Crystal Meth

SAFER FUCKING

On meth, sex sessions can go much longer and harder. For this reason, and also because people can get a bit dehydrated, the risk of breaking
the skin or anal lining during sex and causing bleeding are increased. If condoms are being used they may break after prolonged use, and lube
may dry out or get depleted. Condoms and lube may come off or get forgotten altogether. For HIV-negative guys using meth to enhance sex – PrEP
can be a great way to protect against HIV infection. If you’re HIV negative, and your HIV prevention (condoms or PrEP) fell by the wayside, you
can access PEP within 72 hours to prevent HIV.
It’s also worth considering other STIs such as syphilis, gonorrhea and hepatitis. If you aren’t using condoms then regular sexual health check-ups are a good idea.

SAFER USE

Because manufacture of meth is illegal, every batch you buy could be made differently, and could have a different effect on you. It’s always wise
to have less than you think you need at first, just in case this batch is stroneger than you’re used to.

If you are going to use drugs, there are a few ways to keep your play safer.

Set limits, and stick to them. Decide how long you want to be out for and how much you’ve got to spend.
Under pressure? Don’t let others put pressure on you to do more, or push your limits.
Eat it! Crystal decreases your appetite. Before you play have some food, and keep hydrated.
Manage aftercare. Having an extended play session? Make sure the fridge is stocked, and you have time off afterwards to rest properly
before you get back into the swing of things.
Plan your come down. Do you get severe anxiety/depression or thoughts of suicide when coming down? Put together a plan on how to manage it before you play.
Let ‘em know. Tell mates where you’ll be, and what time you plan to be home.
Stay protected: Wherever you’re playing and for however long, keep enough of your HIV meds or PrEP with you, and set some phone reminders.
Read the signs: In some people, using meth and going for extended periods without sleep can trigger the onset or the recurrence of mental illness
including depression, anxiety and/or psychosis. If you are living with a mental illness, it’s a good idea to learn your relapse early warning signs
(getting irritable, seeing shadows, hearing whispers, experiencing feelings of paranoia, etc.). If you start to get symptoms, you should stop using and
try to get some sleep. If things don’t improve, of course you should see a health professional.

Blood borne viruses such as Hepatitis B, C and HIV can be transmitted through sharing equipment. That’s not just needles and syringes
but other equipment you’re using too like tourniquets, swabs, spoons and surfaces.

While injecting may be efficient, it also carries greater risk than other routes of administering the drug. You are more likely to expose yourself to a blood borne virus, vein damage or a bacterial infection, and you are also more likely to overdose. It’s always a good idea to have a taste first to get an idea of strength and purity. You can always put more in, but once it’s in, you can’t take it out.
If you plan to inject, it’s important that you learn how to do it yourself, and that you learn to do it properly. If you inject correctly, you will be able to keep your veins in good condition and reduce your risk of injury and bacterial or viral infection.

Things To Know About Safer Injecting

For five things to know about safer injecting check out Thorne Harbour Health’s Safer Injecting video on YouTube and for a list of places to get clean injecting gear via our Useful Links page

  Get the best equipment: 

The most important thing is always using a new needle-syringe. A map of where you get free needle-syringes in Victoria can be located here 

also check out Vic Health’s Needle and Syringe Program

Aside from needle-syringes, make sure you’ve got a good tourniquet, cup/spoon, and heaps of swabs/Band-Aid’s. Keep your equipment stocked up to make sure that you              never have to share.

Remember – ‘a new fit for every hit’ (and never sharing equipment) means that you significantly reduce your risk of catching a blood borne virus.

        Learn about vein care.

Do your own research or speak to a professional; this might include a good GP or a worker in a needle syringe program.

Some basics include:

Rotating your veins so you give injecting sites time to heal

Drinking water (before injecting) to make veins easier to find

Keeping your hands, equipment and injecting site clean to make sure you don’t get an infection. This includes putting a band-aid on your injecting site to keep bacteria out.

1. Take it slow and develop a good technique:

Like with many things, developing a good technique takes time. To get started,  checkout our safer injecting video on YouTube.

