What are the effects of Crystal Methane?

[oldman_withers]

I would like to know the exact effects of Crystal Methane, on the brain especially, with as much documentation and anatomical gobbledy-gook you can throw in. I need a lot of info on this. Thanks a lot for anyone who can come up with anything.

[Joey P]

Crystal Methane? or Crystal Meth (as in methamphetamine?)

[silkstar]

erowid.com answers many drug questions.

[oldman_withers]

Well, that's another question alltogether. I'm not sure what either is, though the local term is "ice." Any information on either would be welcome, as long as it is noted which is which. Thanks for pointing that out Joey.

[Sunspace]

Methane is CH4, a very flammable gas at room temperature. My guess is that among the effects of "crystal" (ie, solid) methane would be frostbite, as methane melts at -182C and boils at -164C (http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/ME/methane.html).

Methinks you mean "methamphetamine".

[mangeorge]

Check silkstar's site. It's got the dope on dope.
You've picked one of the nastiest drugs out there to talk about, for sure. Is this for a report or something like that?
Peace,
mangeorge

[antechinus]

If are probably talking about methane hydrate, which is a clathrate of methane in water ice.

There is quite a good discussion of this at http://www-personal.umich.edu/~lkomjath/methane_hydrate.htm

Unfortunately the article does not explore the behaviour of methane clathrate brought in contact with the brain. There is probably not much need for this type of research, though the clathrate would probably quickly evolve gaseous methane in contact with a brain at room temperature.

Methane clathrates are fascinating substances. I am heartened to see interest in this field.

[something clever]

http://www.urban75.com/Drugs/meth.html

there you go, a bit shorter, easier to understand (one page as opposed to fourteen links) summary of the drug..

[neuroman]

Originally posted by something clever
http://www.urban75.com/Drugs/meth.html
That site offers this bit of information
Side effects: The biggest risk [of Crystal Meth] is from the increased chance of HIV infection through unprotected and uninhibited sex while under the influence of meth. The liberating nature of the drug means that often safe sex is discarded while sexual activity increases greatly. It has been reported in the States that in almost half of the new AIDS cases, crystal meth has been a factor.
So I have to seriously question the worth of any other information listed therein.

[mangeorge]

My own and much biased opinion?
The shit will fry your brain and your innards. But I think the OP's just doing some research, and did ask for "as much documentation and anatomical gobbledy-gook you can throw in".
So there!
"liberating nature of the drug" my ass.
All this ranting from a pro-legalization advocate (me).

[Kalt]

http://www.amphetamines.com/

that has more info than you could possibly want.

[FranticMad]

Half-life is 11 hours.
Difficult to control self-administration of the drug.
Repeated doses cause irreversible decreases in dopamine and serotonin in the brain.
Unlike cocaine, ICE-induced psychosis can persist for days or weeks.

From "A primer of drug action"
Robert M. Julien, Ph.D., M.D.
7th Edition.

[psychomonkey]

The county I live in is the meth capital of the world. More meth is produced here than in any other geographic area. The next geographic area (amaller than a country i presume) is the entire state of California. From the 2 meth lab busts ive seen, and the charred remains of the 3 ive seen that had blown up, Id say that the affects are either a lump on the head from the SWAT team throwing you down on the driveway to hand cuff you, or a complete lack of braincells causing you to blow your garage up.

[Derleth]

Originally posted by mangeorge
All this ranting from a pro-legalization advocate (me). Damn right. Just because it's legal to give yourself a chainsaw colonoscopy doesn't make it intelligent.

Very simply, methamphetamines are a class of stimulants. They increase heart rate, respiration, and awareness levels, at the expense of doing serious damage to your brain's neurochemical balance (serotonin levels in particular). Long-term users may develop psychosis, or a disconnect from reality, and are at risk of hallucinations and delusions. Sleep-deprivation causes its own problems, and sleep isn't something a methamphetamine user isn't interested in doing.

That's a bare taste of the full effects. Try the links for more.

[oldman_withers]

Thanks for all the info guys, this helps out a lot. I'm actually researching this because I know some people who are into it, and I like to be prepared for anything. Thanks again.

[FranticMad]

Originally posted by oldman_withers
I'm actually researching this because I know some people who are into it, and I like to be prepared for anything. Thanks again. In that case, based on what I've seen, keep your distance, don't lend them money, watch some of them gradually turn into walking wreckage, or just disappear into some street scene that you know nothing about. Say goodbye, because some of them will not make it. They are playing with a drug that so profoundly alters their physiology that they have no idea what is happening to themselves. I am not a rabit anti-drug person, I just think meth ice is one of the worst things out there.

