Meth addicts have terrible skin
February 10, 2011 9:22 AM Subscribe
I'm not a pharmacist or organic chemist or pharmacologist, so I'm confused by the difference between methamphetamine and Adderall, and the side effects it may wreak on the body long-term. I've tried to figure it out using Google, but it's all sort of over my head, and I don't know if the people on those chatboards are reliable sources of information.
I was prescribed Adderall four years ago and it pretty much changed my life. However, I've been concerned about how using it long-term (I'm a small person and only take a total of 20 mg a day) will affect my skin ( a little worried about premature aging, etc). I'm 32 now (have been on it since I was 26) and tend to look young for my age (of Asian descent). I don't smoke, and I drink maybe three glasses of wine a week (tops). I take vitamins and exercise and I'm a vegetarian. I use sunscreen as well.
Adderall will be a longterm thing for me. My doctor reassured me that it's safe, but he could not clarify on the differences in the structure and long-term effects of its use.
Can anyone explain in layman's terms and tell me what the longterm use of it can have on the body and on the skin, and if anything can be done to counteract negative effects (if there are any)?
I was prescribed Adderall four years ago and it pretty much changed my life. However, I've been concerned about how using it long-term (I'm a small person and only take a total of 20 mg a day) will affect my skin ( a little worried about premature aging, etc). I'm 32 now (have been on it since I was 26) and tend to look young for my age (of Asian descent). I don't smoke, and I drink maybe three glasses of wine a week (tops). I take vitamins and exercise and I'm a vegetarian. I use sunscreen as well.
Adderall will be a longterm thing for me. My doctor reassured me that it's safe, but he could not clarify on the differences in the structure and long-term effects of its use.
Can anyone explain in layman's terms and tell me what the longterm use of it can have on the body and on the skin, and if anything can be done to counteract negative effects (if there are any)?
My understanding is that meth addicts have terrible skin because of a combination of poor nutrition, lack of sleep, poor hygeine and constant skin picking [Googleable term is "crank bugs" I do not recommend it]. There is not a skin-based side effect to taking Adderall according to the NIH. Taking controlled doses of a prescribed medication is not at all the same as smoking or injecting street drugs.
posted by jessamyn at 9:33 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 9:33 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also worth noting, your prescription Adderall is far less likely to be chock full of harmful impurities and residual chemicals used in processing. You don't smoke Adderall either (right?) so you'll avoid the oro-pharyngeal horrors (meth mouth) associated with that drug.
Great question though; the long-term (in the decades, let's say) effects of most prescription drugs are not always known. Somewhere, someone is studying this, but it takes a long time to put the data together. One known effect is growth inhibition in children, but this doesn't apply to you. I did a quick search and found one study in rats that suggested permanent changes in brain chemistry may occur, but it is not at all generalizable to humans.
posted by Mister_A at 9:45 AM on February 10, 2011
Great question though; the long-term (in the decades, let's say) effects of most prescription drugs are not always known. Somewhere, someone is studying this, but it takes a long time to put the data together. One known effect is growth inhibition in children, but this doesn't apply to you. I did a quick search and found one study in rats that suggested permanent changes in brain chemistry may occur, but it is not at all generalizable to humans.
posted by Mister_A at 9:45 AM on February 10, 2011
The pharmacological difference between your Adderall and pure, refined methamphetamine is not large at all. The significant difference between the two is that you'll be taking a low, controlled dose of a carefully manufactured pharmaceutical in the form of a pill that you swallow. Meth users, on the other hand, are taking huge doses of a product that was made out of household chemicals by amateurs in a shipping container and then adulterated with who knows what, and they are typically taking these doses by snorting or smoking this questionable material.
You're right to draw a parallel between the amphetamines sold by your doctor and the ones sold on street corners; the active ingredient has a similar addictive potential, and you should keep a careful eye on your own consumption and avoid the slippery slope of making special exceptions to your prescribed dosage for any reason. That said, if regular Adderall use at prescribed levels took the kind of toll on your body you've seen in pictures of addicts published by anti-drug organizations, it wouldn't be prescribed that way. Street drug users have hard lives, and direct damage caused by the physical action of the drug itself is usually the least of their health problems, paling in comparison to things like diet and staying awake for days at a stretch.
posted by contraption at 9:54 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
You're right to draw a parallel between the amphetamines sold by your doctor and the ones sold on street corners; the active ingredient has a similar addictive potential, and you should keep a careful eye on your own consumption and avoid the slippery slope of making special exceptions to your prescribed dosage for any reason. That said, if regular Adderall use at prescribed levels took the kind of toll on your body you've seen in pictures of addicts published by anti-drug organizations, it wouldn't be prescribed that way. Street drug users have hard lives, and direct damage caused by the physical action of the drug itself is usually the least of their health problems, paling in comparison to things like diet and staying awake for days at a stretch.
posted by contraption at 9:54 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
I am neither a chemist or a doctor, just someone who enjoys amphetamines from time to time.
The difference between meth and scripts (actually methamphetamine is a script just not widely prescribed for obvious abuse potential) is the methyl group bonded on to the amphetamine which changes how the chemical binds to the receptors in the brain. Making meth a more potent drug.
As for long term use, I've only read about hypertension and increased risk of heart attacks.
If your doctor is not answering your questions fully to your content find another one.
posted by handbanana at 9:59 AM on February 10, 2011
The difference between meth and scripts (actually methamphetamine is a script just not widely prescribed for obvious abuse potential) is the methyl group bonded on to the amphetamine which changes how the chemical binds to the receptors in the brain. Making meth a more potent drug.
As for long term use, I've only read about hypertension and increased risk of heart attacks.
If your doctor is not answering your questions fully to your content find another one.
posted by handbanana at 9:59 AM on February 10, 2011
Meth users, on the other hand, are taking huge doses of a product that was made out of household chemicals by amateurs in a shipping container and then adulterated with who knows what
I really shouldn't have generalized like that. What I'm talking about is the crappy, cheap meth purchased from street dealers by the desperate people with the bad skin and chipped teeth.
posted by contraption at 10:04 AM on February 10, 2011
I really shouldn't have generalized like that. What I'm talking about is the crappy, cheap meth purchased from street dealers by the desperate people with the bad skin and chipped teeth.
posted by contraption at 10:04 AM on February 10, 2011
I've occasionally abused my Adderall to stay up several days in a row (ala Jack Kerouac) and the sleep deprivation made my skin thinner and more prone to breaking out. So I think meth addicts' terrible skin comes from sleep deprivation induced breakouts that they then pick or scratch at until they become really gross. I have a little patch of skin on my back that's always itchy (you know, where the clothing tags rub) and I've occasionally absent-mindedly scratched it into a bloody mess when I've taken too much Adderall. So don't abuse your Adderall to stay awake 72+ hours if you're worried about your skin.
Other problems with meth comes from the lack of quality control in its manufacture (meth labs add all sorts of crap while they're cooking it) and that people tend to use meth in much higher doses than the therapeutic dose for Adderall.
posted by Jacqueline at 10:04 AM on February 10, 2011
Other problems with meth comes from the lack of quality control in its manufacture (meth labs add all sorts of crap while they're cooking it) and that people tend to use meth in much higher doses than the therapeutic dose for Adderall.
posted by Jacqueline at 10:04 AM on February 10, 2011
Adderall is the brandname for what is known as "amphetamine salts". It's pretty much dexedrine, but it's a mixture of four different versions of amphetamine. One of them is a saccharide, and that's why the tablets taste really sweet if you lick them. (Saccharine is an artificial sweetener.)
Each of the four has a time different pattern of absorption and metabolism, and the purpose of the mixture is to create a smoother long-term effect curve than you would get for any single amphetamine compound.
So per unit dosage, it lasts longer but doesn't get as high, and that's why it's clinically useful. Also, the four different versions of it don't have any unreasonable risk factors.
Meth isn't the same at all, and it isn't one of the four which are used in Adderall. Those using meth want it to spike high, since that's the rush they're after. And Meth does have long term problems: it causes permanent brain damage with chronic use.
Yeah, it's true that they're related, but that doesn't mean they represent the same kind of risks. Codeine and Heroin are related, but when used properly codeine is safe.
