What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Crystal Meth Overdoses?

The signs of overamping or potential meth overdose include physical and behavioral signs.

Physical Signs of Meth Overdose

• Hyperactivity
• Twitching
• Increased heart rate – this is especially true if the meth is cut with cocaine, which is known to be particularly damaging to the heart.
• Hyperthermia (high body temperature)
• Excessive sweating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headaches
• Difficulty breathing

Behavioral Signs of Meth Overdose

• Extreme paranoia
• Aggressive behavior
• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Disorientation and inability to think clearly
• Severe panic attacks
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Erratic behavior

If a person is unconscious, likely, meth is not the sole cause. Remember: meth is a stimulant, so it will generally keep a person conscious.

However, street meth can be cut with substances like heroin or fentanyl. In these cases, you may see signs more typical of opiates, like snorting or gurgling  (due to fluid filling the lungs). The person’s skin may turn blue or purple due to a lack of oxygen.

Learn more about meth addiction symptoms here.

How Much Meth Does it Take to Overdose?

It’s likely multiple grams, at least.

However, this is a difficult question because it differs for everyone. Multiple factors can influence how much meth causes an overdose.

Factors that Influence a Methamphetamine Overdose

• First-Time Use – People who are trying meth for the first time have no tolerance and are thus at greater risk of meth overdose.
• Method of Consumption – Those who inject or smoke meth get the drug into their bloodstream much faster, resulting in a faster and more intense high. This increases the risk of overamping and overdose. Snorting and other methods of injection may be slightly less dangerous in this regard – however, the risk of meth overdose is still high, regardless of the process.
• Polysubstance Abuse – Using meth in combination with other substances, particularly depressants like alcohol or opioids, can increase the risk of overdose due to the effects on the body. Meth is increasingly being cut with fentanyl, a drug that can cause an overdose in exceedingly small amounts.
• Overall Cardiovascular Health – Those with weaker cardiovascular systems are naturally at increased risk for meth overdoses.

It’s essential to keep in mind that much of our knowledge of drug overdoses in recent years relates to opioids. With opioids like heroin and fentanyl, there is a clear line between a high and an overdose. Things like numbness and slowed breathing are clear and unmistakable signs of an overdose.

On the other hand, methamphetamine has both immediate and long-term effects on the brain and cardiovascular systems. It has been implicated in various heart and brain illnesses that can be fatal.

Instead of a sudden, life-threatening event like an opioid overdose, a meth overdose is more like a range of severe mental and physical symptoms that can gradually worsen.

Can Someone Die of a Meth Overdose?

If a person does experience a fatal meth overdose, it’s likely due to one of four things:

1)   The Meth Was Cut With Something Else

Street meth is sometimes cut with other substances. This is known as a “hot shot.” Dealers may mix meth with heroin or fentanyl, both of which are potent opioids that can easily be fatal in high doses.

2)   The Meth Exacerbated an Already-Existing Health Condition

 A person with a weak heart has a higher risk of a meth-induced cardiac event. It’s worth noting that if a coroner’s report detects any drug in the system at the time of death and a person died of a stroke, heart attack, or seizure, the report will list an overdose as the cause of death.

3)   Cumulative Damage From Long-Term Meth Use

A person who has been abusing meth for a long time will likely be living with inferior nutrition, be dangerously dehydrated (especially if they live in the Southwest, where meth use is prevalent), and be chronically sleep deprived. All this can combine to compromise a person’s constitution greatly – if they didn’t have a heart condition before starting, they likely do now.

Dehydration is a silent killer, insomnia accumulates damage to the body and brain, and malnutrition leads to a weakened immune system. All these can combine so that one more meth hit can be all that’s needed to push a person into a fatal meth overdose.

4)   Brain Hyperthermia

Methamphetamine is highly neurotoxic. High enough doses will heat the brain of the person using it to nearly the biological limit. Some studies suggest that this can lead to a person’s vital functions failing, leading to a fatal meth overdose.

Even if it doesn’t directly kill the person, brain hyperthermia can lead to delirium, which can mean bad decisions like walking into traffic or sleeping outside during severe weather.