Intravenous Methamphetamine Use Research Articles

The Subjective Sexual Effects of Intravenous Methamphetamine Use in Women

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the sexual effects of methamphetamine on female users and determine the factors that encourage continued use of this substance. Methods: This structured interview study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport. The research participants were female volunteers that reported either currently or previously using methamphetamine. One study team member conducted all the interviews similarly to reduce variability between interviews. This individual was a doctorate-level addiction specialist to ensure the integrity and value of the data collection. All interviews were conducted in private offices at the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana (CADA) facility in Bossier City, LA, between January 25, 2013, and October 7, 2014. Each volunteer provided informed consent to participate in the study. The specialist asked study subjects open-ended questions, and each conversation lasted approximately one hour. The specialist started each interview with an inquiry regarding the participant’s experiences with methamphetamine. The interviewer would particularly ask about the activities in which that participant would become involved immediately after using methamphetamine. The research subject was given time to discuss any sexual effects of using this stimulant without any prompting by the interviewer. If the study participant did not broach this topic during the interview, the specialist would ask them, “How does methamphetamine make you feel?” This “trigger” question was developed with the primary objective of the study in mind, which was identifying the sexual effects of methamphetamine use on females. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the data collected from the interviews. Results: Fifty-six interviews were conducted over 1.5 years. The mean age of the research subjects was determined to be 34.5 (± 10.2; range: 18 to 56). The entire study population was comprised of white females. Fifty (90%) of the study subjects utilized methamphetamine through the intravenous route. Most of these intravenous users (96%) had smoked, snorted, or ingested the substance prior to injecting the substance. Forty-four (88%) of the research participants who engaged in intravenous methamphetamine use reported feeling sexual arousal and an immediate sensation of pleasure indistinguishable from that attributed to orgasm when they injected the substance. The methamphetamine had to be of “sufficient amount and of better quality,” according to these subjects, to elicit this effect. None of the individuals interviewed reported a feeling similar to orgasm when they smoked or snorted methamphetamine. Many subjects stated that they engaged in intravenous methamphetamine use as frequently as every two hours to keep experiencing the sexual response, even if they still felt intoxicated. Twelve (21%) of the subjects reported being directed towards intravenous methamphetamine use by other females describing the sexual effects. Twenty-three (47%) of the participants recounted immediate “vapors,” which were described as “cough” or “taste” of the drug. None of the subjects said they had previously shared the sexual component of their experience with methamphetamine use with medical providers. All participants recounted disinhibition regarding sex but not social interactions. They also declared indifference to the consequences of high-risk sexual behavior and unsafe use of needles. Four subjects admitted avoiding hospital settings because they feared their methamphetamine use would be discovered. Conclusion: Female study participants who currently use or previously used methamphetamine reported a sexual response to intravenous use of the substance. Females who use methamphetamine were drawn toward intravenous use for the sexual experience, and those who use intravenous methamphetamine increase the frequency of use to reexperience the sexual response. These findings indicate that the sexual effects attributed to intravenous methamphetamine may contribute to its ongoing and recurrent use.

Upper extremity necrotizing soft tissue infection: a complication of intravenous methamphetamine use.

Upper extremity necrotizing soft tissue infection: a complication of intravenous methamphetamine use.

Suicide Rates between Methamphetamine Users who inject versus Non-Injectors

Methamphetamine abuse has created a continuous wave of destruction and disparity throughout communities as its widespread usage increases on a momentary basis. With such proliferated abuse comes an invasion of poverty, crime, addiction, prostitution, venereal diseases and death; many of which occur by suicide. Whether its overdose, self-inflicted wounds or mere tragedy, death seems to be synonymous with methamphetamine abuse. Although somewhat limited, the previous research on methamphetamine has primarily focused on the physiological, neurological and social aspects of abuse. Furthermore, despite methamphetamine’s growing popularity, researchers have failed to develop a clear understanding of the inherent differences between users who inject versus noninjectors. Therefore, this study chose to explore the differences in suicide attempts between methamphetamine users who inject versus non-injecting users, while also examining additional demographic variables. The results of this study suggest intravenous methamphetamine use and suicide are strongly related; however, they have a peculiar relationship in the sense that intravenous users, who attempted suicide, were likely to make their first suicide attempt prior to their initial injection.

Methamphetamine-related brainstem haemorrhage

We report the case of an otherwise healthy 29-year-old woman who presented with a brainstem haemorrhage following intravenous methamphetamine use. Extensive investigation did not reveal an underlying pathology, and the development of symptoms was temporally related to methamphetamine injection. Although intracerebral haemorrhage secondary to methamphetamine use is well documented, this report describes a haemorrhage within the brainstem which is a rare location. While animal studies have demonstrated the potential of methamphetamines to produce brainstem haemorrhages, there has only been one previous report describing a haemorrhage in this location due to amphetamine use in humans. We conclude with a brief discussion of the clinical features and aetiology of methamphetamine-related stroke.

