Does Meth Cause Cancer?

Looking at the Toxic Nature of Being a Tweaker

Meth is one of the most hazardous chemicals that you can put in your body. My own meth abuse lasted many years and led me down some very dark roads. The adverse health effects were dreadful. My mental health was in the gutter. Every aspect of my addiction was exhausting.

But does meth cause cancer among its many negative effects? We will cover that, and the entirety of my side effects as well, in the hopes that someone reading will get support and recovery!

Meth use doesn’t just hurt you, but everyone around you as well. It wasn’t until I arrived at Icarus in New Mexico that I learned of the damage I had done to my family. Not only was I a meth user, but I also produced it in the home where my children lived, exposing them to unimaginable danger.

Keep reading to learn more from my own hard-won experiences, and get details on how I finally overcame them as well!

The Many Caustic Effects Of Meth Exposure

You don’t have to be an addict to be exposed to the harmful contents of methamphetamine. I subjected my family to this by using our basement as my own personal meth lab. Hanging around in meth labs with questionable characters made up a good chunk of my adult life.

Meth use is rampant in New Mexico where I live. It’s so common out here that they even made a popular television show, Breaking Bad, that is set in New Mexico and revolves around meth. Unfortunately, I fell into long-term meth use like so many others in this state.

The Damage Caused By Meth Abuse

The effects of meth are brutal, and the withdrawals aren’t something I’d wish on my worst enemy. We’ve all seen those before and after photos of meth users, and the results are shocking. When I was in the midst of my meth abuse, I didn’t care to notice the damage being done.

So what exactly does meth do to the body? Does it cause cancer? Can it put you at risk for other diseases?

What is the Evidence Of Meth As A Cancer-Causing Drug?

While many people cook meth in their homes, there is also a subset of meth users who go off into the woods and cook it to avoid detection. Due to the hazardous chemicals used, this creates an environmental health issue as well as a public health issue. You could be living right next to a meth lab and not even know it.

Because of its toxicity, meth can cause complications with the heart, lungs, brain, and other organs, not to mention the well-known symptoms of meth sores and damage done by meth to the face. There is even evidence to suggest that meth users are at a higher risk of developing liver cancer. But how much information is really out there regarding this possible link? Not a lot, but there has been some interesting research into this issue.

Does Meth Cause Cancer: What Does The Research Tell Us?

Although meth is a central nervous system stimulant that has toxic effects, there isn’t a definitive link between meth and cancer. Although this is where the science currently stands, there has been evidence that suggests that meth can cause DNA damage. This DNA damage can lead to mutation.

Another piece of information that suggests a link to cancer is the fact that there are many cutting agents and additives used by meth cookers.

Many household chemicals and cleaning products are used in meth labs, and many of them are known to cause cancer. Does meth use automatically mean you put yourself at a higher risk of cancer? It’s hard to say at this point, but with facts like that, it’s safe to say that it isn’t a crazy suggestion.

The Surreal Daily Lives Of Meth Abusers Like Me

Let’s face it, meth is not the kind of drug you can do recreationally or occasionally. If you are using a drug like meth, the chances are it controls your life. Crystal meth was all I ever thought about from the time I woke up to the time I crashed days later. It’s a living hell.

Long-term users of meth develop what’s known as meth psychosis as a result of lack of sleep. Meth is a stimulant that keeps you awake, sometimes for days and even weeks on end. I still have moments of PTSD from my time as a meth user, and the psychosis that I often dealt with.

How Is Tina Produced and Used?

Crystal meth is often smoked, but it can be ingested in a variety of ways. It can be injected during IV use, and in some cases even snorted. Meth is a drug that hits right away, and it hits hard. When you develop a meth addiction, your brain becomes rewired to need the drug as much as humanly possible.

Crystal meth is created by combining a variety of chemicals, including over-the-counter medications and more toxic substances such as battery acid and antifreeze. Crystal meth is often produced in meth labs, particularly in the case of super meth being made in Mexico, where a meth ‘cook’ can produce high volumes of it for resale. Due to the combination of chemicals used, many of these labs can explode.

My Life In Meth Labs

When I was in the thick of my meth abuse, my wife discovered I was cooking meth in our home. It isn’t hard to figure out the location of a meth lab based on smell alone. I was thrown out of the house, and ended up squatting in a condemned building where I and a handful of other meth users would cook and smoke meth for days on end.

