Crystal meth / Tina

What is crystal meth?

Methamphetamine is a chemical with a stimulant effect. It is also known by the following names: meth; speed; crystal; Tina; glass; crank; tweak; yaba; and Desoxyn® (this can be prescribed for people who suffer severely from ADD and ADHD). Methamphetamine usually comes in odorless, bitter-tasting, and white powder form, but is also available in pill form, capsules, and larger crystals.


Effects

Crystal meth is a stimulant.

The effect of a substance is determined by the properties of the substance itself, but also by the user’s set and setting. Here we describe the effects of crystal meth in general.

Using crystal meth increases your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Pupils get bigger and you get a dry mouth. You have to urinate more often, you sweat more and you have stiff jaws due to increased muscle tension. Breathing is easier because your bronchi (airways) expand. Hunger and tiredness disappear like snow in the sun. You feel cheerful and full of energy, you feel like talking a lot and quickly, you are alert and you can dance or have sex all night long. You have more stamina and muscle strength. Some become more confident. Others feel restless, anxious, paranoia, irritable, or aggressive. What is also typical are the repeated movements and the moving and putting back of objects.

Because of the energetic feeling you get from the drug, you stay awake for a long time and your feeling of hunger disappears. Eventually you become overtired and exhausted. Then there is no longer much sex because it becomes difficult to get or keep a boner. Because you can not only last a very long time, but also stay super horny, you run a high risk of tissue damage which can result in easy HIV and other STD transmission.

Crystal meth can slow you down to such an extent that you can no longer think critically. This way you can easily go beyond your own limits and do things that you wouldn’t otherwise. This can result in an unwanted sex experience and you can get a big hangover from that. It can also mean that you have unprotected sex when you would not allow it in a sober state.

Positive effects (negative) Side effects

Energetic feeling

You have feelings of being energized. Sitting still is sometimes more difficult and this energetic feeling is often expressed through the urge to dance or move.

Increase in blood pressure and heart rate

Due to increased cardiac stimulation, heart rate and blood pressure rise.

Alertness

This drug can make you more active than usual. You are feeling sharp, awkae and it is easy to focus your attention on the things that are happening around you.

Increased body temperature

Stimulants cause increased activity in muscles, and increase the “base temperature” of the body. This causes the body temperature to increase.

Increase in self-confidence

You feel more confident. It may be easier to ignore the opinions of others, and you will feel less self-conscious about yourself and your own actions.

Jaw clenching

Increased muscle tension can cause the jaws to clench together. As a result, the teeth are firmly pressed together and it is possible to bite your tongue and/or cheeks.

Need for contact, conversation and intimacy

Having a good conversation with someone, or cuddling, can be very pleasant and interesting.

Insomnia

Some drugs keep you from falling asleep. Stimulants often have this effect, but even after using psychedelics or downers, sleep is disrupted and it is possible that you can’t sleep.

(Nederlands) Verandering in tijdsperceptie

The passage of time could feel altered during drug use. Some parts of the evening fly by, while some parts feel a lot slower. When you are feeling comfortable, it can be nice that the feeling does not seem to stop. But if you feel uncomfortable, this can be a bothersome experience. So this effect can work both ways.

Decreased appetite

Stimulation of the fight-or-flight response in the body can suppress appetite.

Mood swings

Using this drug may cause mood swings in users. These mood changes may be either positive or negative, and often alternate between extremes.

Craving

Feeling a (strong) need to take more when the effect wears off.

Increased libido

Increased sexual desires. You feel more attracted to others and feel a stronger need for sexual intimacy.

Confusion and restlessness

Confusion and restlessness

Accelerated thoughts

Thinking seems to go faster. It’s also easier to think clearly. You can go through certain steps in your head faster and make choices faster.

Irritable

You are easily irritated or agitated.

Pressure on the chest / heart palpitations

Pressure on the chest / heart palpitations

Erection problems

Problems getting an erection.

Nausea/vomiting

An uneasy and tense feeling in the abdomen, which may cause discomfort. Nausea often precedes vomiting.

Dizziness

The feeling that someone is spinning, or that the world is spinning around someone. This impairs balance.

Head ache

Head ache

Increased sweating

In response to the increased stimulation and changes in body temperature, the skin will start to secrete sweat to cool the body temperature back to normal levels.

