Is Crystal Meth a Prescribed Drug?

Crystal meth is a street version of the drug methamphetamine that has prescribed for a quite a few medical conditions. However methamphetamine comes in a much less potent form. Prescription methamphetamine products are prescribed by physicians to treat patients who suffer attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other medical conditions.

The drug methamphetamine is a Schedule II drug meaning that it has the potential to be abused and therefore only available by prescription or through illegal street sales.

• Desoxyn: This prescription is used to treat moderate to severe distractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotional liability, impulsivity, and exogenous obesity. This drug is usually accompanied with psychological, educational, social counselling.

• Adderall: Adderall is a drug that consists of a mixture of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Amphetamine and dextroamphetamine both act as stimulants that influence the chemicals in the brain and the nerves. This helps treat and control hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour.

• Off-label use of methamphetamine: When pharmaceutical drugs, such as methamphetamine, are used for an unapproved result, it’s called off-label use. Off-label use is legal as long as no ethical guidelines or safety regulations are being violated. When methamphetamine is used as an off-label use, it’s usually to treat narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.

When prescribed by a licensed medical professional, methamphetamine can be useful in treating a variety of medical conditions. It is important however, only to take these types of medications under the guidance of a physician and several serious side effects are possible.

If you or your child has been given a prescription for a methamphetamine based drug, it is extremely important that you ensure that it is used only as directed. Never share them or allow someone without a prescription to take them. If you decide to stop taking them, you should bring them back to your pharmacist for safe disposal.

Those who produce or “cook” crystal meth often do so by taking the legal and prescribed forms of the drug and mix it with other chemicals in order to make it more potent. The chemicals used are often quite dangerous and even explosive – these include compounds such as drain cleaner, antifreeze and even battery acid.

Needless to say, these illegal laboratories can pose significant danger to surrounding people and properties. This is especially true when those cooking the meth are themselves high from the drug. Not only is there danger of fire and explosion, but there is also danger of becoming ill simply by being exposed to the toxic waste. For every one pound of meth that is produced in an illegal lab, there are five pounds of toxic waste produced.

While crystal meth itself, is an illegal street drug and not a prescription, it is produced from the prescription medication called methamphetamine. This is an extreme form of prescription drug abuse because it involves using dangerous chemicals to boost the potency of the original prescription.  The very existence of the drug crystal meth highlights the importance of keeping prescription medications out of the wrong hands.