Methamphetamine #
| Common Nomenclature | Methamphetamine |
| Street & Reference Names | Crystal Meth; Meth; Crystal; Glass; Crank; Tweak; Christine; Ice |
| Reference Dosage | Threshold 5mg+; Light 5mg+; Common 10mg+; Strong 30mg+; Very Strong 50mg+ [Erowid] |
| Anticipated: Onset / Duration | 10 Minutes / 4 Hours |
| Maximum Dose Experienced | 92mg |
| Form | Crystal |
| RoA | Insufflated |
| Source / Jurisdiction | Dealer / Overseas |
SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE #
First synthesised in 1893, methamphetamine was, like amphetamine, used during World War II to reduce fatigue and increase alertness amongst combatants. Subsequently, in the 50s and 60s, it was prescribed to treat obesity. Increasing levels of abuse led, inevitably, to various levels of proscription.
In recent years its recreational use has attracted more than its fair share of horror stories and media hysteria. Despite this, and the obvious risk of addiction, it remains extremely popular, particularly as a street drug.
My sample, which was sold as Crystal Meth Ice Shards, weighs in at 92mg. I break it in half. I then crush one half and split it into 4 small lines of approximately 10mg each.
T+0:00 I snort the smallest line, which is probably just under 10mg. [3pm]
T+0:10 Not a lot has happened so far, leading me to believe that I may not have reached threshold. I’ll give it another 5 minutes.
T+0:15 There is a low stim-like heady feeling in the background, but not much else. I am also beginning to feel quite warm. Another 10mg is insufflated.
T+0:25 This is very mild, so far. Whilst it is billed as more powerful than amphetamine, I’m finding the opposite. Of course, this could be a weak or adulterated supply, or I just might need more.
T+0:30 I snort the remaining 20mg of the initially crushed crystal. I have now insufflated 40mg in total.
T+0:35 I am starting to sense something stronger. This is headier in nature, I am more charged, and generally I feel a little dreamy. The body warmth is still evident, although it is not uncomfortable.
T+0:50 The increased psychoactivity from those last two lines has not developed any further, and I remain on the same level. Horn? Maybe there is a little, but it isn’t compelling.
I now crush the other half of my supply, and snort 20mg (10mg with each nostril). For no apparent reason the left hurts far more than the right.
T+1:00 This is more like it. I am well and truly stimmed, with a bit of a push into the euphoric field, and horn is definitely now available. I can safely say that I have moved up a gear or two.
T+1:25 I’m in a decent place with this. I feel pretty good. There is a nice head buzz, but I still have clarity. It isn’t overwhelming or in any way dysfunctional, and I can interact normally if I wish to.
I snort another 10mg, leaving only 10mg of the original 92mg supply.
T+1:45 I snort the last 10mg. This time I experience something of a rush, but it is not harsh. It is worth noting that this is very moreish, with the urge to repeatedly indulge being strong. The policy of only having a fixed amount available is a wise one, as I instinctively know that I would continue to redose and binge if more was available.
The feeling of intense and sustained pleasure is almost overwhelming.
T+2:00 I am still flying nicely, in fact, very nicely indeed. Cloud nine springs to mind. Ecstasy is another good word.
Horn can be extraordinarily intense, to the point that it is completely off the scale. I can certainly see how people engage in mega sex or porn binges with this, as referred to by this comment on TripSit:
“Recreationally, methamphetamine is used to increase sexual drive, lift the mood, and increase energy, allowing some users to engage in sexual activity continuously for several days straight”.
There is a serious danger lurking here though. Given that the heights of such highly charged and enhanced sex cannot be reached without the chemical, the potential for long term disappointment under normal (unintoxicated) circumstances quickly emerges, particularly with repeated use.
I notice that my pupils are dilated. I also haven’t eaten since this morning but my appetite has been completely suppressed.
T+2:40 Time has flown and I sense that I have started a slow decline, or at least I am settled on to a plateau. However, I am significantly wired, and I am really enjoying the edge of this, which is a euphoric energised happy buzz.
T+4:00 I am still in the bubble of elation and bliss. I can see why this is so popular.
I was wrong on the earlier comparison with amphetamine. Although different this is actually stronger. My erroneous assumption led to quite a heavy dose. I am somewhat zombified and deep into it, but in a very enjoyable way.
The effects lasted until bed time, and beyond, such that I barely slept. In the morning I felt drained but still slightly under the influence, with a background headache. In other words, I felt rough.
I took the commonly recommended steps to counter this and to speed up recovery, such as taking some 5-HTP, popping a vitamin tablet, eating good food, drinking fruit juice and plenty of water, as well as engaging some exercise and smoking a little cannabis. For more detail on this see the advice offered under the entry for amphetamine.
My head felt drained. It felt strained, like it wasn’t at all right and was damaged, but not in a traditional headache sort of way. I also felt de-motivated, and couldn’t be bothered to do anything. This was all of concern in itself, but at least I knew that I would recover in time.
Note that the hangover can persist for a lengthy period, and in this case, I was well under par for the best part of a week. Whilst the experience itself was one of great joy and pleasure, the payback during the prolonged aftermath was substantial.
One thing I did right was to make sure that I had only the 92mg available: I could not redose further or take any more. One thing I did wrong was to take 92mg. It was significantly too much: I should have researched harder and assumed that the supply was as strong as it was claimed to be, rather than the opposite.
To be addicted to this must be an absolute living nightmare.
NOTE: If you have just used this drug, and you are looking forward to another hit next weekend, stop. That’s the slippery slope straight in front of you.
A FINAL WORD ON ADDICTION #
Given the pharmacological complexity of this chemical, I am not certain that the following Reddit user’s quote is strictly accurate, but it does broadly capture what can occur with this drug:
TheJigmeister: “Also bear in mind that meth floods your brain with serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. After a while using, your brain burns itself out and your ability to produce those chemicals without drugs drops to near zero. So you quit and you’re literally physically incapable of feeling good. It took me over three years to recover to a reasonable level. It does lasting damage to the pleasure you get out of life”
On a similar theme, from a different thread:
Wakewalking: “Your brain does not allow you to reach these peaks again, as it erodes the receptors that allow it to balance the toxic response it gave following your first high. This means your brain now can’t feel satisfaction from smaller, normal things in the same way”
TheFix.Com describes the effect in the following terms:
“Using crystal meth is, from a biological perspective, like borrowing from a sadistic loan shark who demands resources faster than you can reasonably replace them—and the interest rate is unimaginably high. When the drug is discontinued, the crash is brutal, the high quickly replaced by a state of bottomless depression and hopelessness.”
The consequences of this can be appalling. In some cases, they can lead to tragedy, as illustrated by another Reddit user:
HrIssue: “My brother was into meth. After three years, when he was at the edge of losing his job he decided to get clean. 4 weeks after getting clean, he hung himself. He kept telling us life was just gray and no color”
My experience from a single experiment was entirely consistent with this. The high was indescribable; the come-down was horrible. It lasted for days, and even now, in some ways, I still hanker back to it in that I use it as a reference point and comparator for all other drugs in this class.
The picture presented by so many users and addicts is broadly the same: the normal joys of life become less and less special the more you use it. Recovery for heavy users can take years.
This isn’t propaganda or media hysteria. Please exercise extreme caution with respect to this drug, particularly regarding regular use.
The aftermath is real, and it can be brutal.