Dilated pupils

Due to an increased noradrenaline level in the body after taking certain drugs, the pupils become larger. The pupil size is influenced by many different processes. Increase in noradrenaline plays a role in some of those processes.

Dry mouth

Stimulation of sympathetic pathways decrease saliva production, this causes the mouth to feel dry.

Accelerated breathing

The airways open further, making breathing easier and faster.

Pain reduction

You feel pain stimuli less. People sometimes use drugs to ease certain complaints they are experiencing. This can provide some relief.

But because of the inhibitory effect of the drug, you will, for example, feel less of a collision or fall or of too much movement. This can cause extra physical damage, for example, because you continue to dance when you should have rested. For example, you may not realize that a bruised ankle hurts.

Hallucinations

In hallucinations you perceive things that are not there. It really is an observation that seems to be real. For example, you may hear sounds (auditory hallucinations) or see something or someone (visual hallucination). This is in contrast to a change in sensory perception where normal perception is distorted. Think of a person’s voice that sounds higher or lower or a face that seems to have a big nose.

Hallucinations can be both desirable effects (with psychedelics) and unwanted side effects (with high doses of MDMA, or with being awake for too long).

Increased muscle tension

Tense muscles and jaws (biting your tongue or cheek)


Dose and route of administration

Crystal meth can be snorted (nasally); smoked; injected (‘intravenously’ into the veins, ‘muscling’ into the muscles, ‘skin popping’ under the skin), plugged (rectal, ‘booty bumping’ without needle insertion anal) and swallowed (orally).

If you take methamphetamine orally you can dissolve a little powder in a drink, or you can put a little powder in a paper, close it and swallow (bomb). Methamphetamine also sometimes comes in pill form. In Thailand it is sold as a pill under the name Yaba.

When smoking, the methamphetamine is put in a glass pipe and heated with a lighter. Methamphetamine is also more suitable for injecting than amphetamine. This mainly happens abroad and more specifically in the US and Australia.

Dose for swallowing
Light dose 5 – 15 mg
Medium dose 10 – 30 mg
High dose 20 – 60 mg
Dose for snorting
Light dose 5 – 15 mg
Medium dose 10 – 40 mg
High dose 20 – 60 mg
Dose for smoking
Light dose 10 – 20 mg
Medium dose 10 – 40 mg
High dose 30 – 60 mg
Dose for injecting
Light dose 5 – 10 mg
Medium dose 10 – 40 mg
High dose 30 – 60 mg

See Drugs and testing for more information about the drug checking service and find one in your area (Netherlands only).


Duration

Duration for swallowing
Effects start after 20 – 70 min
Peak effect 3 – 5 hours
Coming down 2 – 6 hours
Worn off after 12 – 24 hours
Duration for snorting
Effects start after 5 – 10 min
Peak effect 2 – 4 hours
Coming down 2 – 6 hours
Worn off after 12 – 24 hours
Duration for smoking
Effects start after 0 – 2 min
Peak effect 1 – 3 hours
Coming down 2 – 4 hours
Worn off after 12 – 24 hours
Duration for injecting
Effects start after 0 – 2 min
Peak effect 4 – 8 hours
Coming down 2 – 6 hours
Worn off after 12 – 24 hours

Risks

Methamphetamine is an addictive drug. The method of use plays an important role here. The faster the effect comes on, the more addictive it is. Smoking, injecting and snorting are therefore more addictive than swallowing.

Methamphetamine users quickly develop a high tolerance. Tolerance occurs for the psychological effect and for the appetite suppressant effect, but not for the blood pressure increasing effect. People who are really addicted sometimes take a dose 5 to 6 times higher than someone who takes it for the first time. This can lead to two serious situations in which death is a possible consequence. Firstly, someone who has used heavily for a while and has stopped, but he takes the same dose as before, can overdose, resulting in death. Second, new users may self-administer the same dose as experienced users. Death occurs from uncontrollable hyperthermia (overheating), seizures, hypoxia and cardiovascular complications.

Taking crystal for days in a row without sleeping, resting and eating exhausts your body and therefore psychosis is lurking. Should your sex partner or someone close to you react psychotic and anxious? Then help that person by stopping what you were doing (music, TV off for a while) and looking for another setting where that person can get some rest. Speak calmly, be understanding and, if necessary, go outside together. Do not deny or confirm any delusions and if it does not get better, do not hesitate to call the general practitioner. They are there to help you and can, if necessary, consult or write a prescription or provide care in another way.