Methylphenidate substitution for methamphetamine addiction and implications for future randomized clinical trials: a unique case series

Background: Methamphetamine Use Disorders (MUD) pharmacotherapy research yields contradictory results.Objective: Our objective was to identify treatment outcome features of intravenous users of methamphetamine (IUM) treated by one healthcare provider using stable methylphenidate (MPH) substitution protocols over an extended interval.Method: We retrospectively examined a database of all intravenous MUD cases (24 patients) treated with short acting MPH and psychotherapy between 2007 and 2013 in a single outpatient addiction treatment facility.Results: Mean duration of treatment was 8 months (<1–31 months). Treatment resulted in full abstinence in 10 cases – maintained until the end of the observation period. Patients who stayed in treatment for more than a month and remained abstinent were more likely to be regular pattern users of methamphetamine (MA), female and characterized as having co-occurring psychiatric disorders that responded to treatment. These patients discontinued intravenous MA use and demonstrated stabilization of their health conditions. One adverse effect was reported by one patient who required emergency department treatment for accidental alcohol poisoning.Conclusion: Our clinical series indicated favorable outcomes and low dropout rates in patients with MUD who were treated several months with short acting MPH with individualized dosing. Adverse effects were rare. Keeping patients engaged in treatment in the first four weeks was critical for good clinical outcomes. Our findings indicated the need for the possible application of pre-selective criteria regarding patterns of use prior to initiation of (MPH) agonist pharmacotherapy of MA dependence. Prospective studies are needed to confirm or reject these clinical observations.

Health Conditions in Methamphetamine-Dependent Adults 3 Years After Treatment

: Medical conditions in methamphetamine (MA) users have not been well characterized. Using both self-report and physical examination data, the aims of this study were to (1) describe the frequency of medical conditions in a sample of MA users 3 years posttreatment; (2) evaluate the association between medical conditions and MA use frequency; and (3) examine the relationship of route of administration with medical outcomes. : MA-dependent adults (N = 301) who participated in the Methamphetamine Treatment Project were interviewed and examined 3 years after treatment. Medical, demographic, and substance use characteristics were assessed using the Addiction Severity Index and Life Experiences Timeline. Current and lifetime medical conditions, electrocardiogram characteristics, and physical examination abnormalities were assessed. : Among the most frequently reported lifetime conditions were wounds and burns (40.5%, N = 122) and severe dental problems (33%, N = 99), and a significant proportion of the sample evidenced prolonged corrected QT interval (19.6%, N = 43). Although health conditions were not associated with MA use frequency during follow-up, intravenous MA use was significantly associated with missing teeth (odds ratio = 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-4.7) and hepatitis C antibodies (odds ratio = 13.1; confidence interval, 5.6-30.1). : In this sample of MA users, dental problems and corrected QT prolongation were observed at elevated rates. Although posttreatment MA use frequency was not associated with a majority of medical outcomes, intravenous MA use exacerbated risk for dental pathology and hepatitis C. Longer term follow-up research is needed to elucidate health trajectories of MA users.

Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts in Methamphetamine‐Dependent Patients

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for suicide attempts (SA) in methamphetamine (MA)-dependent patients. MA-dependent adults (N = 526) who participated in the Methamphetamine Treatment Project were interviewed before and three years after treatment. Baseline psychiatric, medical, demographic, and substance use characteristics were assessed using the Addiction Severity Index and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Lifetime history of SA was assessed at follow-up. Risk factors for SA included gender, intravenous MA use, BDI > 20 at baseline, and clinically significant psychiatric history. Psychiatric characteristics of MA users are strongly associated with SA, warranting careful assessment of psychiatric history.

From the Centers for Disease Control. Lead poisoning associated with intravenous-methamphetamine use--Oregon, 1988

From the Centers for Disease Control. Lead poisoning associated with intravenous-methamphetamine use--Oregon, 1988

Lead Poisoning Associated With Intravenous-Methamphetamine Use—Oregon, 1988

Between August 1 and September 6, 1988, 14 cases of non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis were reported in Marion County, Oregon, to the Oregon Health Division (OHD) by the county health department and private physicians. Previously, an average of less than one case per month was reported in the county. During the same period, OHD learned that eight intravenous-methamphetamine users (IVMUs) in Oregon thought to have NANB hepatitis had also been recently diagnosed with lead poisoning. A statewide media campaign describing the lead poisoning outbreak was conducted to alert IVMUs, physicians, and county health departments. In addition, OHD implemented a reporting system for suspected and confirmed lead poisoning cases. Analysis of an illicit methamphetamine sample provided by one of the patients with confirmed lead poisoning detected 60% lead by weight.