If you would like more support, there are heaps of non-judgmental services that can help you to improve your injecting style. You can contact ‘Harm Reduction Victoria’ for safe injecting workshops, or head down to the Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR) who have some great equipment and technology that can really help you inject as safely as possible.

Different batches will have different levels of potency and will affect people differently depending on how the drug is taken, body size, general physical and mental health, and other individual factors.The desirable short term effects of meth use include feelings of euphoria, increased alertness, energy, self-confidence and focus. Less desirable effects can include insomnia, hyperactivity, moodiness, irritability, restlessness and feelings of anxiety or agitation. Other possible effects are difficulties regulating body temperature, irregular heartbeat or palpitations, loss of appetite and increased sweating.Higher doses or extended periods of use may cause people to experience shortness of breath, involuntary twitching or tremors, depression, paranoia, seizures, heart attack or stroke.  If you or any of your friends are using meth and start to feel out of breath, experience tremors or heart palpitations, or feel very hot and unable to cool down, or anyone collapses, passes out or has a seizure, it’s important that you seek medical attention immediately. Overdosing on methamphetamine is not as uncommon as you might think and can be fatal.

Long term use

The body builds up a tolerance to meth very quickly when used frequently. Feeling like you need more to get high each time you play is a sign that you may be developing a tolerance and it might be time to take a break for a while. Increasing your use or dosage can increase your risk of overdosing, put a much higher economic burden on you, and increase your dependency upon meth to function socially.

Long term, regular use can result in a range of negative physical and psychological impacts, including dependence on meth to feel and function ‘normally’ and a decreased ability or desire to have sex without the drug.

If you feel like you are prioritising meth use over other activities, needing more of the drug to get the same effects, always using more than you initially intended to or no longer feeling in control of your use, it may be worth talking to someone about it.

Meth+ Other Stimulants (MDMA, speed, cocaine)
heart strain which can lead to stroke

Meth+ Depressants (GHB, alcohol, benzos &
opioids) can create heart strain due to opposing effects. It causes you to feel less of both substances putting you at risk of taking more & causing more harm to your body.
Meth+ Caffeine can increase anxiety

Meth+ MAO l Antidepressants foster an  increased potency of methamphetamine. Increased risk of cardiovascular disorders, psychosis, agitation and aggression.
Meth+ Methoxetamine can lead to hyper manic states much more
easily.
Meth+ Psychedelics (LSD, DMT, magic mushrooms,
2CB) will speed up the trip and make it more intense while the LSD will magnify the anxiety and paranoia caused by the speed
Meth+ Cold & flu medicine containing
decongestants can cause dangerously high blood
pressure

Meth+ EDDs (Viagra/Cialis) increases the risk of stroke because crystal increases blood pressure and EDDs decreases it, mixing them increases the negative side effects of the drug.

Meth + HIV meds called protease inhibitors added to crystal can elevate the amount of crystal on your system which significantly increases your high. Talk to your doctor about your HIV meds if you’re using crystal.

Meth+ PrEP work just fine together with no known interactions. If you’re using meth and you’re HIV-negative then PrEP is a great way to protect yourself from HIV.

What if shit goes wrong?

• Stay away from crowds.
• Avoid loud noises.
• Reassure yourself or the person affected that what you are experiencing is because of the meth.
• If it gets out of control dial 000 and remember paramedics are not obliged to involve the police.

Things not feeling great?

Things not feeling great?

If you’re experiencing negative side effects from your meth use you can access Thorne Harbour Health’s counselling services

Want to change or cease your meth use? Re-Wired is a free, eight week program for men who have sex with men (MSM) aimed at helping you to learn skills and strategies to change your methamphetamine use and better manage your mental health.

For LGBTI drug information check out Touchbase or Harm Reduction Victoria’s drug resources

If you need help on dealing with drug and alcohol addiction, please contact DrugInfo at 1300 85 85 84

If you’re in crisis contact Switchboard  or Lifeline

Ask us anything! Got more questions about meth? Ask our specialists and we’ll get back to you with some help or answers.