Crystal Meth
Crystal Meth - meth, crystal, methamphetamine, Tina. In USA: ice, crank, speed (but not the ordinary, weaker amphetamine called speed in the UK).
Effects:
- Speeds up your body's functions.
- Releases 'feel good' chemicals dopamine and serotonin.
- Feeling high, wide awake, confident (sometimes invincible), impulsive, less likely to feel pain, very horny, lower inhibitions.
- Dangerous increase in body temperature, heartbeat and blood pressure with risk of heart attack, stroke, coma or occasionally death.
- Going days without eating or sleeping.
- Feeling exhausted, aggressive, paranoid or suicidal after the come down.
- Damage to your lungs, nose and mouth, depending how it's taken.
- Damage to your immune system.
- Tolerance develops easily, needing more for the same effect.
- Addiction develops quickly and more easily than many other drugs used on the gay scene.
- Loss of your job, home, money, partners, friends and health.
- Psychosis, mental health problems, and other effects which last long after quitting.
Crystal with other drugs:
- HIV drugs: some can cause a potentially deadly increase in the level of crystal in your body. Crystal as well as going without food sleep damage your immune system.
- Ecstasy, cocaine, poppers and Viagra type drugs: put your heart under even more strain.
- Anti-depressants: more likely to have life threatening reactions, including dangerously high blood pressure.
Sex on Crystal:
- Can make you feel very horny and compulsive, having sex with lots of men.
- Can make you do things you wouldn't usually do, like taking sexual risks when you could get or pass on HIV.
- Often stops you coming or getting hard - "crystal dick".
- Long or rough sex on crystal can cause sores or bleeding in your arse, dick or mouth which you may not notice. You can then get or pass on HIV, Hepatitsis C and other infections more easily.
- Cold, aggressive or disconnected sex.
Staying safe:
- Check with your doctor if you're on anti-depressants.
- Avoid injecting as it is the quickest way to get addicted and can complications include skin abscesses, collapsed veins, blood poisoning and heart infections.
- Use new injecting equipment every time to reduce vein damage and infections and to prevent getting or passing on HIV, Hepatitis C or other infections.
- Take care with hot pipes which can burn your mouth and pass on HIV or Hepatitis C (through tiny amounts of blood which you may not be able to see).
- Use a condom and keep checking it during long sex sessions. Use a new one every half an hour as they are more likely to break after this time.
