How Long Does Meth Stay In Your System?

Table of Contents
What Is Meth?
Effects of Methamphetamine
- Batu
- Bikers Coffee
- Black Beauties
- Chalk
- Chicken Feed
- Crank
- Crystal
- Glass
- Go-Fast
- Hiropon
- Ice
- Poor Man’s Cocaine
- Shabu
- Shards
- Speed
- Yaba
- Yellow Bam2

Is Meth Addictive?
Meth is highly addictive. As a stimulant, meth increases the amount of dopamine present in the body. Dopamine is known as one of the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals, and elevated levels can incite a euphoric response in the body. As a result, the body can become accustomed to this elevated feeling and will experience negative changes when the regular occurrence of the substance in the body ends, which is known as withdrawal.
Because of the withdrawal symptoms, meth addiction occurs in a series of “binges and crashes” in which the substance is reintroduced to the body rapidly to prevent any withdrawal symptoms from occurring.
Statistics of Meth Abuse
Signs and Symptoms of Meth Addiction
- Decreased appetite
- Hyperthermia
- Irregular heartbeat
- Increased respiration
- Weight loss
- Aggression
There is also the medical phenomenon of meth mouth. This term is the name for a variety of dental complications that can occur with meth addiction.3 Meth mouth includes severe tooth decay and loss as well as an increased risk for cavities and oral disease.
Studies have also shown that, when the substance regularly enters the body, meth side effects can include DNA damage.4 These can lead to an increased chance for mutation during replication, leaving the body more at risk for cancer and other conditions, such as HIV.5
Due to methamphetamine’s effect on DNA, there is also an increased risk for birth defects and complications if the substance enters the body during pregnancy.6
How Long Does Meth Stay In Your System
Factors That Affect Detection Time
Genetics
Age
Body mass or body fat
Dosage
Dosage occurrence
If other substances are taken at the time
Urinary pH
Detecting Meth in Drug Tests
Urine
Blood
Saliva
Hair
False Positive Testing
- Dextromethorphan
- Metformin
- Tramadol
- NSAIDs
Signs and Symptoms of Meth Overdose
Recognizing the differences between meth side effects and a meth overdose is important. An overdose of methamphetamine is a medical emergency and will require professional aid to prevent long-term or permanent effects.
Here are some of the signs and symptoms to look for in case of a suspected overdose:
- Difficulty breathing
- Signs of heart attack or stroke
- Loss of consciousness
- Abdominal pain
- Organ failure
- Drastic blood pressure
- Increasing aggression
Meth Withdrawal
Increased appetite
Agitation
Dehydration
Anxiety
Fever
Hallucinations
Gastrointestinal upset
After two to three weeks, most physical symptoms fade, and psychological symptoms, including cravings, grow in severity. After a month, a majority of the symptoms will have faded. However, the psychological symptoms are capable of lasting for several months afterward.
Meth Rehab Options
With rehabilitation, there are several options to recover from meth addiction. These include in-patient rehabilitation, medication, and therapy.
Meth Detox
To help combat the discomfort associated with withdrawal symptoms while still working towards recovery, a meth detox is often established. This allows the body to fully metabolize and eliminate any traces of the substance while providing a safe place to process any withdrawal symptoms.
Meth detoxes are conducted by professionals in a rehabilitation setting and involve three different steps to ensure as much comfort as possible during recovery: an evaluation, stabilization, and transition to recovery.
During a meth detox, medical professionals may find it best to provide prescription medicines to help combat withdrawal symptoms. These are most often given and regulated through the stabilization process.
During the transition to recovery, a medical professional will guide the person with the substance use disorder to long-term recovery by evaluating and recommending different treatment options.
Treatment Options
There are other medical treatment options to aid in recovery from meth addiction. Most of these methods consist of behavioral therapies conducted in a rehabilitation setting.
Contingency management (CM) and Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are the most common therapies used to aid in meth addiction recovery.
Resources
- https://www.drugs.com/ingredient/methamphetamine.html
- https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Methamphetamine-2020_0.pdf
- https://doaj.org/article/40bcb3ae50bd4bff94c661e527d98ab3
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691519301632?via%3Dihub
- https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/methamphetamine
- https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0043-102953
- https://americanaddictioncenters.org/meth-treatment/how-long-in-system
If you or a loved one needs help, please call us at
623-523-4748 and our team at Blueprints For Recovery in Arizona will help.
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