The days after use, users often feel overtired, listless, depressed and restless. After a day or two, the lost sleep is made up and the appetite greatly increases. When long-term users stop, these symptoms are intensified. They feel exhausted and depressed. All too often a reason to use again. Physical withdrawal symptoms are relatively mild.

Risico’s op korte termijn

Overdose

You can take an overdose of a drug. This can make you feel nauseous and vomit, get very high fever, and overheat. You can also develop liver disorders, your kidneys may stop functioning properly, and you may have an epileptic seizure.

An overdose can lead to a coma and possibly even death.

(Nederlands) Triggeren (drugs-) psychose

Sorry, this entry is only available in Nederlands.

Vasoconstriction (blood vessels narrowing)

Stimulation of the sympathetic (fight-or-flight response) nerve pathways causes the blood vessels around some organs to contract and narrow, redirecting the relative blood flow to the muscles to increase.

 

Overheating

Stimulants increase your body temperature. Additionally, more physical activity also raises your body temperature. If this happens in an environment that is already warm, where you cannot dissipate heat effectively, it can become dangerous.

Because your body loses heat through sweating, this risk mainly occurs in warm and humid environments. If the air is very humid (muggy or clammy), the cooling effect of sweat is reduced. This can cause your body to overheat. Additionally, you lose a lot of body heat through your head. Avoid wearing a hat or cap when it’s warm so that heat can escape.

Some drugs, especially those that cause a significant release of serotonin, can lead to mild overheating with “normal” use.

Symptoms of mild overheating (hyperthermia):

  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Stiff muscles
  • Dizziness

In this case, seek a cool place and consider wetting your head, neck, and face with water. If you then blow air over these well-vascularized areas of your body with a fan (or ask a friend to do so), you can quickly cool down to a more comfortable temperature.

Symptoms of more severe overheating (hyperthermia):

  • Shivering Rapid heartbeat
  • Pale appearance
  • Reduced consciousness
  • Nausea Vomiting

When experiencing these symptoms, it’s time to seek help from a first aid post or other healthcare provider. If the body temperature rises to 40-41 degrees Celsius, the situation is life-threatening. It’s important to quickly move to a cooler place.

Very severe symptoms:

  • Breakdown of muscle tissue
  • Blood clotting throughout the body
  • Impaired functioning of kidneys and liver
  • Epileptic seizures

Call 112 immediately if you notice or experience these symptoms.

Epileptic seizure

Taking this drug increases the risk of having an epileptic seizure if you are prone to it.

(Excitement) delirium

This is a state of being that is usually caused by excessive alcohol or drug use. Often, it involves stimulants such as cocaine. The acute state of excitement is a life-threatening situation that requires prompt intervention by professional caregivers. You can recognize it because someone behaves very agitated and aggressive motorically. The victim lashes out and cannot be calmed down. The aggression is not directed, but rather random. It is impossible to make contact with the victim. The victim continues to fight, even when subdued by police and security.

Because someone behaves this way, it is understandable that security or caregivers may want to subdue them by pushing them down or restraining them (fixation). However, this is dangerous and can lead to death. When you try to stop someone with an excitement delirium, the person will only resist harder, causing their heart rate/blood pressure to dangerously increase.

Overheating

Stimulants increase your body temperature. Additionally, more physical activity also raises your body temperature. If this happens in an environment that is already warm, where you cannot dissipate heat effectively, it can become dangerous.

Because your body loses heat through sweating, this risk mainly occurs in warm and humid environments. If the air is very humid (muggy or clammy), the cooling effect of sweat is reduced. This can cause your body to overheat. Additionally, you lose a lot of body heat through your head. Avoid wearing a hat or cap when it’s warm so that heat can escape.

Some drugs, especially those that cause a significant release of serotonin, can lead to mild overheating with “normal” use.

Symptoms of mild overheating (hyperthermia):

  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Stiff muscles
  • Dizziness

In this case, seek a cool place and consider wetting your head, neck, and face with water. If you then blow air over these well-vascularized areas of your body with a fan (or ask a friend to do so), you can quickly cool down to a more comfortable temperature.

