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I Am Smoking Meth. Have Swollen Ankle And Toes. What Should I Do To Get Cured?

Posted on Tue, 4 Sep 2012

Question: Hi I've been smoking meth for nearly a year my ankles have swelled up on and off over that time, it seems to be when there is alot of rubbish put in with the meth.This is the worst they have ever been my feet except my toes and my ankles are really badly swollen and they seem to be going down a little but is there anything i can take to stop this. I Started taking meth because my husband died last year and everything's a mess, I'm 30 a widow with 2 young children and everything's a mess my kids r staying with my parents because i don't want then hearing how their dad died they are too young so basically i take meth to stop the emotions as me being a mess isn't gonna get anything done

Answered by Dr. Rajeev Chavda (1 hour later)

Hi,
Thanks for using the XXXXXXX I am happy to address your questions, meth smoking (methamphetamines) is a very powerful drug that acts on the bodies nervous system giving a heightened feeling of energy . It is considered a highly addictive and life threatening drug for long term users. Because tolerance for methamphetamine occurs within minutes thus meaning that the pleasurable effects disappear even before the drug concentration in the blood falls significantly. The large release of dopamine produced by methamphetamine is thought to contribute to the drug's toxic effects on nerve terminals in the brain. High doses can elevate body temperature to XXXXXXX sometimes lethal levels, as well as cause convulsions. It can cause a variety of cardiovascular problems including rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and irreversible, stroke-producing damage to small blood vessels in the brain. The most effective treatments for meth addiction are cognitive behavioral interventions. These approaches are designed to help modify the thinking, expectancies, and behaviors and to increase skills in coping with various life stressors and can lead to long-term drug-free recovery. There are currently no particular pharmacological treatments for dependence on methamphetamine. Antidepressant medications are helpful in combating the depressive symptoms. In cases of extreme excitement or panic, treatment with antianxiety agents such as benzodiazepines has been helpful, and in cases of methamphetamine-induced psychoses, short-term use of neuroleptics has proven successful. Will recommend you kindly consult your clinician or psychiatrists who can examine and advice the best possible therapy. Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions I will be happy to help. Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Rajeev Chavda (14 hours later)

All you did is give the typical meth answer!!! I want to know why my feet and ankles are swelling? Is it coz im on them alot more or coz i fall asleep anywhere??? can u give me to a drug specialist or someone coz i don't give a shit what it does to me I just want to no how to stop the swelling my friend with that arthritis thing in the joints gave me some of her pills yes i no again wrong of me but they worked a bit u take 2 little pills straight away then 1 every hour

Answered by Dr. Rajeev Chavda (3 hours later)

Thanks for your kind response. Yes, the swelling could be due to both excess as well as fluid retention in your body. Would recommend not to take any arthritis medications, they could be anti-inflammatory medications which could reduce the pain and some swelling to some extent but will only mask the cause and not rule out the underlying condition. Hence, will recommend you kindly consult your clinician who can examine and advice the best possible therapy. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish you good health

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar