Generic Name: methamphetamine (METH am FET a meen)
Brand names: Desoxyn, Desoxyn Gradumet
What is methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant. It affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.
Methamphetamine is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is also used to treat obesity after other diets or medications have been tried without successful weight loss.
Methamphetamine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about methamphetamine?
Do not use methamphetamine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take methamphetamine before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body. Do not use this medication if you are allergic to methamphetamine, or if you have hardened arteries (arteriosclerosis), heart disease, moderate to severe high blood pressure (hypertension), overactive thyroid, glaucoma, severe anxiety or agitation, or a history of drug or alcohol addiction. Some stimulants have caused sudden death in children and adolescents with serious heart problems or congenital heart defects. Before taking methamphetamine, tell your doctor if you have any type of heart problems. Do not give this medication to a child younger than 12 years old without the advice of a doctor.
Long-term use of methamphetamine can slow a child's growth. Tell your doctor if the child using this medication is not growing or gaining weight properly.
Methamphetamine is a drug of abuse and may be habit-forming. Keep track of how many pills have been used from each new bottle of this medicine. You should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription. Using this medication improperly can cause death or serious side effects on the heart.
What should I discuss with my doctor before taking methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Methamphetamine should never be shared with another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it. Do not use methamphetamine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take methamphetamine before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to methamphetamine or if you have:
heart disease or moderate to severe high blood pressure (hypertension);
arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries);
overactive thyroid;
glaucoma;
severe anxiety, tension, or agitation; or
if you have a history of drug or alcohol addiction.
Some stimulants have caused sudden death in children and adolescents with serious heart problems or congenital heart defects.
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use this medication:
a congenital heart defect;
high blood pressure;
heart failure, heart rhythm disorder, or recent heart attack;
a personal or family history of mental illness, psychotic disorder, bipolar illness, depression, or suicide attempt;
diabetes; or
tics (muscle twitches) or Tourette's syndrome.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether this medication is harmful to an unborn baby. Methamphetamine could cause premature birth, low birth weight, or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn if the mother takes methamphetamine during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Methamphetamine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Long-term use of methamphetamine can slow a child's growth. Tell your doctor if the child using this medication is not growing or gaining weight properly.
Do not give this medication to a child younger than 12 years old without the advice of a doctor.
How should I take methamphetamine?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.
Take this medication with a full glass of water.
If you are taking methamphetamine for weight loss and your appetite gradually increases, do not take more of the medication to suppress appetite. Stop taking methamphetamine and call your doctor.
To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your doctor will need to see you on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits.
This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using methamphetamine.
Store methamphetamine at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Keep track of how many pills have been used from each new bottle of this medicine. Methamphetamine is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription. Using this medication improperly can cause death or serious side effects on the heart.
See also: Methamphetamine dosage (in more detail)
What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, or if it is already evening, skip the missed dose and take the medicine the next morning. Taking this medicine late in the day can cause sleep problems. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of methamphetamine can be fatal.
Overdose symptoms may include restlessness, tremor, muscle twitches, rapid breathing, confusion, hallucinations, panic, aggressiveness, unexplained muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, and dark colored urine. These symptoms may be followed by depression and tiredness. Other overdose symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, uneven heartbeats, feeling light-headed, fainting, seizure (convulsions), or coma.
What should I avoid while taking methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Do not take methamphetamine late in the day. A dose taken too late in the day can cause sleep problems (insomnia).
Avoid drinking fruit juices or taking vitamin C at the same time you take methamphetamine. These can make your body absorb less of the medicine.
Methamphetamine side effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using methamphetamine and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats;
feeling light-headed, fainting;
dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure); or
tremor, restlessness, hallucinations, unusual behavior, or motor tics (muscle twitches).
Less serious side effects may include:
headache or dizziness;
sleep problems (insomnia);
dry mouth or an unpleasant taste in your mouth;
diarrhea, constipation;
loss of appetite, weight loss; or
loss of interest in sex, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Methamphetamine Dosing Information
Usual Adult Dose for Obesity:
For short-term (i.e., a few weeks) use in Exogenous Obesity:
One 5 mg tablet should be taken one-half hour before each meal. Treatment should not exceed a few weeks in duration.
Methamphetamine may be used as an adjunct in a regimen of weight reduction based on caloric restriction, for patients in whom obesity is refractory to alternative therapy, e.g., repeated diets, group programs, and other drugs.
Usual Pediatric Dose for Attention Deficit Disorder:
>= 6 years:
Initial Dose: 5 mg once or twice a day is recommended.
Daily dosage may be raised in increments of 5 mg at weekly intervals until an optimum clinical response is achieved. The usual effective dose is 20 to 25 mg daily. The total daily dose may be given in two divided doses daily.
Where possible, drug administration should be interrupted occasionally to determine if there is a recurrence of behavioral symptoms sufficient to require continued therapy.
Methamphetamine therapy is indicated as an integral part of a total treatment program which typically includes other remedial measures (psychological, educational, social) for a stabilizing effect in children over 6 years of age with a behavioral syndrome characterized by the following group of developmentally inappropriate symptoms: moderate to severe distractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotional lability, and impulsivity. The diagnosis of this syndrome should not be made with finality when these symptoms are only of comparatively recent origin. Nonlocalizing (soft) neurological signs, learning disability, and abnormal EEG may or may not be present, and a diagnosis of central nervous system dysfunction may or may not be warranted.
Decrements in the predicted growth (i.e., weight gain and/or height) rate have been reported with the long-term use of stimulants in children. Therefore, patients requiring long-term therapy should be carefully monitored.
Drug treatment is not indicated in all cases of the behavioral syndrome characterized by moderate to severe distractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotional lability and impulsivity. It should be considered only in light of the complete history and evaluation of the child. The decision to prescribe methamphetamine tablets should depend on the physician's assessment of the chronicity and severity of the child's symptoms and their appropriateness for his/her age. Prescription should not depend solely on the presence of one or more of the behavioral characteristics.
Usual Pediatric Dose for Obesity:
What other drugs will affect methamphetamine?
Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:
insulin;
cold medicines (decongestants);
phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), prochlorperazine (Compazine, Compro), promethazine (Pentazine, Phenergan, Anergan, Antinaus), thioridazine (Mellaril), and others;
an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Tofranil), or nortriptyline (Pamelor).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with methamphetamine. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
More methamphetamine resources
- Methamphetamine Side Effects (in more detail)
- Methamphetamine Dosage
- Methamphetamine Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
- Methamphetamine Drug Interactions
- Methamphetamine Support Group
- 12 Reviews for Methamphetamine - Add your own review/rating
- methamphetamine Advanced Consumer (Micromedex) - Includes Dosage Information
- Methamphetamine MedFacts Consumer Leaflet (Wolters Kluwer)
- Methamphetamine Prescribing Information (FDA)
- Desoxyn Monograph (AHFS DI)
- Desoxyn Prescribing Information (FDA)
Compare methamphetamine with other medications
- ADHD
- Obesity
Where can I get more information?
- Your pharmacist can provide more information about methamphetamine.
See also: methamphetamine side effects (in more detail)
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