Injecting Meth

High Risk Substance Abuse: Shooting Meth

Methamphetamine, more commonly known as crystal meth, is currently one of the deadliest drugs in the United States

The current meth epidemic, only bested by the fentanyl epidemic, is claiming lives at a rapid pace. Part of the death toll involved is from injecting meth intravenously. Shooting meth can have serious and even deadly side effects, and if you know someone who is actively engaging in IV use, it’s important you share this information with them.

In this article, we’ll cover the dangers of shooting meth, both long and short-term, in addition to steps being taken to mitigate the risk by users with the help of our government.

Finally, you’ll learn how to free yourself or help free someone else from the chains of shooting meth and meth addiction with the help of Rehabs Of Armerica.

Shooting Meth: Taking Meth Abuse as Far as It Can Go

Shooting meth is a dangerous and potentially deadly form of drug use. There’s no question that once you’ve crossed the line into IV drug use, you’re pushing the limits of your addiction, living each day on borrowed time.

The risks of shooting meth, or engaging in any type of IV drug use, carry a risk that far outweighs any potential temporary enjoyment one would gain from meth abuse. When meth users segue from snorting and smoking to shooting meth, the danger is tenfold from multiple directions.

It can cause serious health problems in the short term, such as infections, abscesses, and vein damage. It can also lead to more long-term health problems, including heart disease, stroke, cognitive decline, and mental health issues. Venous leg ulcers from deep vein thrombosis are a daily occurrence, causing those engaging in meth addiction to lose whole limbs from a simple sore.

The Many Risks of IV Drug Use

Needle use carries additional risks that are considered secondary – or collateral damage. Sharing needles increases the risk of HIV and other blood-borne illnesses. It only takes one time to share a needle with the wrong person to change your life forever.

Luckily, diseases like hepatitis C and HIV aren’t the death sentences they used to be – if you catch them in time and receive the proper treatment.

It’s important for people to be aware of the short-term and long-term health effects of shooting meth in order to make informed decisions about their drug use habits. Understanding the potential risks associated with this type of drug use can help people make healthier choices for themselves and those around them.

Because of advances in medical technology, those who are diagnosed with certain disorders have a chance at life again – but it only exists if you take it. And it starts with recovery and understanding the way out of active drug abuse and meth addiction.

Meth: The Quiet Epidemic

There’s another significant risk associated with drug abuse and shooting meth. Your chances of experiencing a meth overdose increase exponentially. Drug overdose deaths are at an all-time high, and now is the worst possible time to engage in IV drug abuse.

Super potent batches of P2P meth and cross-contamination of crystal meth laced with fentanyl are causing methamphetamine overdoses to rise, year after year. Each time you tie off and plunge the needle into your arm, you’re rolling the dice with your own mortality.

Is it really worth the risk, when so many viable treatment options are out there?

Slamming Meth and the Risk of Overdose

When you’re injecting methamphetamine, the chances of an unexpected overdose on meth are incredibly high. Substance abuse always carries a chance of overdose, but currently, the purity of the meth on the street, combined with the risk of fentanyl-laced batches, shooting up meth is riskier than it’s ever been.

Because of the cross-contamination threat, not only do you need to be aware of the signs of crystal meth overdose, but also overdoses from other substance abuse.

Someone who overdoses on fentanyl doesn’t behave in the same way as someone overdosing from methamphetamine abuse. You must be able to discern the two to administer the proper treatment if it happens in front of you.

Let’s take a look at the distinct characteristics of each.

What Happens During Meth Overdose?

Meth addiction and meth overdose go together like milk and cereal – sadly, it’s become a normal part of the scene.

Physical symptoms of a crystal meth overdose include:

• Rapid breathing and heart rate in the early stages
• Possible vomiting
• Increased body temperature in the early to mid-stages
• Seizures and muscle spasms in the late stages
• Intense sweating at all stages
• High blood pressure and irregular heartbeat in the early to mid-stages
• Confusion and disorientation – all stages
• Hallucinations – all stages
• Anxiety and paranoia – all stages
• Coma – late to permanent stages
• Death – point of no return

What can you do for someone that’s enduring a meth overdose? The most important thing is to identify early-stage symptoms. However, when someone injects the drug, the symptoms can progress quickly.

