Speed, crank, ice, chalk, wash, dunk,.. You might have heard these names through popular TV shows such as Breaking Bad. These are the notorious slang and nicknames for meth, a Schedule II substance that causes highly intense stimulant effects on your body.
Meth addiction is becoming one of the major threatening issues among the youth in the United States as this drug has been known for causing some of the most serious psychological as well as physiological issues in the human body.
This article examines the details of this drug along with asking the crucial question of how long it stays in your system. Without further delay, start reading and find out everything about meth and its dangerous consequences on your body.
What Is Meth?
Meth or methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant drug that affects your central nervous system (CNS). It is usually available in white, bitter-tasting, and odorless powder or crystal form. Methamphetamine is common (illegal in many countries) used as a recreational drug and sometimes it is also used to treat conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
This drug was developed in the early 20th century from amphetamine, which was prescribed for treating nasal congestion and bronchitis. Methamphetamine is widely and illegally used as euphoric and aphrodisiac drugs that create an intense high that prolongs for longer hours.
According to the United States Department of Justice, methamphetamine comes under the Schedule II Substance of Controlled Substances Act. The illegal consumption of meth is intended to create these high levels of energy or prolonged activity that is often nicknamed as rush or flash. But if taken in high doses or continuously, it can cause serious health risks for your body. Some of such risk factors include rapid breathing, increased blood pressure, dry mouth, blurred vision, high body temperature, convulsions, and even death.
How Long Does Meth Stay In Your System?
Research has shown that meth can stay longer in your body than some of the other drugs available on the market. According to Drug Policy Alliance, the average half-life of meth in your system is 10 hours.
This simply means your body needs at least 10 hours to digest and eliminate half of the meth you consume. In urine tests, the presence of meth metabolites can be detected even after 4 days of ingesting the meth.
As per a finding made by Drug Metabolism and Disposition journal, around 37% to 54% of meth you have consumed will be visible in your urine test as it doesn’t undergo many chemical changes. The meth you consumed can also reach your hair follicles and it can be detected through a hair test. Research shows that hair follicle tests can identify the presence of meth in your body even after 90 days (3 months) of consuming it.
So basically how long meth stays in your system can be found in the table below:
| Part of the body | How long meth stays in your system |
| Hair | Upto 90 days |
| Blood | Upto 3 days |
| Saliva | Upto 2 days |
| Urine | Upto 1-4 days |
Factors That Influence How Long Meth Stays In Your System
Now, let us discuss some of the factors that influence how long meth stays in your system.
- The frequency and dosage- One of the factors that influence how long meth stays in your system is how much of the amount you consume and how frequent you are. The more frequent and higher dosage, the chance of meth staying long in your system.
- Purity of the drug- If the methamphetamine used is pure and free from any added substances, it gets metabolized relatively quickly. But the meth mixed with other impurities can delay its metabolism and stay in the system for a longer time.
- The way of administering- Another factor that determines how long the meth stays in your system is its route of administration. While smoked or injected, meth reaches your brain faster and gets metabolized quickly. But when snorted or swallowed, it will take time to reach your bloodstream and hence metabolization will be delayed resulting in its presence for a longer time in the body.
- Individual health status and metabolism- Individual factors such as age, gender, weight, liver function, etc can influence the time and way in which meth gets metabolized. If a person has relatively good health and metabolic functions, the meth will get metabolized faster compared to a person with weaker metabolism.
How Long Do The Effects Of Meth Last?
According to researchers, intoxication from meth can last from at least eight to twenty-four hours based on individual differences. That means this can vary from person to person based on several factors. But still, on average 8-24 hours is the time the effects of meth last. Also, meth intoxication undergoes certain stages and these are detailed below.
- The Rush- The first stage after consuming meth through injection or smoking is called the rush or flash. It is characterized by intense euphoria due to a sudden increase of dopamine in the brain. It can last from five minutes to half an hour.
- The High- Also called “shoulder” this stage comes after “rush” and lasts up to 4-14 hours. In this stage, people exhibit rapid thinking and hyperactivity.
- The Binge- By this term it means consuming meth regularly at a constant period. It can lead to extreme insomnia and hunger loss.
- The crash- After long times of binging comes the exhaustion, called crash. Now the person loses feeling high or rush from meth and gets highly exhausted.
- Tweaking- One of the most dangerous stages of consuming meth, tweaking happens when the meth user loses sleep for several days and becomes extremely irritated and paranoid. It can lead to worsening situations called meth psychosis and they might exhibit unpredictable nature during this phase.
How To Get Meth Out Of Your System?
The simplest and most effective step to get meth out of your system is to stay away from it and not ever consume it in any form. But if you already have some meth inside your system and want to eliminate it here are some tips that might work:
- Increase your hydration game.
- Do more intense exercise as this will help you sweat it out.
- Consume potassium iodide or activated charcoal as they can absorb meth.
- The best method is to seek medical guidance and use a medical detox.
Meth Addiction And Its Consequences?
Meth addiction can be fatal and cause dangerous repercussions. Even though chances of you getting addicted to meth from one single use can be rare, this can be a dangerous game to play. Denoted as a highly stimulant and addictive drug, meth can cause a craving for a person to consume it again and experience euphoria even after a single use.
Also, one week of hard use can lead to addiction. It can also develop slowly after a month or more. Now let us look into the consequences and dangers of meth addiction. Regular consumption of meth can change how your brain works and also cause higher levels of blood pressure and respiration.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, here are some of the short-term and long-term consequences of meth addiction.
Short term effects
- Faster respiration
- Increase in body temperature and blood pressure
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Irregular heartbeat
- Loss of appetite
- Irritable and erratic behavior
Long term effects
- Higher blood pressure causes heart attack, stroke, and even death
- Permanent damage to the brain and heart
- Chronic instances of paranoia, delusions, and other psychotic symptoms
- Lung, liver, and kidney problems
- Serious dental issues
- Mood disturbances
- Thinking and motor skills damage
- Memory problems
- Violent and aggressive behavior
- Weight loss
Conclusion
Meth or methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant drug that can interfere with your central nervous system and cause detrimental effects. It has been illegally used to create euphoria and other highs and is considered to have harmful consequences. Methamphetamine can stay in your system for longer periods compared to other drugs.
In urine tests, it can be detected up to 1-4 days after its intake and by hair tests, the presence of meth can be proved even after 90 days of consuming it. The factors that determine how long meth stays in your system can be dosage and frequency, mode of administration, and individual health status. Long-term usage of meth can lead to addiction and can cause life-threatening consequences that even lead to death.
FAQs
Meth gets metabolized in your liver by an enzyme called cytochrome P450 2D6. It breaks down meth into two metabolites called parahydroxy methamphetamine (pOH-MA) and amphetamine (AMA). Your kidneys then filter and eliminate these compounds through urine.
There are no easy methods as such. But you can try methods such as increasing hydration, using diuretics, shaving or bleaching your head, etc.
The reaction of your body towards meth can be harmful. The intake of this drug causes intense dopamine release causing a gradual destruction of dopamine receptors in your brain. It changes the brain chemistry and causes imbalances in neurotransmitters.
Some of the side effects of using meth include addiction, anxiety, sleep disorders, confusion, changes in brain structure, memory loss, psychosis, weight loss, high blood pressure, etc.
Some of the withdrawal symptoms of meth are fatigue, anxiety, dehydration, weight gain, irritability, anhedonia, insomnia, mood swings, depression, etc.
