That’s because the drug enters the brain more rapidly when it’s inhaled or injected directly into the bloodstream. Smoking or shooting meth causes a nearly immediate high. Some methods of use cause a quicker high. People who are tweaking have been known to go about 15 to 40 days without any sleep. Strong cravings for more meth are common in the tweaking phase, but the high from taking the drug starts to become less powerful. During this stage, they may lose touch with reality and develop meth psychosis. Their eyes may dart around, and they may become violent. People are unpredictable during a tweaking episode. According to the University of Maryland’s Center for Substance Abuse Research, tweaking occurs when a meth user goes several days without sleep and starts to grow increasingly frustrated, paranoid and unstable. Tweaking is considered the most dangerous stage of meth abuse. The crash is associated with extreme exhaustion and long periods of sleep. The Crashīingeing eventually culminates in a dramatic crash, or comedown, when the person stops feeling a rush from the drug or runs out of meth. It is common for meth users to consume the drug in a pattern called binge and crash. Engaging in a meth binge can cause severe insomnia for days on end. The Bingeīingeing describes repeatedly using a drug for days at a time to stay high. They may seem confused, and their speech might not make sense. Some people may exhibit argumentative, aggressive or obsessive-compulsive behavior while high. This stage, sometimes called “the shoulder,” is characterized by hyperactivity and rapid thinking. The HighĪfter the rush passes, a person will shift into a less intense state of euphoria that could last from four to 14 hours. A person won’t feel a flash when snorting meth or swallowing it. This intense phase usually ends in five minutes, but it can last up to half an hour. The feeling of a meth rush has been compared to having multiple orgasms. The rush comes from a sudden flood of the pleasure chemical dopamine in the brain.ĭuring a meth rush, the heart rate quickens, pupils dilate, blood pressure soars and metabolism kicks up several notches. The rush, or “flash” as it’s sometimes called, is the intense euphoria a person feels within seconds of injecting or smoking meth. The stages may vary depending upon the method of use, the dose taken and whether or not the individual has a meth addiction.

Stages of Meth IntoxicationĪ person goes through several distinct stages of intoxication after consuming meth. Other sources report that the high can last up to 24 hours. A National Institute of Justice report states that they can last 12 to 14 hours or longer.

Some researchers have found that the stimulant effects of the drug last approximately six to eight hours. The intoxicating effects of meth, however, typically persist for eight to 24 hours.Įstimates of the precise length of a crystal meth high vary widely. The rush from snorting cocaine usually lasts 15 minutes to a half hour, and a crack high lasts no more than five to 10 minutes. Methamphetamine, or crystal meth, produces an energetic feeling of euphoria that is similar to a cocaine high, but the effects of meth last longer.

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