Shabu Side Effects on Brain

Shabu is a street nickname for methamphetamine drugs, also called speed or crank . Methamphetamine is a very addictive stimulant that speeds up the brain. It comes in pill, powder and crystal form (crystal meth).

Uses

• Methamphetamine can be snorted, injected, smoked or swallowed. Crystal meth is frequently abused by younger people and teens. The Office of National Drug Control Policy says, "According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 12.6 million Americans aged 12 or older reported using methamphetamine at least once during their lifetimes, representing 5 percent of the population aged 12 or older. Approximately 850,000 (0.3 percent) reported past year methamphetamine use and 314,000 (0.1 percent) reported past month methamphetamine use."

Effects

• Methamphetamine causes a "rush" when taken as it stimulates the central nervous system. It can increase energy, affect mood and create feelings of pleasure.

Psychotic Behavior

• Meth use can lead to paranoia, hallucinations, raging, anxiety, insomnia, memory loss and other forms of psychotic behavior.

Crank Bugs

• Frequent meth use can cause the development of sores on the user's body because he compulsively scratches at delusional "crank bugs," or has the feeling that bugs are crawling under his skin.

Other Side Effects

• Some side effects of meth use are irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, decreased appetite, increased respiration, hyperthermia (overheating) or weight loss.

Meth Mouth

• Meth users frequently develop what is called "meth mouth." Because meth causes dry mouth, or cotton mouth, by drying out the salivary glands, bacteria and acidic substances in the mouth that would normally be neutralized by saliva can rot and decay teeth, causing cavities and cracks. A meth user may try to alleviate cotton mouth by drinking a lot of sugary sodas which aides in the decay of tooth enamel. Also, meth addicts do not tend to brush or floss due to a dependence on the drug.