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Core Topics => Drugs => Phenethylamines => Topic started by: Chip on July 12, 2016, 01:09:13 AM

Title: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Chip on July 12, 2016, 01:09:13 AM
This is a new issue for me. I just joined the dots and when a long-term using friend died from kidney failure, I didn't  really know why but now that my own kidneys are hurting today, I'm starting to think that even weekly use may be the meth.

Does anybody have any experience with Methamphetamine and kidney issues ?

Is once a week likely to damage my kidneys since I have been doing it for over a few years ?
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Esoteric Anhydride on July 12, 2016, 11:41:00 AM
Tweak is very hard on kidneys. I had a neighbor who almost died from kidney failure while smoking speed.

Be careful Chipper.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Zoops on July 12, 2016, 06:00:36 PM
Yeah, I can imagine the very fine network of blood vessels in the kidneys is prone to damage from chronic elevated BP caused by methamphetamine.

Is that what causes the damage - high BP? Because hypertension can cause renal disease if left untreated. I imagine it can damage your eyes too?

Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Chip on July 12, 2016, 06:31:29 PM
Thanks guys, I will try to do it only occasionally but damn, it's scary.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Esoteric Anhydride on July 12, 2016, 10:08:49 PM
Yeah, I can imagine the very fine network of blood vessels in the kidneys is prone to damage from chronic elevated BP caused by methamphetamine.

Is that what causes the damage - high BP? Because hypertension can cause renal disease if left untreated. I imagine it can damage your eyes too?

I've heard for a long time that the shit is hard on various organs and systems, but regarding kidneys I've never heard anything about the mechanism behind the damage, only that it apparently doesn't metabolize down much and that the molecule itself (not metabolites) is damaging to kidneys.

Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Chip on July 13, 2016, 08:45:51 AM
I found some more on this at narconon.org:

The increased heart rate and constriction of blood vessels common with stimulant abuse can also cut off the flow of blood to the kidneys, again, resulting in failure.

Hyperthermia, or increased body temperature, is a common result of stimulant abuse. Hyperthermia can reach dangerous—even fatal—levels. If a person also becomes dehydrated, the kidneys will be highly stressed, may break down completely and death can result.


... and I found this (elsewhere) too:

Meth can also damage the kidneys. The body uses the kidneys to filter waste products from the body. When the meth is filtered through the kidneys, it causes blood vessels in the kidneys to constrict. This leads to a decrease in urine production and allows toxins to be reabsorbed into the body.

Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Opi-ette on July 13, 2016, 10:05:41 AM
Chipper how are you feeling today? Do they still hurt? Please be careful, we need you!
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Chip on July 13, 2016, 10:09:08 AM
Opi-ette, no they don't hurt today but i recently dropped my Methadone dose a bit and all sort of niggles and pains popped up but they are now subsiding as i get used to my new dose.

thank you for your concerns.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Opi-ette on July 13, 2016, 10:27:24 AM
Oh thats good to hear  :) Can I ask how you know its your kidneys? I ask because I have a bad back (lumbar area) and wonder how people differentiate kidney pain from back pain.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Chip on July 13, 2016, 11:02:25 AM
sure, kidney pain is higher up than general back pain - it's just under your back's rib cage. mind you, i could be wrong and hope i am but it does make sense.

I also took this from http://www.medicinenet.com/ :
 
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs (about 11 cm x 7 cm x 3 cm) that are located against the back muscles in the upper abdominal area. They sit opposite each other on both the left and right side of the body; the right kidney, however, sits a little lower than the left to accommodate the size of the liver.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Zoops on July 17, 2016, 12:52:43 PM
In addition to being a potent vasoconstrictor, methamphetamine, and any amphetamine, for that matter, is relatively strong in the pKa department, meaning it is a strong base, compared to other types of molecules and substances floating around in the physiological milieu.

This might also be cause for some of the damaging effects of tweak on the kidneys. The kidneys work by allowing blood to flow through a very fine network of blood vessels, where waste products and drug metabolites are filtered out, while the stuff your body needs are re-absorbed.

Methamphetamine, by virtue of its being a basic, alkaline substance, might cause some direct physical damage to these extremely fine blood vessels, which, for all intents and purposes have walls that are but one cell layer thick.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Chip on July 17, 2016, 10:21:17 PM
At least the pain has gone away and I really don't take more than approx 150 mg. a week and my urine color hasn't been dark at all lately so I hope that is a good indicator of my kidney health.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: smalls on July 18, 2016, 01:08:21 PM
Speaking of reabsorbed toxins, when I don't shit for a week does my body absorb toxins from the poo that just sits in my colon until it's a rock hard mass the size of a 16 oz can of Dr. Pepper?

Any time there's talk of kidneys I like to mention that I have only one. Was born that way. I didn't even know it until I was in my 20s. Crazy huh? I guess back in the 80s they were satisfied with counting a newborn's 10 fingers and 10 toes and called it a day. Nowadays I think they check for all the organs during pregnancy.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Chip on July 18, 2016, 05:04:32 PM
That's interesting ... i only have sight in one eye - wanna swap ?

I think that only one kidney is ok and I'm not too sure why we have two anyway.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: theSWPK on July 18, 2016, 05:12:35 PM
Back when I would have extended tweekend runs that would go from Friday to Tuesday or sometimes longer. I would use either lisdextroamphetamine or meth, and my  kidneys would hurt afterwards.
Could have been from zero food and dehydration but I've always done very well on staying hydrated when using stims.

Also, I have 2 healthy kidneys, and most likely would do fine with just one. But I know, the second I take up an offer to sell a kidney for $20,000 that, just to fuck with me, the remaining one would fail.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Tainted on July 19, 2016, 12:53:05 PM
I found some more on this at narconon.org:

The increased heart rate and constriction of blood vessels common with stimulant abuse can also cut off the flow of blood to the kidneys, again, resulting in failure.

Hyperthermia, or increased body temperature, is a common result of stimulant abuse. Hyperthermia can reach dangerous—even fatal—levels. If a person also becomes dehydrated, the kidneys will be highly stressed, may break down completely and death can result.


... and I found this (elsewhere) too:

Meth can also damage the kidneys. The body uses the kidneys to filter waste products from the body. When the meth is filtered through the kidneys, it causes blood vessels in the kidneys to constrict. This leads to a decrease in urine production and allows toxins to be reabsorbed into the body.

im not saying theres any reason to doubt the validity of that information, but I'd avoid using narconon as a source of any information. They are the rehab run by scientologists that detox you by overdosing you on niacin and putting you in a sauna for a week, then have you yell at ashtrays. i wouldn't trust anything that comes from them.
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Dopeless Hopefiend on July 20, 2016, 02:00:02 AM
Speaking of reabsorbed toxins, when I don't shit for a week does my body absorb toxins from the poo that just sits in my colon until it's a rock hard mass the size of a 16 oz can of Dr. Pepper?
Jeezus @smalls my ass hurts just reading that. 😂
Title: Re: Methamphetamine and the kidneys
Post by: Dog Food on July 20, 2016, 07:26:40 PM
Heh, speaking of narconon, i was in a regular inpatient rehab a few years ago and one of my roommates there told me about his experience at one of those rehabs. He said he had down to Georgia from Pennsylvania and went to one.  The first counselor he was talking to asked if he needed a cigarette, so dude lights one up, and takes a couple drags. The counselor a asked to hold it, and made him watch it burn down to the filter, while telling him that he doesn't need it. It's all in his head.

Then i was told they made him take off his shirt and pants and started rubbing leaves all over him to 'cure' him. Said when they started doing that he said fuck this, and had to demand his property back so he could leave. He tried calling his parents to send money for a plane ticket, but they were hip, used to get high themselves and thought he was just trying to run back home to get high.  Ended up spending a few days homeless till they finally bought him a ticket.

Id freak out if i went to rehab, and they didn't do any comfort meds or anything. Tried telling him it's all in his head, which opiate addiction is definitely a physical addiction.  The way he said it in person  with the leaves was fuckin hilarious though
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