Home remedies for meth withdrawal include exercise, acupuncture, yoga, vitamin supplementation, herbal remedies like ginseng, hydration, hot baths, and enjoyable activities.
These home remedies for meth withdrawals help alleviate various withdrawal symptoms. Exercise elevates mood and energy levels, while acupuncture reduces cravings and hyperthermia. Yoga offers gentle activity that promotes stress reduction. Vitamin supplementation addresses nutritional deficiencies that arise during withdrawal. Herbal remedies like ginseng help mitigate toxic effects on the body. Hydration and hot baths provide soothing relief from anxiety, and engaging in enjoyable activities aids in replacing old habits with healthier ones.
Methamphetamine, also known as meth or crystal meth, is an illegal drug. Meth creates additional dopamine in the brain which causes euphoria and ultimately a crash when it leaves the system. Therefore, when someone stops taking meth, their brain has less dopamine and they experience less pleasure and happiness.
According to Jones, C. M.’s 2022 study, ‘Methamphetamine use in the United States: epidemiological update and implications for prevention, treatment, and harm reduction.’, methamphetamine addiction in the United States has increased significantly in recent years. The number of people with methamphetamine use disorder rose from 684,000 (0.3% of the population) in 2016 to 1,048,000 (0.4% of the population) in 2019. Daily or near-daily methamphetamine use jumped by 92% during this same period, from 161,000 users to 310,000 users. Over half (52.9%) of all people who reported using methamphetamine in the past year met the criteria for methamphetamine use disorder. Additionally, more than one-fifth (22.3%) of methamphetamine users reported injecting the drug.
How To Detox From Meth At Home?
To detox from meth at home, individuals implement several methods for managing withdrawal symptoms. Exercise releases endorphins that improve mood while hydration helps flush toxins and reduces cravings. Engaging in enjoyable activities or spending time with supportive people provides necessary distraction and emotional support. However, these home approaches do not replace professional medical care, which remains strongly recommended due to the potentially severe and dangerous nature of methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms.
What are Effective Natural Detox Remedies for Meth Withdrawal?
Effective natural detox remedies for Meth withdrawal include exercise to increase energy and release endorphins, acupuncture to inhibit methamphetamine-induced behaviors, yoga for light physical activity and stretching, vitamin supplementation to restore nutritional balance, herbal products like ginseng to mitigate toxic effects, proper hydration, long hot baths to reduce anxiety, and engaging in enjoyable activities.
Here are the natural detox remedies that those who experience crystal meth withdrawal try. This includes:
Workout
Work out as soon as possible. Detoxing from meth makes you feel less energetic, even though the additional “energy” you had when taking the drug was false. Exercise gets your blood flowing which naturally increases energy. And it also releases endorphins, which make you feel happier.
According to Li, X.’s 2022 study, ‘Exercise Regulates the Metabolic Homeostasis of Methamphetamine Dependence.’, physical exercise demonstrates multiple therapeutic benefits for individuals with methamphetamine (METH) addiction: (1) enhanced cognitive function, (2) reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms, (3) decreased drug cravings, and (4) improved overall quality of life. The study identified 115 metabolites that were differentially expressed in METH users compared to non-users, with exercise intervention positively regulating 55 of these metabolites. Most notably, exercise appears to help restore metabolic homeostasis by decreasing elevated glutamate levels and increasing reduced GABA levels that occur with METH use. These findings suggest exercise be an effective complementary approach in treating METH dependence by addressing both the psychological symptoms and underlying neurochemical imbalances.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an alternative medical practice. It involves the use of tiny needles, placed around the body to manipulate or release energy (“chi”) from “pressure points” around the body.
According to Kim, N. J.’s 2019 study, ‘Acupuncture inhibition of methamphetamine-induced behaviors, dopamine release and hyperthermia in the nucleus accumbens: mediation of group II mGluR.’, acupuncture at HT7 points inhibits methamphetamine-induced behaviors by suppressing locomotor activity, ultrasonic vocalizations, dopamine release, and hyperthermia in the nucleus accumbens. The study identifies that these effects occur through activation of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR2/3), demonstrating acupuncture’s direct impact on neural pathways involved in methamphetamine addiction.
