The effects of speed or any other drug of abuse vary from person to person.
How amphetamines affect an individual can greatly depend on their age, weight, height, and dose, among other factors. As you may have guessed from the name, speed drug effects are energy-boosting and work in tandem with an alerting and euphoric high. However, because speed is such an addictive substance, frequent use can result in physical dependence, which may contribute to some unwanted repercussions.
What Is a Speed Drug?
Speed is another name for methamphetamine, a central nervous system stimulant that produces an energetic and euphoric high by impacting nerve activity and neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Chemically related to amphetamine, speed is a white, odorless, and bitter-tasting powder that can be smoked, swallowed, snorted, or injected. Also known as meth, speed is classified as a Schedule II drug by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) because it has a high potential for abuse and is only legally available via prescription. Some other common names for speed include methamphetamine, meth, chalk, and crystal meth.
Speed has been used in the medical field to treat conditions like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity. However, due to the severe side effects of using speed as a recreational drug, its medical use is limited in the U.S. When prescribed, the dose of speed is usually much lower than when used recreationally. In the U.S., methamphetamine or speed is prescribed under the brand name Desoxyn. Despite the damage it can do when abused, people still find ways to make speed illegally.
Meth is a cheap and easy drug to make and is often created in other countries and then distributed in the U.S. Also known as meth labs, these domestic superlabs and clandestine buildings often create huge batches of speed combined with various other additives known as cutting agents. Cutting agents are chemicals or substances that are used to make drugs weigh more. They’re often similar in appearance to the pure substance itself and are mainly used to make more money selling less product.
It’s the cutting agents in speed that make it so dangerous. Not only do chemicals like paint thinner and pseudoephedrine create a number of physical ailments, but they can further contribute to an addiction that may require an in-depth medical detox to treat.
What Are The Effects of Speed Drugs?
Immediately after smoking or injecting speed, the user may experience an intense sensation or “rush” of energy that may be extremely pleasurable but short-lived. Also known as an amphetamine high, this rush of energy and happiness that speed users experience after one dose can be enough to encourage further drug use in the long run. The effects of speed usually begin within 20 minutes and can last anywhere between 4 to 6 hours. However, a speed high may not last as long.
Some common speed drug effects on the body include:
- Increased activity
- Increased alertness and energy
- Increased talkativeness
- Increased body temperature
- Rapid breathing
- Increased concentration
- Decreased appetite and weight loss
- Elevated blood pressure
- Rapid heart rate
- Psychosis
- Increased libido or sex drive
- Tolerance
- Physical dependence or addiction
Usually, the euphoric rush that people experience after using speed only lasts for a few minutes or even a few seconds. The side effects mentioned above are the ones that may last for hours. Because speed targets chemicals like dopamine in the brain, addiction can occur quickly after short-term use.
As your physical tolerance increases, you may need more of the drug to experience the same amphetamine high. Doing this usually results in addiction, which can give way to a whole range of problems related to your physical health, relationships, career, and more. Many users who fail to receive meth detox treatment or don’t undergo a related rehab program often experience severe repercussions, including meth mouth, meth mites, and overdose.
Speed is addictive, but treatment is available. Our drug rehab in Palm Springs, CA, offers different kinds of substance-specific programs to help people with drug problems, including meth addiction treatment. If you or someone you know is battling substance abuse, do not wait a moment longer to get help. Call Banyan Palm Springs today at 888-280-4763 to learn more about our California drug treatment programs.
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