# Meth addiction and cold turkey **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 7, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meth-addiction-and-cold-turkey/440511 "2008-03-07T21:19:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meth-addiction-and-cold-turkey/440511/1 "2008-03-07T21:19:42Z")
What happens to a meth addict, physically and mentally, if he’s forced to go cold turkey, e.g. locked into a cell? ---
**Author:** ![Themenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Themenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Themenin)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meth-addiction-and-cold-turkey/440511/2 "2008-03-07T21:31:39Z")
Methamphetamine ‘withdrawal’ is basically depression / lethargy / sleep. This might not happen right away though. You might also get a lot of ‘lifestyle’ related symptoms -general bad health, sleep deprivation etc. If you’re talking about methadone - roughly the same as heroin, but longer lasting. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meth-addiction-and-cold-turkey/440511/3 "2008-03-07T22:36:40Z")
Most people that quit meth or cocaine or crack have to do it cold turkey. Hospital detoxes are mainly for alcohol, benzodiazepine, heroin, and “downers” in general. Modern medicine can’t do a lot for acute meth withdrawal itself and it generally isn’t dangerous like detoxing from alcohol which often needs to be done medically. Insurance companies usually cover things like outpatient mental health care for meth addicts and medical care for the secondary health effects but not much for the acute withdrawal phase. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meth-addiction-and-cold-turkey/440511/4 "2008-03-07T22:46:57Z")
Strictly speaking, methamphetamine and other drugs of the amphetamine family are not physically addictive, in the way opiates and other drugs are. > [@](#): > > Common addictive stimulants such as cocaine or amphetamine class drugs are not believed to cause significant physical dependence contrary to popular belief. Their potential for extreme physiological addiction can compel the user to consume amounts which become physically damaging but life threatening withdrawal effects have not been observed. [Link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_dependence) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meth-addiction-and-cold-turkey/440511/5 "2008-03-07T23:22:03Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] What happens to a meth addict, physically and mentally, if he’s forced to go cold turkey, e.g. locked into a cell? [/QUOTE] Other posters are pretty much spot on, but here’s some firsthand experience: If you’re talking methamphetamine, the addict is uncomfortable, mentally and physically, for a few days. It’s not a risk to health or life in and of itself. It’s self-limiting and no medical intervention is indicated in 99.9% of the cases. 0.1% of the cases generally get some tylenol. If you’re talking methadone, it’s pretty much the same thing, only lasting weeks to a few months, if the dosage of methadone was high enough for long enough before being stopped. In some cases, it is appropriate to blunt the prolonged withdrawal symptoms with prescription medications. QtM, who’s taken care of quite a few methamphetamine and methadone addicts going thru this very phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meth-addiction-and-cold-turkey/440511/6 "2008-03-08T04:49:48Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] If you’re talking methadone, it’s pretty much the same thing, only lasting weeks to a few months, if the dosage of methadone was high enough for long enough before being stopped. In some cases, it is appropriate to blunt the prolonged withdrawal symptoms with prescription medications. QtM, who’s taken care of quite a few methamphetamine and methadone addicts going thru this very phenomenon. [/QUOTE] If someone on methadone maintainence goes to prison, do they just cut them off cold turkey or do they give them their regulated dosage? That seems like a pretty major (meaning awful) thing to do to someone who is used to getting their methadone. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meth-addiction-and-cold-turkey/440511/7 "2008-03-08T14:18:04Z")
[QUOTE=Indygrrl] If someone on methadone maintainence goes to prison, do they just cut them off cold turkey or do they give them their regulated dosage? That seems like a pretty major (meaning awful) thing to do to someone who is used to getting their methadone. [/QUOTE] 99.99% of jails and prisons lack the certification and licensure to prescribe methadone to maintain an addiction, so yes, most of those folks on methadone maintenance get cut off at some point. It mostly happens in jails. Not that many folks make it to prison on methadone maintenance, but a few do. If they’re still showing signs of significant physical withdrawal from methadone when they get to me (in prison that is), I consider putting them on a suboxone taper. This takes a special certification and licensure too, though it’s not as complex as the requirements for methadone. This option is not available at most jails or prisons either. Again, opiate withdrawal sucks big time, but it’s not very dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meth-addiction-and-cold-turkey/440511/8 "2008-03-08T14:23:41Z")
Same deal for UK prisons, no methadone maintenance in jail. I recall reading that prisons in the Republic of Ireland and Australia do have methadone maintenance for prisoners but I have no cite for that.