Meth Warning Signs and Names

Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug that can be inhaled/smoked, swallowed (pill), snorted, or injected. The “high” is usually short lasting which results in uses taking repeated doses frequently, to maintain the high. Frequent use can lead to an overdose, which can have very serious effects on one’s health including: stroke, heart attack, organ problems, and ultimately death. Methamphetamine is highly addictive. Learn about the warning signs of meth use and overdose here.

Warning signs of Meth usage include general signs of addiction:

• secrecy or withdrawal
• loss of focus on customary activities
• change in spending habits
• drug paraphernalia

As for other amphetamines, meth use may be signaled by:

• change of mental status such as
  • disorientation or confusion
  • agitation
  • euphoria
  • anxiety
  • paranoia
  • aggressiveness
• impairment of brain function such as memory loss
• reduced appetite
• weight loss
• insomnia
• quickened breathing
• non-healing sores (the street name for these are lithium scabs)

Hyperthermia (elevated body temperature) and convulsion can also occur, as can respiratory problems, heart problems, and blood pressure change, all of which can result in a life-threatening situation.

Another way to recognize use is if the person refers to the substance.

Meth Street Names

As is often the case with street names, some of those for meth are variations on some element of the substance’s chemical name, methamphetamine:

• blue meth
• Christmas tree meth
• crystal meth
• holiday meth
• meth
• Methlies Quik (referencing Nestle’s Quik®)
• Nazimeth

Another (overlapping) set have part of the sound of the name crystal from the street name crystal meth or, in the last case, jump from Christina to nicknames for that woman’s name:

• Christina
• Christmas tree meth
• Chrome
• Cristy
• Crypto
• Crystal glass
• Tina

Other names apply only to specific types of meth:

• Smokable meth
  • Batu
  • Cristy
  • Hanyak
  • Hironpon
  • Hiopon
  • Hot Ice
  • Kaksonjae
  • L.A. glass
  • L.A. ice
  • Quartz
  • Super ice
• Green meth (produced using Drano® crystals)
  • Christmas tree meth
  • holiday meth

Other names reference other drugs, or create potential confusion of what substance is being referred to.

Meth is potentially confused with Crack Cocaine when it is called:

• Mexican crack
• Motorcycle crack
• po coke
• poor man’s coke
• redneck cocaine
• working man’s cocaine

It is also important not to confuse methamphetamines with other drugs that have meth in their names:

• Steroids with meth in their names
  • dymethzine and methatrial (injectable steroids)
  • methyltestosterone (an oral steroid);
• Ecstasy and its “relatives”:
  • Ecstasy – 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
  • MDA – 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine
  • MDEA – 3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-Ethylamphetamine

Also, since, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the name Methedrine® is used on the street to refer either to broad amphetamines (of which methamphetamine is one, but not the only one) and also to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), there is obviously some confusion in the identification of these substances among people who use them, and care must therefore be taken in identifying what “meth use” or “Methedrine® use” actually means.

Warning Signs and Street Names of Meth Sources:

• whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/default.asp
• usscreeningsource.com/druginformation.htm
• whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/ByAlpha.asp?strTerm=M
• emedicine.com/emerg/topic23.htm
• scottsdaleaz.gov/safety/drugs/SignsofMethUse.pdf
• drugabuse.gov