Adderall is codeine to Meth's heroin.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:08 AM on February 10, 2011
Each of the four has a time different pattern of absorption and metabolism, and the purpose of the mixture is to create a smoother long-term effect curve than you would get for any single amphetamine compound.
So per unit dosage, it lasts longer but doesn't get as high, and that's why it's clinically useful. Also, the four different versions of it don't have any unreasonable risk factors.
Meth isn't the same at all, and it isn't one of the four which are used in Adderall. Those using meth want it to spike high, since that's the rush they're after. And Meth does have long term problems: it causes permanent brain damage with chronic use.
Yeah, it's true that they're related, but that doesn't mean they represent the same kind of risks. Codeine and Heroin are related, but when used properly codeine is safe.
Adderall is codeine to Meth's heroin.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:08 AM on February 10, 2011
Adderall is codeine to Meth's heroin.
Sorry to split hairs, but I don't think this accurately characterizes the difference between the two (in my understanding meth users are typically thrilled to get their hands on some Adderall or Ritalin, while junkies treat codeine as a fix of last resort.) It's true that Adderall is a cocktail of amphetamines that smooths out the activity curve in a measurable (and not inconsequentially, patentable) way, but the difference is not nearly as stark as that between different classes of opiate.
posted by contraption at 10:27 AM on February 10, 2011
Sorry to split hairs, but I don't think this accurately characterizes the difference between the two (in my understanding meth users are typically thrilled to get their hands on some Adderall or Ritalin, while junkies treat codeine as a fix of last resort.) It's true that Adderall is a cocktail of amphetamines that smooths out the activity curve in a measurable (and not inconsequentially, patentable) way, but the difference is not nearly as stark as that between different classes of opiate.
posted by contraption at 10:27 AM on February 10, 2011
If you are interested in finding out how Adderall works in the body and any possible long-term side effects, this is something you could definitely ask a pharmacist about - for free. Most of them love the chance to exercise their extensive drug knowledge, so long as they're not snowed under with work in the moment that you ask.
posted by geeky at 11:24 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by geeky at 11:24 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
I've been taking it for 15 years, and I don't have any running sores. William F Buckley took Ritalin for something like 40 years, and he might have had weather-beaten skin from sailing, but he didn't look too beat up.
While I'm sure this isn't you, OP, I do sometimes hear from people who seem to feel "guilty" for taking a prescription medication that has similar effects to street drugs.
Adderall changed my life. I don't spend much time in the sun, because it made me possible to have a successful career, so I'm inside, at work. Maybe that was the effect it had on my skin.
posted by Ideefixe at 1:45 PM on February 10, 2011
While I'm sure this isn't you, OP, I do sometimes hear from people who seem to feel "guilty" for taking a prescription medication that has similar effects to street drugs.
Adderall changed my life. I don't spend much time in the sun, because it made me possible to have a successful career, so I'm inside, at work. Maybe that was the effect it had on my skin.
posted by Ideefixe at 1:45 PM on February 10, 2011
the active ingredient has a similar addictive potential, and you should keep a careful eye on your own consumption and avoid the slippery slope of making special exceptions to your prescribed dosage for any reason
Psychologically addictive for some people. Not particularly physically addictive in prescribed doses.
posted by desuetude at 10:14 PM on February 10, 2011
Psychologically addictive for some people. Not particularly physically addictive in prescribed doses.
posted by desuetude at 10:14 PM on February 10, 2011
In animal models where rats are rewarded for being able to discriminate between substances, the rats can't tell the difference between cocaine, racemic amphetamine, and methamphetamine when the doses are equalized for potency. The effects of the drugs are nearly identical. Methamphetamine has a much longer duration of action.
Even drugs taken under the supervision of a doctor can have nasty side-effects. It's only safer to take these drugs under medical supervision if you are frankly discussing these side-effects with your doctor.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Sockpuppetry at 9:39 AM on February 11, 2011
Even drugs taken under the supervision of a doctor can have nasty side-effects. It's only safer to take these drugs under medical supervision if you are frankly discussing these side-effects with your doctor.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Sockpuppetry at 9:39 AM on February 11, 2011
In animal models where rats are rewarded for being able to discriminate between substances, the rats can't tell the difference between cocaine, racemic amphetamine, and methamphetamine when the doses are equalized for potency.
