Over time, reduced levels of dopamine production can cause symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease, which severely affects movement, the National Institute on Drug Abuse said. The institute says even a small amount of methamphetamine can produce euphoria, alertness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite and increased respiration. Other central nervous system effects include irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors, anxiety, aggression, hyperthermia and convulsions. The drug can cause high blood pressure and increased heart rate. It can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes.
Malnutrition can result from the lack of food resulting from meth's reduction in a user's appetite.
Psychological symptoms of prolonged methamphetamine abuse include hallucinations, paranoia and repetitive behavior. In Northwest Arkansas, most patients admitted to the area mental wards have a standing diagnosis of psychosis. Of the remainder, the majority are there for treatment as a result of methamphetamine use, said Dr. Michael Holloman, a psychiatrist at Ozark Guidance Center in Springdale. About half of those patients abuse drugs or alcohol, he said. Methamphetamine is the drug of choice for at least one-third of those, he said.