Street Meth & Prescription Methamphetamines

Hey my loves, did you know this?

Drumroll, please.

There are legal and illegal versions of Crystal Meth.

Yes, you read that correctly!

I would loooove to tell you all both versions, one from a pharmacist's standpoint and one based on what I experienced seeing my loved one.

When I first started letting people know this, I didn't realize that although this is common knowledge to me, many had no idea.

Crystal Meth is commonly used to refer to the illegal form of Methamphetamine that some people misuse. Some people commonly refer to it as a stimulant or an upper. A pharmaceutical company is not manufacturing it.

Some medications are manufactured legally within the same class for medical conditions, such as severe ADHD and Obesity.

Yep, you read that correctly as well.

These may be misused as well and have a black box warning for addiction. Desoxyn is Methamphetamine that physicians prescribe.

Adderall and Ritalin work similarly.

These medications have a high potential to be misused and lead to Substance Use Disorder. They are more regulated.

There are structural and active and inactive ingredient differences between some of these drugs' legal and illegal versions.

There are also differences in how people are supposed to use these legal medications for legitimate medical conditions vs. how they choose to use the illegal substances.

Crystal Meth is made with many harmful ingredients, such as Anhydrous Ammonia, lithium, acetone, gasoline, etc.

Crystal Meth is mainly misused, which can cause more long-lasting and intense effects and side effects than prescribed Methamphetamines, which people are supposed to use as prescribed.

Methamphetamines come with a long list of serious and severe side effects, including cardiovascular effects, stroke, sudden death, priapism, etc.

What is priapism, you ask? It is when you have an erection that lasts over 36 hours that needs medical attention.

Withdrawal symptoms can occur if you discontinue Meth abruptly.

Some common reactions to Meth are insomnia, fast heart rate, diarrhea, libido changes, impotence, restlessness, visual disturbances, increased blood pressure, amongst other side effects.

As a pharmacist, I could go on and on listing many effects and side effects for you, but I don't want to bore you.

One of the most significant side effects I would like to touch on is emotional lability which means exaggerated mood changes where strong emotions of anger, crying, laughing, etc., occur. It's important to recognize this so you will not take your loved one's actions personally and may more easily walk away from a heated argument instead of negatively engaging.

My main point to you is there are similar legally administered drugs that are like Crystal. Looking at them may give us a better insight into Crystal Meth and open up new possibilities for treatment, and it may help you understand your prescribed medication.

Coming from users, Crystal makes them feel like they are on top of the world and can do whatever they want. They can go on for days without any sleep. I witnessed these effects on my family member.

In my loved one, Crystal caused mainly insomnia, severe depression, anxiety than sudden bursts of very long sleep of over 12 hours or 24 hours when he was coming off of it. While he was on it, he would get anger, aggressive behavior, hallucinations, paranoia, and a general sense of entitlement.

He would also go through something referred to as tweaking when on Crystal Meth. He would constantly want to work on one item in a focused way, such as a bike, electronics, or lighters. During tweaking and anger bursts was when it was the hardest to communicate with him. Obviously, when someone is asleep, you can't really talk to them, lol.

As you can see, there is plenty of time for downtime here, Woohoo. During these times, I had to take extra care of myself and step back. Taking care of myself helped me continue being patient and showing him the Love that I felt may break the cycle. It wasn't easy to step away and give myself and him Love and time, but it was the most helpful thing ever, including prayer.

One day he just suddenly went missing on me. He calls it ghosting.

To find out more, tune in to the following podcast: Why Intervention Podcast - Helping an Addicted Loved One with Other Disorders with Dr. Adena.

Important Note: Crystal Meth is currently being laced, diluted, or cut, as you would say on the street with Fentanyl.

Minute amounts of Fentanyl can cause Overdose and deaths.

Always carry Narcan on you if you are misusing any substances.

Please refer to NIDA for a complete list of the effects and side effects of Crystal Meth. Please refer to Drugs.com for a full list of Methamphetamine uses and side effects.

With lots of Love,

*Please be advised that this article is not to be taken as Medical Advice. It's for informational purposes only. Each person needs to consult their physician or healthcare provider for medical advice and treatment.