their endogenous function, thereby redistributing monoamines fromstorage vesicles into the cytosol. Crystalline methamphetaminetypically refers to a highly purified form of d-methamphetamine which is intended forsmoking, with similar effects to that from an intravenous dose (Cho, 1990). Following the passage of the CombatMethamphetamine Epidemic Act in 2005 which restricted public access to products containingpseudoephedrine, the rates of methamphetamine use finally began to decrease (Gonzales et al., 2010; Maxwell and Brecht, 2011; Maxwell and Rutkowski,2008), as evinced by a drop to 192,000 of new methamphetamine users in 2005(SAMHSA, 2006).

Given that neuropsychological function has some predictive utility for treatment retention and success, more work needs to be done to determine whether any of these cognitive dysfunctions can be remediated by targeted interventions. For example, cognitive measures such as problems with sustained attention can predict reduced treatment motivation 44 and different forms of impulsivity predict poorer 6-week outcomes in treatment 45. Aside from providing an objective assessment of the impact of methamphetamine use, neuropsychological assessment can also be used as a prognostic indicator. Global assessments of cognitive function support the idea that more than 2/3 of individuals with MUD show cognitive impairment 43, the extent of which is linked to older age, longer duration and higher frequency of use. Moreover, abnormalities include deficits in markers of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter systems, differences in glucose metabolism and deficits in gray matter 26.