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Tag: methamphetamine

Differences Between Amphetamine and Methamphetamine

Posted on May 23, 2013 in Stimulants

Differences Between Amphetamine and MethamphetamineAmphetamine and methamphetamine are stimulant drugs that change normal function in the brain and body by altering levels of naturally occurring substances called neurotransmitters. The two drugs are so closely related that methamphetamine turns into amphetamine when it starts to break down inside the bloodstream. However, despite their similarities, the two drugs have different levels of potency and work in somewhat different ways inside the body. In addition, while doctors commonly use amphetamine-based prescription medications for the treatment of certain health problems, use of methamphetamine-based prescription medications is much less common.

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Methamphetamine Use and Brain Aneurysm

Posted on May 20, 2013 in Stimulants

Brain AneurysmA brain aneurysm is a weakening in the wall of a brain artery that causes that wall to balloon or bulge abnormally. If an artery weakened in this manner bursts open inside the brain, it will trigger a life-threatening form of bleeding called an intracranial hemorrhage. A number of different types of aneurysms can appear at different locations inside the skull. Use of the illegal drug methamphetamine can potentially lead to the development of a form of brain aneurysm known as a berry aneurysm.

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The Facts About Crystal Meth

Posted on May 11, 2013 in Stimulants

The Facts About Crystal MethCrystal methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth, is a popular and highly addictive illegal drug. Many people are attracted to crystal meth for what they see as the short-term pleasures and advantages, but the long-term results of crystal meth use are usually addiction accompanied by serious health concerns.

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Meth Vaccine Shows Promise

Posted on March 30, 2013 in Stimulants

Meth Vaccine Shows PromiseA new methamphetamine vaccine appears to block the effects of the drug on lab rats. Now the question is, will it work on humans?

When scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in California gave rats meth, the rodents showed few signs of intoxication. “This is an early-stage study, but its results are comparable to those for other drug vaccines that have then gone to clinical  trials,” said Michael A. Taff, an addiction sciences expert at Scripps. The results of the study were published in November 2012.

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Combined Brain Effects of Methamphetamine and HIV

Posted on March 22, 2013 in Stimulants

Methamphetamine use has been shown in studies to be associated with high-risk sexual behavior. Habitual use of the street drug is subsequently associated with an increase in the risks for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. On their own, methamphetamine and HIV can produce changes in brain function that significantly impair a wide range of processes responsible for conscious thought and other key aspects of mental awareness. In methamphetamine users who are positive for HIV, the combined effects of drug abuse and infection commonly produce greater degrees of brain dysfunction than either methamphetamine or HIV produce on their own.

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Methamphetamine Use and Cardiomyopathy

Posted on March 9, 2013 in Stimulants

Methamphetamine Use and CardiomyopathyCardiomyopathy is a general term that doctors use to describe a range of diseases that damage the heart muscle and reduce its ability to perform its job. Minor forms of these diseases cause no health problems and require no treatment; however, in their severe forms, these diseases can produce major, potentially life-threatening health problems. Methamphetamine use can trigger the onset of cardiomyopathy. Compared to people who don’t use meth or other drugs, meth users develop the condition far more frequently, and also tend to develop particularly severe health complications.

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Gastrointestinal Complications of Methamphetamine Abuse

Posted on March 4, 2013 in Stimulants

Gastrointestinal Complications of Methamphetamine AbuseLike most other stimulant drugs of abuse, methamphetamine is widely known for its potential to cause serious disruptions of normal function in the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels), as well as in the central nervous system. However, use/abuse of the drug also produces disruptions in the normal function of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which forms the body’s passageway for nutrient intake and the elimination of food wastes. Most meth users only develop relatively minor changes in their gastrointestinal health; however, some users of the drug develop severe, potentially fatal GI problems.

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Dangers of Polydrug Use

Posted on February 13, 2013 in Club Drugs

Dangers of Polydrug UsePolydrug use is a highly hazardous form of substance abuse that involves either simultaneous use of two or more drugs, or use of two or more drugs within a narrow timeframe. In addition to illegal drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, or ecstasy, this practice can include the use of alcohol and/or a variety of legal drugs such as amphetamines, benzodiazepines, or barbiturates. Polydrug use commonly increases the danger of the substances involved, and even a single instance of this type of substance abuse can trigger serious or catastrophic health effects. People who die from polydrug use succumb to a condition known as multiple drug intoxication (MDI) or combined drug intoxication (CDI).

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New Hope For Meth Vaccine

Posted on December 5, 2012 in Research & News

What once seemed impossible to combat a deadly addiction to methamphetamine may one day be a reality: a vaccine for meth addiction.

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Injection Methamphetamine Users at Higher Risk for Suicide Attempt

Posted on January 4, 2012 in Research & News

Methamphetamine is already one of riskiest drugs of abuse throughout the U.S. and worldwide-the highly addictive stimulant causing irreversible physical and cognitive impairments and too often death for thousands of users-but now researchers have discovered a new alarming trend among meth users that has remained rather undetected in previous studies. According to researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, injection methamphetamine users are significantly more likely than other injection drug users to attempt suicide-a difference by as much as 80%. The researchers’ findings have been published in the December issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

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