Symptoms of more severe overheating (hyperthermia):

  • Shivering Rapid heartbeat
  • Pale appearance
  • Reduced consciousness
  • Nausea Vomiting

When experiencing these symptoms, it’s time to seek help from a first aid post or other healthcare provider. If the body temperature rises to 40-41 degrees Celsius, the situation is life-threatening. It’s important to quickly move to a cooler place.

Very severe symptoms:

  • Breakdown of muscle tissue
  • Blood clotting throughout the body
  • Impaired functioning of kidneys and liver
  • Epileptic seizures

Call 112 immediately if you notice or experience these symptoms.

Risico’s op lange termijn

Psychological addiction

Psychological addiction means that you feel like you can’t live without a substance.

You can however stop taking this drug, without your body experiencing any issues.

Psychological issues

Psychological issues can arise, or pre-existing psychological problems can worsen. Feeling down or anxious, feeling out of sorts, and experiencing poor concentration.

Increased risk of arrhythmia, heart attack, and stroke

Stimulants increase your bodily functions.

Among other things, your heart rate increases and your blood pressure rises.

People with high blood pressure and/or heart problems are advised against experimenting with stimulants.

Cocaine has more negative effects on the heart than other stimulants.

Decreased resistance

Your resistance might decrease. That means you’ll get sick faster and more often. Your fitness can also decline. For example, you might feel tired more quickly or exercising may not feel as good as it did before using this drug.

Over-fatigue and insomnia

Under the influence of (stimulating) substances, you can exceed your own limits and boundaries, because it suppresses your fatigue and sleep. You then tap into your reserves and can be over-fatigued and downcast days after use. The longer and more you have used, the longer these feelings can persist.

 

Weight decrease

When you use uppers, you usually eat poorly (or not at all), and often you’re also moving a lot on the dance floor. This, together with the higher energy demands of your body during upper use, means that you use more energy than you take in and therefore lose weight.

Unhealthy skin

After prolonged use, the skin often looks less healthy. You are also more likely to suffer from pimples or other skin conditions.

Damage to nasal mucosa

Snorting drugs can damage the nasal mucosa. This can manifest itself in a reduced sense of smell and taste. It can also lead to chronic colds and nosebleeds.

Brain damage

This drug can give you brain damage.

Deterioration of teeth and gums

Using this drug has a negative influence on your teeth. Your teeth can discolour, but the risk of inflammation or cavities also increases.

HIV and hepatitis infection (only with injecting)

When injecting drugs you run an increased risk of HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne infections. Injecting is strongly discouraged for this reason. If you do decide to inject, make sure you don’t share equipment such as needles with others and that you use a clean needle every time.

Brain damage

This drug can give you brain damage.

Liver damage

Amphetamines (MDMA, speed, meth) can affect liver function in a multitude of ways. These include cell damage because of overheating, toxic metabolites, and increased blood clotting.


Interactions

Combining different types of drugs can be risky and unpredictable. When you combine drugs you can have a higher risk of health problems. In the following paragraphs you can read about the effects and the risks of a number of combinations that occur frequently and also a about few that are extra hazardous. Also check our theme combining drugs.

Methamphetamine and cannabis

Sometimes people smoke weed after or while taking methamphetamine to calm down or fall asleep more easily. Cannabis can soften the methamphetamine buzz, especially towards the end. However, this is not recommended for everyone, some people may feel anxious or restless. It can increase paranoid thinking. If you suffer from insomnia after using methamphetamine, it is advisable to time your use better. Keep in mind what time you want to go to sleep and do not take any more about 12 hours before you want to go to sleep.


Unity tips

There is no really safe use of meth. The risks can be limited, read the Unity tips for this:

