The purpose of this report is to investigate the effects of Methamphetamine on the brain and therefore mental health. The user’s mental health can be very strongly affected by Methamphetamine due to the intense mental stimulation and therefore deterioration. Mental health is very important to society because if everyone was severely depressed and had a range of mental health issues then no one would be very productive in society. The outline of this report is to inform the reader of the dangers of Methamphetamine and to educate the public about the drug. In the background the reader will find how Methamphetamine is made and who discovered it, general chemical properties of Methamphetamine, an explanation of how it enters the bloodstream and how it interacts with the brain. In the discussion the reader will be informed of the effects the drug has on mental health. These effects include giving the user mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, insomnia, anxiety and most commonly depression. This is why Methamphetamine addicts are often associated with violent mood swings, aggressiveness, not sleeping much, etc.
Methamphetamine, also known as Meth or Ice, is a stimulant drug similar to Amphetamines. It’s most common form is a white, odourless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder. The chemical Methamphetamine was first synthesised from the naturally occurring chemical ephedrine in 1893 by a Japanese Chemist, Nagai Nagayoshi, when he was researching the structure and properties of ephedrine. There are a few methods of creating Methamphetamine but the first method was the Nagai method. The Nagai Method, which was used and discovered by Nagai Nagayoshi, consists of adding Hydroiodic acid (HI) to Pseudoephedrine which replaces the Hydroxyl group (OH) with an Iodine ion (I) creating Iodoephedrine. After this Red Phosphorus (P) is added and consumes the Iodine (I) to form Phosphorus Triiodide (PI3). Due to this the Iodoephedrine is reduced to Methamphetamine. Pseudoephedrine can be found in regular, over the counter, medicines like Sudafed, Entex and most other cold and flu medicines.
Methamphetamine is solid at room temperature and can be found as either a white power or a clear crystalline structure. Methamphetamine has a melting point of 170-175⁰C and a boiling point of 210-215⁰C. Its IUPAC name is (2S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine, its chemical formula is C10H15N and its molecular weight is 149.237 g/mol. Methamphetamine is soluble in Diethyl Ether, Ethanol and water. There is only one functional group in Methamphetamine and it is an amine group. There is also a Benzene (phenyl) ring which is a ring of 6 carbon ions with 1 hydrogen ion coming off of each one.
Methamphetamine can enter the body via either being injected as a solution of methamphetamine and water or alcohol by using a syringe, ingested orally in pill form, inhaled orally or nasally as a crushed powder or smoked orally using a meth pipe. Injection of the drug as said in the name is injected directly into the bloodstream causing an almost instant response of the brain. Orally ingested Methamphetamine is absorbed in the digestive system via the stomach and small intestine therefore being absorbed into the bloodstream. This is the slowest method of taking Methamphetamine because it goes through the digestive system before it gets absorbed into the bloodstream. Snorted Methamphetamine enters the bloodstream when it is absorbed through the blood vessels in the lining of the nose tissue. This method is faster than digesting the drug but is slower than inhaling and injecting. By smoking Methamphetamine in a pipe, the vaporized Methamphetamine enters the lungs and from there enters the heart directly therefore entering the bloodstream. Inhaling or smoking is the fastest method of getting high due to the vaporized Methamphetamine quickly being absorbed into the bloodstream from the lungs. Smoking Methamphetamine is the most common method of taking the drug.
After entering the bloodstream, the methamphetamine travels up to the brain. There are four main types of neurotransmitters that methamphetamine triggers to release; Dopamine, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine and Serotonin. Dopamine is the main neurotransmitter affected with Methamphetamine and is responsible for motor control and therefore causes the repetitive movement and twitching often associated with Methamphetamine users. Dopamines other effects include motivation, arousal, reinforcement and reward. These all sound like good things but with the effects of Methamphetamine, excesses of Dopamine can be harmful and cause unwanted social effects. Epinephrine is commonly referred to as “adrenaline” and is responsible for heart rate and blood pressure and therefore among the effects of Methamphetamine are high blood pressure and heart rate. Norepinephrine is similar to epinephrine as it also increases heart rate and blood pressure. It also speeds up breathing leading to heavy breathing and panting with high amounts of norepinephrine. This causes heavy breathing to be one of the symptoms of Methamphetamine. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter responsible for mood control, appetite, sleep control and libito which is your sex drive. This is why the symptoms of Methamphetamine include excessive aggressiveness, weight loss, anorexia, insomnia and increased sex drive. When Methamphetamine enters the brain it enters dopamine receptors and tricks the brain into thinking it is dopamine as it is a mimic of dopamine. After doing this the Methamphetamine triggers synapses to release dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and serotonin into the receptors creating what is commonly known as a ‘meth high’.
