أمريكا تواجه وباء جرعة زائدة ، وهذا ليس فقط بسبب المواد الأفيونية. تضاعفت الوفيات الناجمة عن الجرعات الزائدة التي تنطوي على الميثامفيتامين ، أو الميثامفيتامين ، ثلاث مرات تقريبًا بين البالغين الذين تتراوح أعمارهم بين 18 و 34 عامًا في الولايات المتحدة ، من 5،526 في عام 2015 إلى 15489 في عام 2019 - بزيادة قدرها 180٪ [1،2]. من عام 2011 إلى عام 2018 ، ارتفعت الوفيات الناجمة عن تناول الميثامفيتامين من 1.8 إلى 10.1 لكل 100000 رجل ومن 0.8 إلى 4.5 لكل 100000 امرأة [3].
في حين أن عدد الأشخاص الذين يتعاطون الميثامفيتامين لم يزداد بالضرورة ، وجد الباحثون أن الناس كانوا يتعاطونه كثيرًا وبالاقتران مع أدوية أخرى.
قفز استخدام الميثامفيتامين المتكرر لمدة 100 يوم أو أكثر سنويًا بنسبة 66٪ ، وزاد استخدام الميثامفيتامين مع الكوكايين بنسبة 60٪. والعديد من الوفيات الناجمة عن جرعات الميثامفيتامين تشمل أيضًا المواد الأفيونية مثل الهيروين أو الفنتانيل [2].
قالت نورا فولكو ، مديرة المعهد الوطني لتعاطي المخدرات:"نحن في خضم أزمة جرعة زائدة في الولايات المتحدة ، وهذا المسار المأساوي يتجاوز وباء المواد الأفيونية".
قال الدكتور فولكو:"بالإضافة إلى الهيروين ، أصبح الميثامفيتامين والكوكايين أكثر خطورة بسبب التلوث بالفنتانيل شديد الفعالية والزيادات في أنماط الاستخدام عالية الخطورة مثل تعاطي المواد المتعددة والاستخدام المنتظم".
الطريقة ومجموعة من الأخطار
الجرعة الزائدة ليست هي الخطر الوحيد الذي يأتي مع استخدام الميثامفيتامين. When a person who uses meth doesn’t seek professional help, it can severely damage their health and overall quality of life.
Meth is an illicit stimulant that causes a quick, intense high followed by a sudden crash. This substance is most commonly known in popular culture as crystal meth, but it can also come in powder or pill form.
Because the effects of meth fade so quickly, it is not uncommon for someone to go for hours or days without food or sleep as they continuously take the drug to keep trying to maintain the euphoric effects [4].
This is a dangerous cycle that can lead to dehydration, weight loss, problems sleeping, and trouble at work or school. Other risks of using meth include [1, 4]:
- Meth addiction – Meth causes a sudden rush of dopamine to the reward center of the brain, but these effects are short-lived. The more a person uses meth, the more likely they are to suffer from withdrawal symptoms when the drug leaves their system, making it much harder for them to stop using the drug no matter how much they want to.
- Trouble hitting growth milestones – Meth addiction in young adults was four times higher in 2019 than in 2015. It can cause lasting harm to a young person’s brain and social development.
- Infectious diseases – People who use meth are at high risk for contracting diseases such as HIV and hepatitis through sharing injection equipment or engaging in risky sexual behavior while under the influence of the drug.
- Serious health problems – Meth can cause intense itching that can lead to skin sores, along with severe dental problems, hallucinations, and paranoia.
As experts noted earlier, meth can also be laced with other drugs such as fentanyl without a person knowing, and that can lead to deadly consequences.
Meth Use Complicated by Other Conditions
What makes meth use even more complex is that often many people who use this drug suffer from other medical conditions or mental health disorders.
Compared with those who don’t use meth, people who use meth are twice as likely to have another medical condition, more than three times as likely to have a mental health disorder, and more than four times as likely to have a substance use disorder [5].
Researchers found that people who used meth most commonly had health concerns such as liver disease, lung disease, and HIV/AIDS. They also found that addictions to heroin, prescription stimulants, prescription opioids, cocaine, and sedatives most commonly coincided with meth use.
The researchers note that their findings don’t necessarily indicate that meth causes other medical conditions, only that people who use meth are more likely to struggle with multiple conditions at once.
Regardless of how a person developed the health conditions they are facing, what is most important, is getting professional treatment — for meth addiction and any other medical condition a person is struggling with.
“Methamphetamine use adds complexity to the already challenging care of adults who have multiple chronic conditions,” said study author Benjamin Han, M.D. “Integrated interventions that can address the multiple conditions people are living with, along with associated social risks, are needed for this population.”
The truth is that overdose is the biggest risk of using methamphetamine. Preventing overdose starts with reaching out for help from professionals who can provide the comprehensive, personalized treatment you need.
