276 Methamphetamine
climbed Mt. Everest without using supplementary oxygen noted, “Because
mountaineering is, thank God, not an organized Olympic sport, there are no
regulations about the use of drugs, so the choice is up to the individual.”
When methamphetamine was tested on champion cyclist athletes, they could
not achieve a higher level of performance than normal, but they could extend
top performance far longer than normal, a feat made possible in part by the
drug’s apparent ability to mask the body’s normal signals of exhaustion. Re-
searchers speculate that the drug could cause athletes to overextend them-
selves, collapse, and die. Another experiment found that the drug could
improve work performance, but performing a few tasks under controlled con-
ditions cannot be extrapolated to the whole world of real-life work.
The human body metabolizes assorted medical drugs into dextroampheta-
mine and methamphetamine, so if a body fluid test is used to accuse someone
of unauthorized use, a blameless person should check whether any over-the-
counter or prescribed drugs might be the explanation.
Drawbacks.Measurements have found damage to brain neurons correlated
with amount of methamphetamine abuse, damage that does not seem to re-
cover upon cessation of drug dosage. Some of that damage may promote
Parkinson’s disease. Tests show normal scores for methamphetamine abusers
on some psychological perception tests, below normal scores on others. Ani-
mal experiments confirm that methamphetamine can alter DNA molecules,
and some researchers ask whether these changes may invalidate DNA iden-
tifications made by law enforcement authorities.
Methamphetamine raises blood pressure; the most catastrophic consequence
can be rupture of the aorta. The compound raises body temperature. Euphoria
and overdose symptoms are similar to those ofcocainebut last longer. Meth-
amphetamine overdose can cause convulsions, heart attack, kidney failure,
and stroke. Stroke can occur days after overdosage. Temporary blindness has
developed. The drug can severely and permanently impair vision, apparently
by temporarily cutting blood flow to the optic nerve. Serious ulcers may de-
velop in the cornea. Although methamphetamine can slightly stimulate
breathing and help open lung airways, the substance can also produce tem-
porary emphysema. Animal experiments and human experience indicate that
concealed heart damage caused by the drug can repair itself if methamphet-
amine administration ceases.
Methamphetamine’s smokable format is considered twice as strong as dex-
troamphetamine, can produce pulmonary edema, and has been identified as
causing skin affliction. Smoking methamphetamine can narrow blood vessels,
which will increase blood pressure. Another suspected consequence of the
narrowing is acidosis found among methamphetamine users, a condition in
which levels of acid in blood rise high enough to make a person sick. Studies
of patients suffering from harm to bones and to skeletal muscles have found
possible association with methamphetamine. Ischemic colitis, a bowel problem
normally associated with old age, has been seen among young methamphet-
amine users. The substance is also associated with duodenal ulcers and
malignant giant gastric ulcers. Inhaling the drug (as opposed to smoking, in-
jecting, or swallowing) promotes excessive wear on teeth.
Methamphetamine affects insulin needs of diabetics. Persons with the same