These are all of the long term mental effects the user may experience. The reason for some of these long term effects is that after taking repeated doses or high doses the brain catches on and blocks the dopamine receptors therefore making the first high the best high. This is where addiction comes in. Users become addicted to the drug when they want the high of their first dose, leading to higher and more frequent doses. The only way to get the same or a similar high to your first dose is to stop taking the drug and let your brain unblock the dopamine receptors over time. The blocking of the dopamine receptors doesn’t just affect the high, it also affects the regular life of the user. If the dopamine receptors are blocked when taking the drug, then they are also blocked for regular experiences, leading to the user becoming dependent on the drug to get any happiness at all. This is why among the symptoms of meth are depression, anxiety and withdrawal. This is why it is so hard to quit any drug, it is just a loop. When trying to quit the drug the user can experience irritableness and therefore aggressive or violent behavior, mood disturbances, paranoia, psychosis, etc. When consistently taking Methamphetamine, there is a possibility the user can develop mental health issues like Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Depression and Anxiety. The depression and anxiety stem from the addiction as said earlier. Schizophrenia stems from the hallucinations experienced during the ‘meth highs’ or after days without sleep which is caused by the Methamphetamine. The Bipolar part comes from the radical mood shifts when taking the drug.
Although there are many bad symptoms associated with meth, it has been used to treat various diseases and health issues. Due to meth’s decreased appetite symptom, it can treat obesity but it must be taken in controlled doses otherwise it can cause anorexia. Methamphetamine can also be used to treat Narcolepsy and Excessive sleepiness due to its Insomnia symptom.
Background
Methamphetamine, also known as Meth or Ice, is a stimulant drug similar to Amphetamines. It’s most common form is a white, odourless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder. The chemical Methamphetamine was first synthesised from the naturally occurring chemical ephedrine in 1893 by a Japanese Chemist, Nagai Nagayoshi, when he was researching the structure and properties of ephedrine. There are a few methods of creating Methamphetamine but the first method was the Nagai method. The Nagai Method, which was used and discovered by Nagai Nagayoshi, consists of adding Hydroiodic acid (HI) to Pseudoephedrine which replaces the Hydroxyl group (OH) with an Iodine ion (I) creating Iodoephedrine. After this Red Phosphorus (P) is added and consumes the Iodine (I) to form Phosphorus Triiodide (PI3). Due to this the Iodoephedrine is reduced to Methamphetamine. Pseudoephedrine can be found in regular, over the counter, medicines like Sudafed, Entex and most other cold and flu medicines.
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| Figure 1: Nagai method of the production of Methamphetamine, Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Methamphetamine_from_ephedrine_with_HI_en.png |
Methamphetamine is solid at room temperature and can be found as either a white power or a clear crystalline structure. Methamphetamine has a melting point of 170-175⁰C and a boiling point of 210-215⁰C. Its IUPAC name is (2S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine, its chemical formula is C10H15N and its molecular weight is 149.237 g/mol. Methamphetamine is soluble in Diethyl Ether, Ethanol and water. There is only one functional group in Methamphetamine and it is an amine group. There is also a Benzene (phenyl) ring which is a ring of 6 carbon ions with 1 hydrogen ion coming off of each one.
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| Figure 2: Methamphetamine molecule, by Boghog CC BY-SA 4.0, Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Racemic_methamphetamine.svg |
Methamphetamine can enter the body via either being injected as a solution of methamphetamine and water or alcohol by using a syringe, ingested orally in pill form, inhaled orally or nasally as a crushed powder or smoked orally using a meth pipe. Injection of the drug as said in the name is injected directly into the bloodstream causing an almost instant response of the brain. Orally ingested Methamphetamine is absorbed in the digestive system via the stomach and small intestine therefore being absorbed into the bloodstream. This is the slowest method of taking Methamphetamine because it goes through the digestive system before it gets absorbed into the bloodstream. Snorted Methamphetamine enters the bloodstream when it is absorbed through the blood vessels in the lining of the nose tissue. This method is faster than digesting the drug but is slower than inhaling and injecting. By smoking Methamphetamine in a pipe, the vaporized Methamphetamine enters the lungs and from there enters the heart directly therefore entering the bloodstream. Inhaling or smoking is the fastest method of getting high due to the vaporized Methamphetamine quickly being absorbed into the bloodstream from the lungs. Smoking Methamphetamine is the most common method of taking the drug.