Monitor them from the initial injection – if they immediately begin to sweat profusely and lose their color, contact 911 right away. You don’t have much time if they have taken a laced or large dose.

If someone receives a batch of meth laced with fentanyl, they’ll exhibit different signs, such as the following:

• Rapid loss of consciousness
• They may blankly stare into space for a minute or two or babble incoherently, or even repeat the same phrase over and over again. They’ll begin to slowly lose their balance as they nod off.
• If they don’t respond when they perform the actions above, call 911 if you don’t have NARCAN on hand.
• Turning blue
• Intense sweating
• Eyes rolling back in head
• Vomiting
• Biting tongue

If you have Narcan (Naloxone) on hand, administer the first dose and wait 20 seconds. If there is no response, administer subsequent doses in 30-second intervals. If they don’t regain consciousness, you’ll have to breathe for them until paramedics arrive.

This will ultimately be the difference between life and death. Unfortunately, these actions don’t work for a meth overdose because the same things aren’t happening inside the body.

Meth overdose generally leads to heart failure or cardiac arrest. CPR can still be effective, but you’re dealing with an entirely different set of symptoms and damage to bodily organs and functions.

How to Prevent Infection and Damage from Injecting Meth

Drug and alcohol dependence, especially in the case of drug injection, will almost always require meth addiction treatment. If you’re not ready to take the step to overcome meth addiction and secure your mental health, at least try and preserve your physical health.

Use the following tips to avoid infections and other physical harm during active methamphetamine addiction:

1. Do not share needles, syringes, or any other drug paraphernalia. Even if a needle looks clean, it can still be contaminated. If someone tells you they’re clean, assume they’re lying. They could have something and pass it to you without even knowing they have it.

2. Use clean needles and other drug paraphernalia each time you use drugs. Using a dirty needle, even if you’re the only one that’s used it, can still cause damage during intravenous drug use. Infections and old blood can lead to health complications, and you should use a clean needle each time you inject.

3. Get tested regularly for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). If you’re going to engage in drug use, at least get checked for certain diseases. Normally, if you can catch these ailments early, you can still recover and live a normal, healthy life. However, that also requires refraining from drug use to receive the proper treatment, especially in the case of Hep. C. Getting tested and knowing you’re clear will give you mental health relief instead of leaving you in the dark.

4. Practice safer sex, such as using condoms and dental dams during sexual activity. Those who engage in meth abuse are often hypersexual, and there’s a risk of having multiple sex partners. If you’re going to engage in this activity, always practice safe sex.

5. Avoid injecting in the wrong areas, as this increases the risk of infection. Never inject a drug into your artery or directly beneath the skin. Make sure it’s in a vein, so you don’t “miss.” If this happens, the substance in the needle pools beneath your skin and will likely lead to an abscess.

6. Avoid using drugs when feeling unwell or in an environment that is not clean or safe. If it doesn’t feel right or safe, it’s probably not. You’re already playing a dangerous game by injecting meth – don’t put yourself at risk of further danger.

Risk Prevention and Harm Reduction for IV Meth Users

Thanks to programs deployed by the government through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) after extensive substance abuse research, harm reduction services are available in almost every major city or town. You can find a contact number by searching for harm reduction services in your area. Even more rural areas often have an outreach schedule, where workers are able to help you find clean ‘rigs’ and other resources.

These services normally provide clean syringes and other items for using drugs, and some even offer safe injection sites or offer a professional to inject you in a safe way. It depends on the state and the program. Usually, Narcan is available, along with other community harm-reduction items.

In most cities, these harm reduction sites have a permanent location along with several other mobile pop-up sites that frequent different locations each day. Some states even have a service that will drive these harm reduction kits directly to your house.

The verdict is still out on harm reduction measures and the effect they have on disease control. However, if models in other countries are any indicator, these programs are helpful as an alternative for those who aren’t ready to enter addiction treatment and continue to put their lives at risk.

Get Recovery Options and Move Past Injecting Meth

At Rehabs Of Armerica, we are aware of the immediate danger you put yourself in when you inject meth. Even smoking meth or engaging in the use of any other illicit substances is enough for someone to turn toward treatment options and question what meth is doing in their lives.

If you’re reading this, you’ve already started to take a step in the right direction. For more information on finding accredited and effective programs across the US, contact us today. All calls are completely confidential and discreet, so please reach out to get options for your recovery now!