  • Only use if you feel good.
  • Get your crystal meth tested!
  • Are you on birth control pills or on medication? Take it a few hours before you start taking drugs. Set the alarm on your phone if you have to take medication.
  • Do you take crystal meth during sex? Then use extra lubricant to reduce the risk of wounds and thus the transfer of STDs
  • Do not use to counteract the adverse effects of amphetamine use (such as fatigue or depression). This is the basis for an addiction
  • Rest well before and after use.
  • Eat healthy before and after use. Especially a lot of foods to build your reserves (nuts, peanuts) and vitamins (oranges, kiwi, broccoli). It’s hard to eat during and after amphetamine use, but try anyway. Eating well clearly reduces the hangover! If it works; eat a salty cookie or some salty chips. If you don’t eat solid foods, think of juices, breakfast drinks, smoothies and soups. Check out our nutrition page for recipes.
  • You can use extra multivitamins with C1000 and antioxidants such as omega-3 before and after amphetamine use.
  • Make sure you don’t get too hot during use: rest occasionally, do not wear warm clothes, no headgear, and drink water or soft drinks every now and then.
  • Drink plenty of fresh water to prevent dehydration. Crystal meth draws moisture from your body.
  • Drink salty broths/boosters/ORS with water to replenish your salts; especially if you have sex on drugs, you lose a lot of salt through sweating.
  • If you’ve snorted meth, clean your nose before going to sleep. You can do this by removing the remains that are still in your nose with a damp cotton swab, a nasal douche or spray with water and salt or while showering with your fingers.
  • Do not use with: diabetes, weak heart, high blood pressure, epilepsy and psychological complaints or in combination with medication.
  • Do not combine with alcohol or other substances.
  • Do not participate in traffic.
  • Amphetamine use can give you a dry mouth, which in combination with gritted teeth increases the risk of damage to your teeth. It is important to stimulate your saliva production. You can do this by chewing sugar-free gum. Saliva substitutes or artificial saliva (such as Saliva Orthana, Xialine and Oral Balance) can be purchased without a prescription.
  • Provide your own personal snuff tubes and do not share them with others.
  • Bring your own needle when you slammed Tina.
  • Do you feel, or does one of your friends not feel well? Keep an eye on each other, take care of each other and visit the first aid.
  • Do you have any questions or are you looking for more tips? Then check out Pink Unity.

Unity tips for using stimulants

  • Do not combine high stimulant doses with other stimulants
  • Do not use stimulants if you suffer from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, epilepsy or psychological afflictions. Also, do not use stimulants if you are pregnant, or in combination with medications (especially MAO inhibitors and asthma medication).
  • Make sure you don’t get too warm while using stimulants: rest every now and then, don’t wear (too) warm clothes or headgear and drink water/soft drinks occasionally.
  • Get enough rest before using stimulants. If you are very tired or suffer from insomnia, do not use stimulants!
  • Moderate use is key. Keep track of how much you take.
  • Drink enough to keep yourself hydrated, but no more than 2 glasses of water per hour. Exceeding this increases the risk of water intoxication.
  • Stimulants can give you a dry mouth, which, combined with teeth grinding, increases the risk of damage to your teeth. It is important to stimulate your saliva production. You can do this by chewing sugar-free gum. Saliva substitutes or artificial saliva (such as Saliva Orthana, Xialine and Oral Balance) can also be used and can be purchased without a prescription.

Unity tips for using drugs

  • When using a drug for the first time, take only a small dose to see how your body reacts to the substance
  • Only use drugs when you are feeling well
  • Use drugs recreationally, not to combat psychological issues like fatigue
  • Avoid using drugs if you have (had) psychological afflictions or if you have a family history of psychological diseases (such as depression) in your family
  • Test your drugs before use at a drugs-testing service
  • Make sure to prepare a good set and setting for drug use
  • Only use drugs sparingly. Keep track of your use over time.
  • Decide in advance how much you are planning to use over the evening, and stick to that. 
  • Do not combine drugs with other substances or medicines
  • Do not participate in traffic after drug use
  • Prevent infectious diseases; Use your own snorter/sniffer and do not share paraphernalia with others
  • After insufflating, rinse your nose well with lukewarm saline water (for example, by using a nasal spray or nasal douche)
  • Are you, or one of your friends not feeling well? Keep an eye out for one another, take care of each other and visit the first aid (if one is available)
  • Call 112 in a life-threatening situation
  • Eat healthy before and after drug use. In particular, foods with lots of antioxidants and vitamins (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, raisins, oranges, kiwi, broccoli). This is perhaps the most important tip! It can be difficult to eat during and after drug use, but make sure to try to eat something anyway. Eating well is a great way to reduce the hangover! If you can’t hold in solid foods, try juices, breakfast drinks, and smoothies.

FAQ

(Nederlands) Is slammen (spuiten) gevaarlijker dan roken?

When using Tina, slamming (injecting) into the veins caries the most risks.

Because the drug enters the bloodstream directly, the effect occurs almost immediately. Therefore, the effect can be very intense.
If you are slamming, make sure you have a clean ( your own) needle, and do not inject Tina underneath the skin or into a muscle, this causes bruising and inflammation under the skin.


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