Meth, what is so bad about doing meth and why is it frowned upon?

I'm gonna completely disagree with you here unless you provide some sources for your claims.

Recently I've been very interested in the actual pharmacology of this drug given the IMMENSE amount of misinformation, anecdotal claims and general bullshit that seems to surround it. And so far I've found that it's far less destructive as you make it out to be.

The negative health effects that can arise from methamphetamine are largely due to the things that go along with meth (ab)use, and are not inherent to the drug itself. The main things are sleep deprivation, malnutrition and poor hygiene. Combine those three things and you're body will go to shit, regardless of any meth use.

Adderall (amphetamine) and methamphetamine are damn near identical (especially chemically) yet adderall is looked at in a much better light. Methamphetamine is only marginally worse due to it's neurotoxicity in high doses. (And these neurotoxic effects can be mitigated, similar to that of MDMA. Also note MDMA is more neurotoxic than meth). Now of course it still has its risks associated with abuse and addiction, and they shouldn't be taken lightly, but the misinformation and negative stigmas related to the drug are blown out of proportion and it's a lot safer than most people think.

You also have to understand why it's neurotoxic and how damage can occur from it. Methamphetamine is more lipid soluble that amphetamine so it crosses the blood brain barrier faster and easier, it's more potent. It's also more stable against enzymatic degradation by monoamine oxidase, so it releases dopamine for longer than amphetamine would. These two things makes it easier to overwork and overstimulate your dopamine receptors and potentially damage/deplete those receptors. But you can easily minimize/prevent this neurotoxicity with proper usage the same way you can for MDMA.

For example, cannabis has been shown to prevent the neurotoxic effects of meth. Source

I would also take meth over coke any day. Meth may be neurotoxic at high dose, but It's still safer in my mind since cocaine is inherently cardiotoxic, and the neurotoxic effects of meth can be mitigated!

And methamphetamine is NOT neurotoxic at low doses, in fact the opposite, it has been shown to be neuroprotective at low doses. Source source source

Of course you can abuse it and suffer ill effects, but this drug can absolutely be used safely.

/r/Drugs Thread Parent