[Skillet38]

Be prepared for them to

a. try to hump you
b. try to get money from you
c. be awake all night while getting hornier and more paranoid

'a friend' who has been there told me it was the worst possible drug to become involved in

[FranticMad]

Sorry, I said 'rabit', and meant 'rabid'.
Maybe it's because I used to work as a lab technician in an animal research facility where they tested amphetamines, heroin, and other stuff on rats and rabbits. It was a disturbing experience.

[eman77]

It's difficult to figure out what he's talking about, Ice is a slang for Methamphetamine; 4-methylaminorex; Amphetamine; Cocaine; MDMA (Ecstasy); PCP; and crack. But I think he's talking about Crystal Meth. I'm compiling a book on drug slangs so ask me if you have any questions on it. It's affects last much longer than Cocaine and has a good effect on long term and short term memory. Your appetite usually decreases and it's very addicting. Once you use it you have to take more and more to satisfy your need. Much like most drugs. There are some rare side effects but don't bet on them. And take it easy using it if that is what you're planning to do.

[Lemur866]

"Take it easy"? I have never known a tweaker who could take it easy. If you get into meth, be prepared to throw away your money, possesions, job, home, family, friends, and health for the drug.

[eman77]

Take it easy Lemur866, I was just throwing in some humor.

[KneadToKnow]

If you get into meth, be prepared to throw away your money, possesions, job, home, family, friends, and health for the drug.A very old Robin Williams line that just gets more appropriate with each new drug that comes along:Why do they call it "freebasing"? It's not free: it costs you your house. They should call it "homebasing."

[FranticMad]

Methamphetamine can be chemically converted to a base form that can be smoked. This is what is commonly called ice. It is the nastiest form of meth. The original form breaks down under heat, and cannot be smoked.

"Rare side effects?" Can you please point to some source to back up your claim that side effects are rare, because I find that very hard to believe.

[eman77]

No problem, some side effects are Paranoia, Mood disturbances, Hallucinations , Dependence and addiction psychosis , Stroke, Repetitive motor activity, and Weight loss. I meant rare as though you don't use it alot so you're alot less likely to get these side effects after some use, such as other drugs. These side effects are long term and nothing that you'll get the next morning. One immediate risk is rising tempratures which lead to convulsions and/or death. There are side effects like these in every drug. If you don't believe me try finding a guy who got a stroke immediatley after using this drug. If you want to know short-term effects then you have Increased activity, Decreased appetite, Increased attention, Hypothermia, and Increased breathing, but then again drugs such as Viagra and Prozac always have side effects such as heart attacks and the occasional blood urination but it's rare which is all I meant.

[Splanky]

You can't just O.D. on meth, eman? Most lethal drugs can kill you no matter how often you use them- heroin, coke, etc.

[FranticMad]

Originally posted by eman77
If you don't believe me try finding a guy who got a stroke immediatley after using this drug I couldn't find anyone having a stroke, but someone else found four, described in the following abstract:

Journal of Emergency Medicine 1999 May-Jun;17(3):469-71
Methamphetamine-related stroke: four cases.

Perez JA Jr, Arsura EL, Strategos S.

Department of Medicine, Kern Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, Bakersfield 93305, USA.

Amphetamine use in certain parts of the United States has risen dramatically. Methamphetamine, the most-common illicitly abused type of amphetamine, can be inhaled, injected intravenously, or smoked. It is a potent sympathomimetic that may lead to vascular events including myocardial infarction and stroke. Because of the demographics of drug use, these potentially devastating events usually occur in relatively young patients. The pathophysiology of stroke related to amphetamine use is multifactorial. Elevation in blood pressure, vasculitis, or other vascular toxicity are postulated as major mechanisms. Four cases of stroke associated with the use of methamphetamine, all occurring in patients ranging in age from 29-45 years, are described. Methamphetamine use appears to be a risk factor for the development of stroke. The rise in methamphetamine use will undoubtedly result in increased Emergency Department admissions with clinical presentations very similar to those of cocaine intoxication.

[FranticMad]

Whoops. Seven more.

Eur Neurol 1994;34(1):16-22
Stroke associated with methamphetamine inhalation.

Yen DJ, Wang SJ, Ju TH, Chen CC, Liao KK, Fuh JL, Hu HH.

Neurological Institute, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.

Seven patients (all men, mean age 32 years, range 17-47) with stroke following methamphetamine inhalation were collected during the last 2 years. Like oral or intravenous abusers, our patients had more hemorrhagic (n = 5) than ischemic strokes (n = 2). Cases of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) were lobar (n = 3), caudate (n = 1) or putaminal (n = 1), whereas the infarctions were both in the middle cerebral artery region. Each stroke event occurred within 3 days after drug use. Three patients had hypertension on admission. Though young in age, most patients had multiple stroke risk factors. In 3 patients with ICH, we also found small, low attenuated lesions on the brain computed tomography, however, without clinical correlations. Except for arteriovenous malformation in 1 patient, all angiograms failed to show vasculopathy or vasospasm. Contrary to what one might surmise from previously published reports, methamphetamine inhalation is at least as likely to produce ICH as it is to produce brain infarction.