A lot of the people I used to do meth with are either dead or in prison. Meth can cause a lot of health complications, due to the damage caused to the central nervous system. The toxicity of meth is unlike any other drug. But can meth cause cancer? There have been recent studies that show this may be a possibility.

The Well Known Health Effects Of Long Term Meth Use

Long-term use of meth can create chronic issues that don’t just go away if you get clean. Hepatitis, changes in brain function, and elevated blood pressure are common disorders associated with meth use. Tooth decay and skin infections are also common. Meth crystalizes under the skin, leading many users to scratch and pick at it. I’ve scratched myself raw and didn’t realize it because of the amount of meth I had ingested.

Meth users commonly grind their teeth, a lot of times involuntarily. This leads to cracked and broken teeth. When you are a meth addict, going to the dentist isn’t at the top of your priority list. Neither is going to any doctor. By the time I ended up in prison for cooking meth, I hadn’t had any kind of physical check up in over ten years.

The Price You Pay For Meth Abuse is All Encompassing

As I mentioned above, my meth addiction led to a sentence of eighteen months in prison. I showed up as a weak and broken person. Prison is a scary place. It’s even scarier if you are viewed as a weakling. Unfortunately, it can be just as easy to get drugs in prison as it is on the street. I continued using drugs in prison. Whatever I could get my hands on that was close enough to meth. You don’t even want to know the process of how I got them.

After being caught with contraband, I was put in lockdown and had to deal with the withdrawal from meth in a padded room. I was in there for two weeks, and it was easily the worst experience of my life. The only good that came out of it was when I came out, I had an opportunity to get clean.

Finally Seeking Treatment For Long Term Drug Abuse

When I got out of prison, I had a little bit of clean time. I went back to smoking meth for another month or two before a week-long binge almost killed me. I had developed DNA damage due to my extreme meth use. My brain and body were exhausted. When I was given the option of treatment, I jumped at it.

Having a doctor tell me I was close to death was what finally woke me up. I was at high risk for liver failure if I continued to use it. I had also been given some research regarding the possible link between meth use and cancer. It was one thing after another, and I was fed up with being a broken person. I wanted to live.

Getting Your Health Back

When I got to Icarus, I was one of the many meth users in New Mexico that had fallen victim to this horrifying drug. I met a lot of like-minded people in recovery. People who looked and sounded just like me, but also people who weren’t like me. Substance abuse doesn’t discriminate. Anyone can be an addict, especially if you try a drug like meth.

Once the damage has been done, it’s difficult to recover from. Getting my mind back was the toughest part. Even though my body was so ravaged, the toll meth took on my brain was even worse. My recovery from meth was an around-the-clock situation. The people at Icarus were amazing at helping me each step of the way.

The Ongoing Recovery Process from Prolonged Meth Use

As I recovered from my years of stimulant abuse at Icarus’ meth rehab facility, it took months for me to feel normal again. Luckily, the pull of recovery was stronger at that point than the pull of my meth use. I had been given quite the scare prior to going to treatment, and I wanted to do everything in my power to stay sober. The triggers were still there, but I fought them with everything I had.

One of the big topics when I would go to support groups was health. Living a healthy lifestyle and putting the past behind you. When you’re involved with a drug like meth, it changes you as a person. I do think I gained a certain amount of wisdom from it, but not nearly the amount of wisdom I gained from being in recovery.

Get Support for Meth Recovery in New Mexico at Icarus

Education is a huge factor in keeping others from using drugs like meth. A lot of what I learned about drugs in school wasn’t relevant to me. I assumed only poor people and criminals used drugs. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I use myself as an example. If I’m talking to people who aren’t familiar with meth, I am as honest as possible.

I don’t want to scare people, I just want everyone to know that it isn’t worth it. Not even one time. Because of what I learned at Icarus Behavioral, I can educate others on the dangers of methamphetamine and what it can lead to. The risk of becoming a full-blown addict is there with just that one hit. I see it as my duty to try and help others avoid that first hit.

If meth has become your world, like it was mine, it is worth giving them a call to get a path out. I know it made all the difference for me, and it can for you too!