Yoga
Yoga is beneficial because it is a form of light exercise. This allows your blood flow to get going, without putting too much strain on yourself during the detox. It also involves stretching benefits on joints, muscles, and mood. However, Yoga is not accepted as an official treatment for drug abuse, so it should not be depended on for opioid withdrawal.
Vitamins
When someone has been abusing drug and alcohol substances like crystal meth, they neglect their health. Instead of eating or cooking foods rich in vitamins and minerals, they opt for lower-quality meals to remain focused on their “high.” Thus, supplementing with vitamins during meth detox helps replenish some of your body’s much-needed nutritional balance.
According to Zhai, C.’s 2018 study, ‘Vitamin B12 Levels in Methamphetamine Addicts.’, methamphetamine users had significantly lower vitamin B12 serum levels compared to healthy controls. B12 levels were negatively correlated with the number of relapses, meaning higher relapse rates were linked to lower B12 levels. Statistical analysis identified B12 as an influential factor in addiction severity. Despite lower B12 levels, homocysteine levels showed no significant difference between groups. The findings suggest vitamin B12 deficiency occurs in methamphetamine users and could potentially impact addiction prognosis.
Herbal Supplements
Certain herbal products like ginseng and levo-tetrahydropalmatine help mitigate some effects of methamphetamine use, though clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy.
According to Moshiri, M.’s 2020 study, ‘Role of natural products in mitigation of toxic effects of methamphetamine: A review of in vitro and in vivo studies.’, Ginseng total saponin at 200 mg/kg effectively reduced methamphetamine-induced hyperactivity and reverse tolerance in animal studies. The active compounds ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 (100-200 mg/kg) successfully inhibited hyperlocomotion and conditioned place preference behaviors. Pseudoginsenoside-F11 demonstrated a reduction in methamphetamine-induced anxiety, depression, and memory dysfunction. The protective effects occur primarily through antagonizing methamphetamine-induced dopamine decrease and preventing dopamine depletion in the striatal region.
Keep Hydrated
Water is an important part of remaining healthy under any circumstances. However, due to the intense detox process of crystal meth, staying hydrated is even more crucial. Aim to drink one liter of water each day at a minimum to avoid relapse.
Long Hot Baths to Calm Nerves
Being nervous or anxious is a common symptom of withdrawal from substance abuse. Warm baths relax the body and mind. This helps put your attention on positive thoughts instead of aches, pains, and anxious thoughts, helping with the mental recovery aspect.
Do Something Fun
When you drop a bad habit, one of the best things to do is to replace it with a new habit. Get out and do something enjoyable like going for a walk, to the movies, or taking the dogs out. You also find enjoyable activities at home such as Netflix, video games, family board games, and simple activities.
How Long Does It Take To Detox Off Meth?
Methamphetamine detox takes 7-10 days for the acute phase, followed by at least 2 more weeks for the subacute phase, totaling approximately 3+ weeks for complete detoxification.
According to McGregor, C.’s 2005 study,’ The nature, time course and severity of methamphetamine withdrawal.’, methamphetamine withdrawal occurs in two distinct phases. The acute phase lasts 7-10 days, with symptoms declining from a high initial peak to near-normal levels by the end of the first week. This is followed by a subacute phase lasting at least an additional 2 weeks, during which most withdrawal symptoms remain stable at low levels.
The study found that the acute withdrawal phase features increased sleeping and eating, depression-related symptoms, and anxiety and craving-related symptoms. After this initial 7-10 day period, symptoms generally stabilize at lower levels for the remaining period of detoxification.
How to Find the Best Meth Addiction Treatment in California?
To find the best meth addiction treatment in California, begin with extensive research. Compare facilities, examine their therapy approaches, and verify staff qualifications. Prioritize programs offering comprehensive care, including aftercare, and factor in location and cost. Quest 2 Recovery stands out as a leading meth addiction treatment center in California, offering personalized care plans and evidence-based therapies that address both the physical and psychological aspects of meth addiction with compassionate support throughout the recovery journey.