Key takeaways:
Methamphetamine, sometimes called “meth” or “crystal meth,” is a harmful and addictive substance. Because it can have such a strong effect on the brain and body, meth use often leads to overdose.
Meth overdoses involve a range of physical and psychological symptoms. Overdoses can result in anything from delusional thinking to heart attacks to seizures.
A meth overdose is potentially life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. If someone is showing signs of an overdose, they need to get to a hospital right away for treatment.
Methamphetamine, also called “meth” or “crystal meth,” is a potent substance that affects many different parts of the body. Its strong stimulant effects mean it’s easy to overdose on meth. This can be particularly dangerous for the heart and brain.
A meth overdose is a life-threatening condition that requires prompt medical treatment. We’ll explain ways to identify a meth overdose and how to help someone who might be in trouble.
What are the signs and symptoms of a meth overdose?
Meth is a stimulant. So people use it to increase their focus and energy and decrease their need for sleep or even food. But these effects quickly give way to more serious symptoms. It can be easy for people to cross the line into overdose.
Early symptoms of a meth overdose
Early symptoms of a meth overdose include:
Agitation or aggressive behavior
Paranoid thoughts or delusions
Chest pain
Rapid heart rate or palpitations
Breathing problems
Elevated body temperature
Severe symptoms of a meth overdose
In severe cases, a meth overdose can lead to:
Heart attack: Meth can restrict blood flow to the heart muscle in the same way as a traditional heart attack from coronary artery disease.
Hypertensive crisis: This is when blood pressure gets so high that it causes organ damage.
Cardiac arrest: Meth can actually cause the heart to stop. This is even more serious than a heart attack because, without CPR, it’s deadly within minutes.
Seizure: Meth can cause someone to feel restless or be unable to control their movement. But it can also progress to a seizure, where someone goes unconscious and has convulsions.
Stroke: Meth can also restrict blood flow in the brain enough to cause a stroke.
Meth overdose symptoms can start rapidly with little warning. Or they can build slowly over time. Any of the symptoms above are signs of an overdose, regardless of the timing.
How do you perform CPR? You don’t need to be certified to perform CPR. Learn how to do it here.
Do you need help for meth use? You don’t have to do it alone. There’s treatment and support to help you.
How to get free Narcan: Many meth overdoses also involve opioids. Having Narcan on hand can save someone’s life.
What should you do if someone is experiencing a meth overdose?
If you think someone has overdosed on meth, it’s important to act quickly. Here are the first things to do:
Call 911 and get the person emergency medical assistance.
Try to wake the person up if they appear unconscious. To do this, vigorously rub their chest with your fist, right over the breastbone.
If they don’t wake up, check for a pulse and start CPR if you can’t immediately feel one. You don’t need to be certified in CPR to give chest compressions. If you’re still on the phone, 911 operators can guide you through it.
Give them Narcan. If they have a pulse but aren’t waking up, give them naloxone (Narcan) if you have it on hand. This will help if they also have opioids in their system (more on this below).
Stay with the person until the paramedics arrive.
The 911 dispatcher or paramedics will likely ask you some questions. They may want to know if you have any details about the person or which kind of drugs they took. Don’t hesitate to tell the truth. This information can be the difference between life and death. Nearly all states have Good Samaritan laws to protect you from criminal charges when you try to help someone.
In most cases, the only thing you have to do until the paramedics arrive is to keep the person as calm and safe as possible. Many people with meth overdoses will feel agitated and anxious. Do your best to stay calm and reassure the person that help is on the way.
Should you use Narcan for a meth overdose?
Narcan is a brand-name version of naloxone, a medication that can quickly reverse the symptoms of an opioid overdose. It can be sprayed up the nose or injected into a muscle.
If you have Narcan on hand, you should always give it when you suspect someone is overdosing — even if you aren’t sure which substance is causing it. This is because:
Many overdoses involve multiple substances. And a large portion of meth overdoses involve opioids — like fentanyl or heroin.
Narcan won’t cause any harm in overdoses that don’t involve opioids. For someone who is overdosing on meth only, it won’t help or harm them.
How do you know if a meth overdose needs medical treatment?
Any suspected drug overdose needs immediate medical treatment. With any drug overdose, minutes can make the difference between life and death. The safe choice is getting professional medical treatment as quickly as possible.
This is especially true of you notice someone is:
Passed out and hard to wake up
Having uncontrollable movements or seizures
Breathing abnormally — like shallow breathing, slow breathing, or rapid breathing — or struggling to breath on their own
Complaining of chest pain
Experiencing paranoia or delusions
Behaving aggressively toward themselves or others
These situations can escalate quickly. So, it’s best not to wait to see if their symptoms change or get worse.
How much methamphetamine does it take to overdose?
The amount of meth needed to cause an overdose depends entirely on the person and the drug(s) someone takes.
Some factors that affect a meth overdose include:
Dose and strength: Because of the way meth is created, the strength of each batch is unpredictable.
Route: Smoking or injecting creates effects that are different from snorting or swallowing.
Personal factors: A person’s age, weight, and overall mental and physical health all play a role.
Tolerance: Someone’s history of meth use can have an impact on overdose.
Other drugs: Effects can vary if the person used other drugs in addition to meth.
How long does it take to overdose on meth?
Depending on how someone uses meth, an overdose can happen very quickly. Smoked meth can affect people immediately. And injected meth produces effects in as little as 15 seconds.
But the quick start of overdose symptoms isn’t the only thing that’s dangerous. The duration of overdose symptoms can be scary, too. Meth stays active in your body for very long periods of time. Some of the dangerous effects of meth, like delusional thinking, can last for 15 hours.
So there’s no standard time period for when an overdose can happen. It can happen right after use or many hours later.
How do you treat a meth overdose?
A meth overdose needs to be treated by medical professionals. You should never try to treat overdose symptoms without the help of a healthcare professional.
Treatment for a meth overdose is based on someone’s symptoms. It can include:
Sedatives to help someone feel calmer
Breathing support, from oxygen to intubation in severe cases
Strong medications to keep the heart rate and blood pressure in the normal range
Activated charcoal in specific cases when someone swallows meth
IV (intravenous) fluids to help the heart and kidneys
Medications to stop or prevent seizures
If someone is experiencing a heart attack or cardiac arrest from meth, this requires cardiac life support.
Medical staff can also test for other drugs to make sure they’re properly treating every aspect of the overdose. They can safely monitor someone’s recovery until all of the drugs have worn off.
How can you prevent a methamphetamine overdose?
Like any substance, the best way to prevent an overdose is to avoid using the drug altogether. Otherwise, it’s always safer to use a familiar drug with people you trust.
It’s also a good idea to always carry naloxone. Opioids are the primary source of drug overdoses.
Lastly, don’t hesitate to call 911. Emergency medical services can save your life or the life of someone you care about.
The bottom line
Methamphetamine is a powerful and dangerous drug that can quickly lead to an overdose. The signs of an overdose can be as subtle as restlessness or an increase in heart rate. Or they can be more severe, like a heart attack or seizure.
No matter what the signs are, call 911 for help anytime you suspect someone took too much. It can be easy to doubt or second-guess yourself, but it’s important to act quickly. Your immediate action could save a life.
Why trust our experts?
References
BetterHealth Channel. (2020). Ice (crystal methamphetamine). Department of Health, State Government of Victoria.
MedlinePlus. (2023). Methamphetamine overdose.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Naloxone DrugFacts. National Institutes of Health.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2024). Drug overdose death rates. National Institutes of Health.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2021). Drug misuse: Most states have good samaritan laws and research indicates they may have positive effects.