Since you provide no cite, I'm gonna have to make several assumptions here. I would be more than happy to amend em' in light of some context...
That the rats display no preference (as indexed by their choice of one substance over another, most likely ascertained via conditioned place preference) for any one of these three substances doesn't mean they can't 'tell a difference.' It is somewhat outside the bounds of behavioral neuropharmacology to speculate about a rat's subjective experience, and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who does this sort of work that would make any scientific claims about it.
I think you'll be hard pressed to find any longitudinal study of the deleterious effects of controlled use of pharmaceutical grade methamphetamine in humans (although meth is also a drug that can be taken under the supervision of an American doctor. It's called Desoxyn).
Most if not all of the bad jou jou you hear about meth and it's crazy super badness are not the product of 'what methamphetamine use does to a person' but rather 'what crank cooked up in some chemistry ignorant fool's garage does to a person.'
I would bet dollars to donuts that in the sort of petri dish studies that can really inform us about the molecular properties and the sort of systems studies that can inform us about the downstream consequences, you'd see little difference between controlled methamphetamine and 'amphetamine salt combo' use.
It's not that adderall is likely to be much worse for you than you think, it's that meth is likely to be much better.
It is still dumb as all hell to do street crank. Methamphetamine may be less deleterious than is commonly espoused, but 'meth' is almost assuredly a bad idea unless you got it from a pharmacist or a lab.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 8:29 PM on February 11, 2011
Since you provide no cite, I'm gonna have to make several assumptions here. I would be more than happy to amend em' in light of some context...
That the rats display no preference (as indexed by their choice of one substance over another, most likely ascertained via conditioned place preference) for any one of these three substances doesn't mean they can't 'tell a difference.' It is somewhat outside the bounds of behavioral neuropharmacology to speculate about a rat's subjective experience, and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who does this sort of work that would make any scientific claims about it.
I think you'll be hard pressed to find any longitudinal study of the deleterious effects of controlled use of pharmaceutical grade methamphetamine in humans (although meth is also a drug that can be taken under the supervision of an American doctor. It's called Desoxyn).
Most if not all of the bad jou jou you hear about meth and it's crazy super badness are not the product of 'what methamphetamine use does to a person' but rather 'what crank cooked up in some chemistry ignorant fool's garage does to a person.'
I would bet dollars to donuts that in the sort of petri dish studies that can really inform us about the molecular properties and the sort of systems studies that can inform us about the downstream consequences, you'd see little difference between controlled methamphetamine and 'amphetamine salt combo' use.
It's not that adderall is likely to be much worse for you than you think, it's that meth is likely to be much better.
It is still dumb as all hell to do street crank. Methamphetamine may be less deleterious than is commonly espoused, but 'meth' is almost assuredly a bad idea unless you got it from a pharmacist or a lab.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 8:29 PM on February 11, 2011
the rats can't tell the difference between cocaine, racemic amphetamine, and methamphetamine when the doses are equalized for potency
This is perhaps pharmacologically interesting in a particular context, but sorry, I don't see what it has to with human behavior. Dosage of cocaine and street meth is inherently variable, plus the delivery system is intended for maximum impact. Adderall consists of more than just racemic amphetamine, is a consistent dosage, and is formulated for less abrupt impact over a longer duration. Even if you compared a predictable dosage of street drugs to Adderall, there aren't really any circumstances where you'd be comparing drugs which had been equalized for potency.
posted by desuetude at 9:50 PM on February 11, 2011
This is perhaps pharmacologically interesting in a particular context, but sorry, I don't see what it has to with human behavior. Dosage of cocaine and street meth is inherently variable, plus the delivery system is intended for maximum impact. Adderall consists of more than just racemic amphetamine, is a consistent dosage, and is formulated for less abrupt impact over a longer duration. Even if you compared a predictable dosage of street drugs to Adderall, there aren't really any circumstances where you'd be comparing drugs which had been equalized for potency.
posted by desuetude at 9:50 PM on February 11, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by phunniemee at 9:32 AM on February 10, 2011