Shooting Meth

What Is Shooting Meth?

The process of injecting and getting high from methamphetamine (meth) is known as shooting up or “slamming” meth because of the fast and intense high it produces.

Meth, also known as crystal meth, crystal, and ice, is a potent stimulant. While all forms of meth use are likely to lead to addiction, medical issues, and mental health problems, injecting is the most dangerous.

When injecting the drug, it must first be prepared into a liquid form. Meth comes in the form of white powder, and crystal meth comes in a “crystal-like” solid form, which can be crushed into fine powder and then injected. Before injecting meth or crystal meth, the powder must be melted into a liquid state that is then drawn into the syringe through a piece of cotton to filter any solid impurities that did not dissolve. The liquid is then injected into the veins for an intense and immediate high.

Shooting meth is extremely dangerous because it can result in overdose, infectious blood-borne diseases, infected skin wounds, and many other dangers associated with general meth use.

What Are The Dangers Of Injecting Meth?

Shooting meth can lead to increased tolerance, addiction, and many physical and psychological risks. It is very common for drug users to share needles, which has the unintended effect of causing their blood to come into direct contact. This leads to numerous infections, such as HIV and hepatitis.

Infections in the blood can travel to the heart and infect the heart valves, known as infective endocarditis, a common symptom of IV drug use. Additionally, individuals under the influence of meth often engage in high-risk and violent behavior, which increases the likelihood of injury and communicable disease.

Shooting meth can also cause vein damage, including scarring and vein collapse. Additionally, the stimulant properties of meth can cause the veins to contract or shrink, which can make it nearly impossible for users to find a healthy vein. Users may inject subcutaneously, meaning under the skin, which can cause skin infections and abscesses.

Inflammation and burning in the veins are common due to the chemicals used to make meth. Abscesses are also common when using a syringe more than once (or when shared with another individual). If it is set down on a table, for example, it can easily cause cross-contamination of germs and possibly lead to infections of and inside the skin.

Physical Effects

When people shoot meth repeatedly, lines may develop around the injection site, known as track lines. These are darkened veins due to repeat injections from punctured marks and rashes. Infected, fluid-filled sores or abscesses are common on the skin, and when left untreated, they can spread and lead to larger infections that may result in amputation of a limb.

Additional physical effects of injecting meth include:

• Skin scarring
• Weight loss
• Skin sores
• Disheveled appearance
• Poor hygiene

Psychological Effects

Shooting meth causes serious psychological effects and mental health damage. Many meth users become addicted as a result of trying to escape the suffering caused by an underlying mental health disorder. Unfortunately, meth use often considerably worsens the severity of co-occurring mental health disorders.

Additionally, meth use drains the brain’s natural production of the pleasure-producing neurotransmitter dopamine. This can cause severe depression after the drug’s artificially induced high wears off.

The psychological effects of shooting meth can be quite severe as well, including:

• Memory loss
• Severe brain damage
• Hallucinations
• Personality and mood changes
• Aggressive, violent, and psychotic behavior
• Loss of the ability to feel pleasure
• Suicidal thoughts
• Depression

Overdose

One of the dangers of shooting meth is overdose, which can be fatal. An overdose from shooting meth can happen on the first use or if someone is a frequent user.

Since meth is often made in makeshift laboratory, it is cut with many different chemicals, which can increase the likelihood of a lethal overdose especially if it is cut with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids.

The risk of meth overdose also increases if the person used meth in the presence of other substances such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, and cocaine.

Signs of a meth overdose include chest pain, shortness of breath, rapid increase in blood pressure, and altered mental status, such as confusion and psychosis.

If you suspect someone is overdosing on meth, call 911 immediately, try to keep the person awake, turn them on their side if they begin to vomit, and administer naloxone if you suspect that the meth is laced with opioids such as fentanyl.

What Are The Signs That Someone Is Shooting Crystal Meth?

There are many signs to look out for if you are worried that someone you know is shooting meth.

The following are signs of injecting meth:

• Drug paraphernalia such as spoons, lighters, or syringes
• Extreme weight loss
• Multiple sores or track marks
• Abscesses
• Dental issues and rotten teeth
• Violent or aggressive behavior
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Insomnia
• Increased energy and alertness
• Meth withdrawal

Is Injecting Meth More Dangerous Than Smoking Or Snorting It?

Some evidence states that injecting meth is more dangerous than snorting or smoking meth because injecting meth has the highest risk of addiction, health complications, disease transmission, and overdose.

Smoking and injecting meth produce the most intense highs compared to other methods.

There are many common symptoms between all forms of meth use, such as meth mouth, heart attacks, and kidney and liver damage, but injecting meth also causes blood-borne diseases, endocarditis, and dangerous abscesses, making this the most dangerous form of meth use.

Featured Centers Offering Treatment for Meth Addiction

Find A Treatment Center For Meth Addiction

Once someone starts shooting meth, addiction quickly follows. As the addiction grows worse, it becomes harder to quit. It becomes a vicious cycle that may seem impossible to break free from.

Fortunately, help is available. There are treatment centers all across the United States that are available to help anyone get treatment for meth addiction and start the road to recovery. Contact a treatment provider or visit our rehab directory to find out more about your available treatment options.