Meth Use and Symptoms - What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Someone Using Methamphetamines?

She was only 35 years old, the single mother of 2 young children, ages 11 and 15. I had known her only a brief time but knew enough about her to know that she had a drug addiction problem - methamphetamine use to be specific. Two nights ago this young talented photographer was taken off life support after cardiac arrest, massive amounts of methamphetamine in her system. She had promised to "stop" using on Jan, 1, 2010, and ironically, that was the day she did stop using forever, because just hours before that her life support was disconnected in the ICU. CW died just hours before her promised time to "quit drugs".

This whole situation makes me mad, not mad at her but just mad at life. Mad that 2 little girls have to go through life without their mother because of a drug overdose. The only way I can process this senseless death is to write about it, talking about the signs and symptoms of methamphetamine use (aka commonly known as meth) - in the hopes that somewhere out there these words may help someone they love and care about, and hopefully help them get some help with their meth addiction . I will be attending a memorial for my young friend this Saturday, and this hub is devoted to her, her family and her friends.

From what I understand, in CW's case (her name has been shortened to protect her families privacy) she had been abusing methamphetamine for about 11 years. Her family and loved ones struggled to help her over the years, but after her mother died just weeks ago, it looks like the stress and the addiction caught up to her - to end in tragedy. Despite our best efforts to help our family members, sometimes it is never enough, and family and friends should NEVER blame themselves for someone else's drug addiction. Using drugs is a personal choice, and addiction can be very hard to kick. I know because I used to use alot of drugs back in the 70's and 80's, including "speed" and "crank". The only reason I stopped is because I started having severe panic attacks. Looking back I'm glad that this happened to me because I too could have ended up like CW, despite everyone's best intentions.

When it comes to methamphetamine, or meth, signs and symptoms can vary but any or part of these could indicate that someone you know is using:

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Someone Using Methamphetamine's?

Short term meth abuse symptoms can include:

rapid weight loss

dilated pupils and rapid darting eyes

increased alertness

rambling conversation

sense of well-being

user is careless in their appearance

paranoia

frequent sweating

poor personal hygiene

tooth decay

intense high

hallucinations

aggressive behavior

increased heart rate

convulsions

extreme rise in body temperature (as high as 108 degrees which can cause brain damage and death)

uncontrollable movements (twitching, jerking, etc...)

violent behavior

insomnia

impaired speech

dry and itchy skin

premature aging

rotting teeth - aka "meth mouth"

loss of appetite

bad acne on the arms,back and neck

sores and skin lesions

numbness

Methamphetamine also effects the brain and mental stability and can cause the following signs and symptoms of meth drug use:

disturbed sleep

days of staying awake

days of sleeping

excessive excitation

excessive talking

panic

anxiousness

nervousness and /or restlessness

agitation

paranoia

deception, secretiveness and lying

moodiness and irritability

absence from work or school

false sense of confidence and power

delusions of grandeur leading to aggressive behavior

uninterested in friends, sex, or food, aggressive and violent behavior

severe depression

Methamphetamine is referred to by many names, including "Meth", "speed", "crank", "chald," "go-fast", "zip," and "cristy". The smokable form of this drug is ofen called "L.A.", "ice", "crystal or chrystal", "64glass", or "quartz."

Visible signs of meth use in a users home that may indicate methamphetamine usage:

burned aluminum foil or light bulbs that have been converted to smoking devices.

Small Ziploc baggies

cut drinking straws

butane fuel or windproof butane lighters could be an indication of use

small smoking pipes

Without intervention and rehabilitation, the long term effects of extended methamphetamine use can be devastating, and fatal as in CW's case: Long term effects of meth use lead to:

fatal kidney and lung disorders

brain damage

depression

permanent psychological problems

liver damage

stroke

cardiac arrest

death

If you know someone that is displaying any of the above mentioned symptoms there is alot of help online and also in most communities. Online help can be found here:

:http://www.meth-in-douglas.com/signs_of_use.htm

http://www.methabuse.net/

http://www.soberrecovery.com/links/crystalmeth.htsymtpomsml

Don't let someone tell you that they will get help "later". Don't accept later as acceptable. Tell them that later could be "too late". Later could mean dead, it could mean their children being parent less and their families devastated. If necessary, stage an "intervention" to help your loved one. It could mean the difference between their life and death. I hope reviewing the signs and symptoms of methamphetamine use have helped you in identifying and being better prepared to be on the look out for possible drug use in someone you care about. If this hub helps one person then it has served it's purpose.

(This hub is dedicated to the family of C.W. and her children. It's too late to help her but not too late to help someone else. May your family be comforted in the fact that you loved them very much. That your drug addiction was a powerful force and that no one is to blame.....RIP CW)

-Dorsi Diaz is a freelance/writer and publisher on the Internet.