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| Figure 3: Methamphetamine Crystal close-up, Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Methamphetamine.jpg |
After entering the bloodstream, the methamphetamine travels up to the brain. There are four main types of neurotransmitters that methamphetamine triggers to release; Dopamine, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine and Serotonin. Dopamine is the main neurotransmitter affected with Methamphetamine and is responsible for motor control and therefore causes the repetitive movement and twitching often associated with Methamphetamine users. Dopamines other effects include motivation, arousal, reinforcement and reward. These all sound like good things but with the effects of Methamphetamine, excesses of Dopamine can be harmful and cause unwanted social effects. Epinephrine is commonly referred to as “adrenaline” and is responsible for heart rate and blood pressure and therefore among the effects of Methamphetamine are high blood pressure and heart rate. Norepinephrine is similar to epinephrine as it also increases heart rate and blood pressure. It also speeds up breathing leading to heavy breathing and panting with high amounts of norepinephrine. This causes heavy breathing to be one of the symptoms of Methamphetamine. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter responsible for mood control, appetite, sleep control and libito which is your sex drive. This is why the symptoms of Methamphetamine include excessive aggressiveness, weight loss, anorexia, insomnia and increased sex drive. When Methamphetamine enters the brain it enters dopamine receptors and tricks the brain into thinking it is dopamine as it is a mimic of dopamine. After doing this the Methamphetamine triggers synapses to release dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and serotonin into the receptors creating what is commonly known as a ‘meth high’.
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| Figure 4: Brain scan of Methamphetamine abuser, Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Brain_Scan_-_Methamphetamine.jpg |
Discussion
Methamphetamine is a very dangerous drug and its effects on mental health can be disastrous to the user. Similar to what was covered in the background the long term symptoms of Methamphetamine to mental health may include:- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Addiction
- Psychosis
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Depression
- Memory loss
- Aggressive or violent behavior
- Mood disturbances
- Anorexia
These are all of the long term mental effects the user may experience. The reason for some of these long term effects is that after taking repeated doses or high doses the brain catches on and blocks the dopamine receptors therefore making the first high the best high. This is where addiction comes in. Users become addicted to the drug when they want the high of their first dose, leading to higher and more frequent doses. The only way to get the same or a similar high to your first dose is to stop taking the drug and let your brain unblock the dopamine receptors over time. The blocking of the dopamine receptors doesn’t just affect the high, it also affects the regular life of the user. If the dopamine receptors are blocked when taking the drug, then they are also blocked for regular experiences, leading to the user becoming dependent on the drug to get any happiness at all. This is why among the symptoms of meth are depression, anxiety and withdrawal. This is why it is so hard to quit any drug, it is just a loop. When trying to quit the drug the user can experience irritableness and therefore aggressive or violent behavior, mood disturbances, paranoia, psychosis, etc. When consistently taking Methamphetamine, there is a possibility the user can develop mental health issues like Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Depression and Anxiety. The depression and anxiety stem from the addiction as said earlier. Schizophrenia stems from the hallucinations experienced during the ‘meth highs’ or after days without sleep which is caused by the Methamphetamine. The Bipolar part comes from the radical mood shifts when taking the drug.
Although there are many bad symptoms associated with meth, it has been used to treat various diseases and health issues. Due to meth’s decreased appetite symptom, it can treat obesity but it must be taken in controlled doses otherwise it can cause anorexia. Methamphetamine can also be used to treat Narcolepsy and Excessive sleepiness due to its Insomnia symptom.
Conclusion
In summary my report is about the effect of Methamphetamine on the brain and therefore mental health. Things covered in the background are; Methamphetamine was discovered by a Japanese scientist named Nagai Nagayoshi and was made when researching ephedrine, Methamphetamine can be taken via inhaling smoke, swallowing tablets, snorting dust or powder or injecting a solution of Methamphetamine dissolved in water, ethanol or diethyl ether with a needle and that Methamphetamine signals the release of dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and serotonin when in the brain. In the discussion the effects of Methamphetamine on mental health were shown and explained as Methamphetamine promoted mental health issues. Methamphetamine has a very negative effect on the brain and mental health not only because it is a very addictive drug but because it can cause a range of side effects as well as mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, insomnia, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression. This concludes the report on Methamphetamine and its effects on the brain and mental health.
Public Education Piece
My public education piece is a brochure to advise the general public of the information learned during this research assignment.
References
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https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-are-long-term-effects-methamphetamine-abuse
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