What are the medical complications of methamphetamine use?
• Methamphetamine can cause a variety of cardiovascular problems. These include rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and irreversible stroke-producing damage to small blood vessels in the brain. Hyperthermia and convulsions occur with methamphetamine overdoses and, if not treated immediately, can result in death. Chronic methamphetamine abuse can result in inflammation of the heart lining and, among users who inject the drug, damaged blood vessels and skin abscesses. Methamphetamine abusers also can have episodes of violent behavior, paranoia, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. Heavy users also show progressive social and occupational deterioration. Psychotic symptoms can sometimes persist for months or years after use has ceased. Acute lead poisoning is another potential risk for methamphetamine abusers because a common method of illegal methamphetamine production uses lead acetate as a reagent. There is a danger that production errors may, therefore, result
Methamphetamine can cause a variety of cardiovascular problems. These include rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and irreversible stroke-producing damage to small blood vessels in the brain. Hyperthermia and convulsions occur with methamphetamine overdoses and, if not treated immediately, can result in death. Chronic methamphetamine abuse can result in inflammation of the heart lining and, among users who inject the drug, damaged blood vessels and skin abscesses. Methamphetamine abusers also can have episodes of violent behavior, paranoia, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. Heavy users also show progressive social and occupational deterioration. Psychotic symptoms can sometimes persist for months or years after use has ceased. Acute lead poisoning is another potential risk for methamphetamine abusers because a common method of illegal methamphetamine production uses lead acetate as a reagent. There is a danger that production errors may, therefore, result i
