UF study: Many meth side effects kick in only after stopping

Methamphetamine crystals in a bag. (AP Photo/DEA)

Some of the negative side effects of taking methamphetamines begin only after users have stopped taking them, according to a recent study by University of Florida researchers.

A study led by Dr. Habibeh Khoshbouei, an associate professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at the UF College of Medicine, showed that mice withdrawing from methamphetamines had memory loss and a decrease in neuronal activity two weeks after the withdrawal began -- the equivalent of one year in humans. The mice did not have the same symptoms while they were still taking the drugs.

It is very well established that people who abuse meth show symptoms of neurodegeneration and psychosis, so long-term meth abuse can produce all sorts of problems, Khoshbouei said.

Meth induces an uncontrolled release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure.

It exposes the brain to too much dopamine, which feels good at the time but has both immediate and long-term consequences namely of killing neurons, said Dr. Jamie Smolen, an addiction psychiatrist at UF.

Smolen added that the long-term use of meth might change receptors in the brain permanently, impairing memory, attention span and what is called executive function, or the ability to take in information, process it and make decisions based on it.

For example, people who had used meth might have difficulty balancing their checkbook, preparing a meal or buying groceries, Smolen said. Certainly, holding down a job and driving a car would be almost impossible.

The longer a person is abusing a drug, the more toxicity occurs in the nervous system and the harder it is for the system to repair itself, Smolen said.

Although all drugs cause some damage to the body, meth is particularly hard on the central nervous system, and in another study of users of various drugs including cocaine, only the meth users had symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease patients, Khoshbouei said.

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UF study: Many meth side effects kick in only after stopping