1. Methamphetamine
Street names: Speed, Meth, Tweak, Blue Devils, Crystal, Working man’s cocaine
Looks like: clear chunky crystals resembling ice or white, odorless, bitter- tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol
Used: taken orally, intra-nasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking.
Schedule: It is a Schedule II stimulant.
What does Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) have to do with meth?

2. Symptoms of methamphetamine use (even small amounts):
Inability to sleep /increased wakefulness
Increased sensitivity to noise
Nervous physical activity, like scratching
Irritability, dizziness, or confusion
Decreased appetite and extreme anorexia
Tremors or even convulsions
Increased heart rate, irregular heart beat, blood pressure, and risk of stroke
Presence of inhaling paraphernalia, such as razor blades, mirrors and straws
Presence of injecting paraphernalia, such as syringes, heated spoons, or surgical tubing

3. Long-term effects on the body:
extreme weight loss
severe dental problems
Anxiety, confusion
Insomnia
mood disturbances
violent behavior
Chronic methamphetamine abusers can also display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects creeping under the skin). Also, transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C can be consequences of methamphetamine abuse.

4. Effects on the brain:
Methamphetamine increases the release of very high levels of the brain chemical dopamine, which is involved in motivation, the experience of pleasure, and motor function.
Chronic methamphetamine abuse significantly changes how the brain functions. Noninvasive human brain imaging studies have shown alterations in the activity of the dopamine system that are associated with reduced motor performance and impaired verbal learning.
Recent studies in chronic methamphetamine abusers have also revealed severe structural and functional changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory, which may account for many of the emotional and cognitive problems observed in chronic methamphetamine abusers.
Methamphetamine abuse can also lead to addiction—a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and accompanied by chemical and molecular changes in the brain. Some of these changes persist long after methamphetamine abuse is stopped, and some reverse after sustained periods of abstinence.

5. Progression of Meth Use