[oldman_withers]

<b>eman77</b>, the drug I am referring to is a clear looking crystal type stuff, which I believe the people I know are snorting. They also call it "shards" and "glass" where I live, but it's just another word for ice I believe. I hope that helps with your book. I'm pretty sure it's crystal meth, because the dealer they bought it from said something about it. Either that or they've been cheated, which is unlikely. I had a friend do this stuff, and he was awake for 3 days. It freaked him out quite a bit, and he hasn't done it since. As for me, I'm firmly anti-drug, just so you guys know I'm not compiling this info for quality tests or anything like that. Thanks again for all the help, it's all very welcome.

[oldman_withers]

Crap, html wasn't set to on or whatever. Oh well.

[eman77]

Well again these are rare cases. I'm sure there have been more than 7 people using Crystal Meth in the past 2 years. And yes Splankey you can die using Crystal Meth but it's alot less likely if you only use it a couple times. I'm not promoting it in anyway nor am I saying it's good for you all I'm saying is that side effects are fairly rare. Considering the number of people using drugs there are going to be fatalities due to accidents or medical conditions.

[Johnny L.A.]

I haven't read the whole thread or the links. A friend of mine has a sister. I remember when she use to be hot. I mean, if I had been a little older...

Anyway, I saw her a couple of years ago. I think she was 48 at the time, but addiction to methamphetemines had done a job of work on her. She looked like she was 65. Her teeth had fallen out. She had a vacant stare. I heard that she was homeless for a while and when she did find a place to stay she packed it with junk she picked up out of rubbish bins.

So if your "friends" want to lose all of their teeth and accelelrate their aging and end up in the gutter, I'm guessing that meth is a good way to achieve that goal.

[Lemur866]

I agree that you're probably not going to drop dead from one hit. The main risk from that first hit isn't that you'll drop dead, it's that you'll like the drug so much you'll give up everything else in your life for the drug. And I've never seen a regular user who didn't have severe, life threatening side effects.

Oh, and to format, use [] instead of <>. Like This

[oldman_withers]

Got it.

[kgb101]

Just after highschool, a good friend of mine became addicted to what he referred to as "Crank". Over a period of a year he became extremely paranoid. He was certain "they" were out to get him. He became violent and threatened to kill me on two different occasions. He was arrested both times.
After the second time, his mother sold their house and she moved them away to the small town where her family lived.
He also influenced others in our circle to do it with him. I removed myself from that circle altogether. It is a very ugly downward spiral.

[eman77]

Well oldman_withers if you're referring to Ice or Glass then you're surely referring to Crystal Meth. While glass could also be Amphetamine or a slang for a hypodermic needle it's also Methamphetamine which fits with Ice and BTW thanks for telling me about shards that sounds like a new one.

[mangeorge]

Thanks, Skillet38. I'd forgotten about the humpin'. Both sexes will go after anything that's kinda warm. Penetration, however slight, is not required.
For a while, anyway. Then all there is, is the rig. Penetration required.
Johnny L.A's friend's sister is not a rare side-effect.
And nobody's even mentioned adulterants yet.
What was the question? ;)

[domesticatedjunglefowl]

Well, i'll skip all of the government , anti drug hullabaloo and give you some real life stories of what that poison does/ has done to me and people i know.
For me physically:
-- I was addicted for 2 years and withered down to as low as 165 lbs on a 6' 4'' frame ( i weigh 240 now but my weight should be ~225 ideally) .My ribs started to show before i even noticed any weight loss.
-- It has caused me to collapse (become sudeenly unconscious and unresponsive to outside stimuli )without warning on 7 occasions that i can recall. It has also caused stomach bleeding or ulcers for two weeks when i came off of it.
Psychologically:
--Chunks of my memory have been erased; Months worth of my life as well as people I have known.It makes me come across as senile at times even though i'm only 22.
-- I delveloped too many irrational tendancies to name, but enough to gain the reputation of being one crazy motherfucker. Eventually, I developed meth induced OCD and that led to the end of my addiction. I couldn't go out and score drugs because i'd be tracing the ground with my fingers for eight to ten hours without being able to leave the room i was in. I couldn't take it anymore. ( a good description of this OCD manifestation could be found in Orson Scott Card's 'Xenocide') . I probably have liver and kidney damage , but all and all, i got out lucky. The nightmare ended shortly after cessation.
---despite all of these effects, If i come across somebody on it or i can smell it on them, I'll crave it so bad my palms and feet will begin to sweat and i'll get goosebumps and shivers. I am probably not the average case. Here's a few anecdotes of my formerly tweeker buddies.
My best friend who introduced me to it:
She's going to college now and holds down a job at the local diner. She gave the stuff up after the side effects became obvious to her employers and family. We are still good friends tho we live 1800 miles apart.
Former Roomate:
She dropped the habit after a few months of casual use and at times heavy use . to her it didn't seem anymore addictive than pancakes or foosball.
Her brother:
He has a 60 dollar a day habit and has been to rehab three times
Former co-worker:
He fell into a conspiracy theory mindtrap that is actually quite hilarious if you'd have the chance to hear it. I don't know what happened to him.
My former tweek dealer: All he did was sell it for three years and is now retired for life from the money. He never did use meth.
That dealer's best customer?:
It totally wrecked her life and she's still picking up the pieces after a year of not using it. her highght that i can recall was that week she got the second mortgage on her house and spent 16,000 dollars on tweek and video poker.....IN ONE WEEK!
So that is a good cross section of what i have seen Crystal Meth do with my own two eyes. I don't need DEA propaganda to be scared away from the shit. Don't get me wrong I still love to get my buzz on....I just stick to good italian wine in the evenings and high grade oregon pot three times a day.
Peace

