Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

Methamphetamine Toxicity(Archived)

In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Free Books & Documents
Book

Methamphetamine Toxicity(Archived)

John R. Richards et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive psychostimulant drug that is a derivative of amphetamine. Methamphetamine can produce euphoria and stimulant effects like those from other stimulants such as cocaine. In addition, methamphetamine is easily synthesized from inexpensive and readily obtainable chemicals. These characteristics have led to widespread and rampant abuse worldwide, currently estimated at 33 million users based on the 2016 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report. In the United States, there were greater than 150,000 emergency department visits for toxicity from methamphetamine in 2011 based on data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Drug Enforcement Agency estimated there were 439,000 past-month methamphetamine users in 2011.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: John Richards declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Erik Laurin declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Maranella E, Mareri A, Nardi V, Di Natale C, Di Luca L, Conte E, Pannone V, Catalucci A, Di Fabio S. Severe neurologic and hepatic toxicity in a newborn prenatally exposed to methamphetamine. A case report. Brain Dev. 2019 Feb;41(2):191-194. - PubMed
    1. Limanaqi F, Gambardella S, Biagioni F, Busceti CL, Fornai F. Epigenetic Effects Induced by Methamphetamine and Methamphetamine-Dependent Oxidative Stress. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018;2018:4982453. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yang X, Wang Y, Li Q, Zhong Y, Chen L, Du Y, He J, Liao L, Xiong K, Yi CX, Yan J. The Main Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Methamphetamine- Induced Neurotoxicity and Implications for Pharmacological Treatment. Front Mol Neurosci. 2018;11:186. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Turner C, Chandrakumar D, Rowe C, Santos GM, Riley ED, Coffin PO. Cross-sectional cause of death comparisons for stimulant and opioid mortality in San Francisco, 2005-2015. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2018 Apr 01;185:305-312. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Liakoni E, Dolder PC, Rentsch K, Liechti ME. Acute health problems due to recreational drug use in patients presenting to an urban emergency department in Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly. 2015;145:w14166. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources