Meth

Question: Can stopping heavy meth usage cause idiopathic seizures?

(Posted by: Monica S on 2010-03-06 08:36:32)

My boyfriend was a heavy methamphetamine user off and on for a little over 20 years of which 90 % was done intravenously. He's now been clean for almost 3 years. He did get clean for a short time prior to these 3 yrs. and since then he has developed what the doctors are calling "idiopathic seizure disorder ". We want to know if him stopping the methamphetamine usage is the cause. He doesn't plan on using ever again but we still want some answers.

Posted by: T.O. on 2010-03-06, 08:40:30

I assume you are asking us because you don't want to tell the doctors about him using meth heavily. The doctors can do nothing to harm you with that information. They are bound by both law and their oath. You probably don't want to call up your insurance agency and let them know if he ends up needing medicine/ surgery, but for now, by all means, TELL THE DOCTORS. Don't let this kind of withheld information ruin his life. On the off chance you DID tell his doctors, take their word for whatever they answered. All yahoo answers can do for this question is either google it or have a doctorate themselves (in which case their opinion bears the same credence as your doctor's).

Posted by: ƦєdAиgєℓ on 2010-03-06, 08:44:12

Yes withdrawing from meth does cause seizures. 3 years seems a long time to still be having them but your boyfriend did take meth for 20 years. Omega 3 fatty acids help with nerve problems in the brain. Anyone withdrawing from some anti depressants cannot get off due to the electric shocks and other side effects. With the omega 3 the shocks are reduced or go away all together. Something to try out. ehow.com/ how-does_4911743_what-causes-seizures.html Edit: 50% decrease in seizures during the first six weeks with omega 3 fatty acids compared to those receiving the placebo. dhaomega3.org/ index.php?category= health-conditions &title= Epilepsy

Posted by: s g on 2010-03-06, 09:00:55

It's not likely that it's due to stopping- it's actually very likely to be the case that his lengthy usage caused serious neurological damage, and that he would be having seizures whether he stopped or not by now. soberplace.com/ permanent-neurological-damage-from-crystal-meth/ Some of the damage happens immediately, but it puts a person at risk for future complications as parts of the brain are damaged, and the cells can't simply replace what's gone. They can grow and repair, but the damage is done- consider narcolepsy, where an autoimmune response wipes out cells needed to stay awake. So when something happens later, anything- a virus, an immune response, anything- the brain can't respond properly and can get more damaged. Think of it as a bad storm hitting a house that's had all the nails taken out, as opposed to one that is sturdy and strong. The damaged house falls down- the sturdy one takes a little damage and can be easily repaired. nmtf.us/ methamphetamine/ methamphetamine.htm According to the article: "The medical complications of methamphetamine use are multiple and involve almost every major organ system. They are largely related to blood vessel constriction caused by the methamphetamine. This drug can effect the cardiovascular system and potential complications include rapid heart rate, irregular heart rate, increased blood pressure, heart attacks (due to constriction of the blood vessels to the heart), inflammation of the heart muscle, inflammation of the lining of the heart, and damage to blood vessels anywhere in the body. The central nervous system complications may include neuron loss and damage, seizures, chronic psychosis, movement disorders, strokes, and spontaneous brain bleeds. The lungs can be affected as well because methamphetamine use can cause pulmonary edema (excess fluid on the lungs), constriction of the blood vessels in the lungs affecting oxygen exchange, and chronic lung disease. Several other major organ systems can be affected including the kidneys, liver, muscles, and gastrointestinal system. " These damages don't go away later. They can be repaired somewhat, but it's likely that your friend's drug use has unfortunately really compromised his body, and the best treatment right now is to try to stop the seizures, and then his body can try to heal. Because it's impossible to know where the brain damage lies, there's not a lot of medication they can give him to help things repair. One thing that HAS been shown to massively improve brain plasticity (its ability to reroute synapses and repair cells) is exercise. It sounds stupid, but 40 minutes of exercise, every single day, is going to drastically improve brain health- it works on the brain as well as prozac or zoloft do, in fact. Finding this out has led to some better understandings of how those medications improve depression- we've learned that they help by improving brain repair, not by "making people happy. " But I don't know if the meds will work in the areas he's got damaged, and exercise will, so that's my first recommendation. "Idiopathic " just means, "without known cause. " They call it that to show that they've already ruled out epilepsy and other seizure disorders. That can be good or bad; on the one hand, he may never know exactly what part is shorting out. On the other hand, it may turn out to be an area that repairs with clean living and a lot of exercise and activity. It might be worth talking to the doc to get an assessment of whether he has any other brain damage. I don't mean this in the IQ sense, I mean have him checked to see whether all of his perceptions and expressions are normal, to make sure that, like with stroke victims, there's nothing seriously wrong in some area that early intervention can help. It also would make sense to respond to these seizures the way you would to any other kind- get enough sleep, eat healthy, keep mentally and physically active. Meth is hellish thing on the body and the mind, and it takes strength and courage to recover from that. I'm impressed by his accomplishment and wish the best to both of you. He's done something incredible, and most people will never understand how hard it is or how brave he is. Congratulations on that, and I hope at the very least, he knows now that it isn't stopping that did it. Getting clean when he did probably saved his life; if whatever triggered the seizures had happened while he was still on the drugs, he probably would have been much, much worse off. And he can use this to strengthen his resolve to stay clean, but I'm glad he has someone like you to back him up, who cares enough to ask the hard questions. Good luck!!!

Posted by: BurntRubber on 2010-03-06, 09:21:21

Yes, there is a chance that the 20 year usage of meth (which is toxic) could have distorted and destroyed the nerve cells in his brain and spinal cord, thus causing the seizures. Brain scans on MRI and CT of long-time meth users show a disfigured brain, and these patients do manifest movement and brain malfunctions. Meth basically works by prolonging the effect of dopamine, a chemical in the brain that conveys the sense of pleasure and reward. However, dopamine is also used as a transmitter of muscle movement commands from the brain. Idiopathic means "unknown cause ", so basically your doctor doesn't have enough evidence to declare it as due to chronic meth use. He might also be suspecting something else, and plans to keep investigating. He might be looking into things like autoimmune disease (when the body's defenses attacks regular body parts) affecting the nerves or the muscles--this disorder could have developed independently of the meth use. Hope that helps!