[oldman_withers]

Mangomerlot, I'm sorry man. Seriously, but I'm sure smoking pot isn't going to help with that memory loss thing. Just a suggestion. Anyway, hope things work out for you in the long run.

[Grievar]

Actually Meth HCl can be smoked, unlike most other drugs which
need to be freebased first.

[domesticatedjunglefowl]

Originally posted by oldman_withers
Mangomerlot, I'm sorry man. Seriously, but I'm sure smoking pot isn't going to help with that memory loss thing. Just a suggestion. Anyway, hope things work out for you in the long run.

Well, nothing except contextual encounters is going to ''help with that memory loss thing.'' The loss of memory extends for whole seasons- i.e. I don't know what i did in the winter and spring of 2000. All i know is the side of town I was staying on. Pot doesn't ERASE parts of my memory after use, it has only made it fuzzy while being stoned. Comparing the effects of the two drugs is like comparing the effects of kittens and tigers IMO.

[domesticatedjunglefowl]

By the way, I've never been better in every aspect i can think of ;)

[Flying_Monk]

All this stuff doesn't make me feel good about having methamphetamines prescribed to me, a few years ago, for depression and PTSD. I was on 3 other drugs at the time (not including marijuana, the only drug I've ever used which worked well, and had no disagreeable side effects) and I think the meth was to counter the drowsiness the other drugs caused. Do they still prescribe this stuff? Are there any harmful effects among those that are taking the legal form?

[SonOfArizona]

Over the summer, a friend of mine who regularly used meth completely lost it. I dont know if he took too much, or if it was just his mind blowing a fuse or what, but what happened was he threw a fit in his room, destroying his computer and stereo. He dumped his girlfriend. He then proceeded to walk ten miles "because he felt like it" to where I was chillin with some friends. When he got there, on foot, we all kind of looked at him funny... because he has a car... we asked him what the hell he was doing. He had no idea. We asked how long he had been walking to which he responded "about twenty minutes". Now obviously, it took him a lot longer than that to walk ten miles. His sense of time was completely screwed up. He couldnt stop moving, pacing back and forth. He wasn't really sure what had happened or what was going on.

Anyway, i haven't talked to him since the day following that incident, when we all had to stick around him and make sure the kid didnt kill himself or anything. He was a real mess. To this day I am not sure what happened to him, and neither are the rest of my friends. We think he went off somewhere with his brother, also a user, to work with their father. Itd be nice to think thats true.

[Boo Boo Foo]

That's some scary shit guys. Some really scary shit.

I recently became a daddy for the first time to a lovely little girl - she's 3 months old now. I live in a town in Australia which is known as the "holiday capital" of the country. Apparently, drug use amongst youngsters nowadays - especially speed and ecstasy - is totally rampant.

Shit, this thread scares the hell out of me. I'm sure I'm not alone either of course. I've never been a drug user apart from the occasional bit of pot - I rarely even drink if truth be known.

The temptations out there for my little girl in 16 years from now are gonna be overwhelming I suspect.

[Johnny L.A.]

Johnny L.A's friend's sister is not a rare side-effect.
Heh. Makes it sound like an Urban Legend. "Johnny L.A. has this friend, and she has a sister who was addicted to meth..."

[JCorre]

Dude if you're going to hang around tweekers keep close attention to your stuff. A common joke about speed(what we called meth or crank) freaks is:

What's the difference between a speed freak and Smackhead (heroin abuser)?

The smackhead will steal your wallet, the speed freak will steal your wallet, then spen the next 4 hours helping you look for it.