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Dose, strength and purity

As ice is the purest form of methamphetamine it is only necessary to take very small doses to achieve the desired. The typical dose of methamphetamine is a 'point' (0.1 grams) of base or ice, or half a gram of the lower purity powder (speed), which is taken once or twice over the course of an evening or a day. 

If too much of the drug is taken a user may overdose.  Overdosing on ice can have very serious effects including heart attack and stroke.

Ice also commonly contains ingredients such as; red phosphorus, hydrochloric acid, anhydrous ammonia, drain cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel and antifreeze. 

If you choose to use ice despite these toxic chemicals, ensure you drink plenty of water to help your kidneys deal better with them.

Using ice with other drugs

• Prescription medication - Mixing ice with prescription medication can have serious effects. If ice is mixed with some anxiety and ADHD medications and some antidepressants such as SSRIs (selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors), St John's Wort, or MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), the effects can be especially serious such as dangerously high blood pressure, seratonin toxicity, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, overheating and fits.  If used with medications for psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and HIV, medications can stop working.
• Other stimulants - Ice is classed as a stimulant. If it is used with other stimulants such as coke or ecstasy, the risk of overdose is greatly increased because of the extra strain on the body. 
• Depressants - If ice is used with a depressant such as alcohol, benzos or cannabis the effects of the stimulant drug (ice) will usually mask the effects of the depressant drug. This means that the effects of the depressant drug may not be felt.  Using depressants and stimulants also puts a lot of extra strain on the body and can lead to overdose.

If you are planning to take any illicit substance or alcohol while you are going to be on medication that is about to be prescribed to you, talk with your doctor. Unless they have immediate concerns for your safety it will remain confidential. Each drug is different and interactions can be unpredictable and very dangerous. This is especially so if you’re on any highly specialised drugs (e.g. for heart problems, neurological – brain and nerves – problems, blood thinning medications or drugs for cancer).

Overdose- what it looks like and what to do

The term overdose refers to the use of a drug or a mixture of drugs in a way which results in harmful or undesired physical or mental side effects.  These side effects can be long or short-term. Ice overdose like all stimulant overdose should be taken very seriously as it can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Signs of stimulant overdose include:

• Loss of consciousness or coma
• Faster breathing
• Seizures or uncontrollable twitching
• Overheating
• Racing or irregular heartbeat
• Chest pain

What to do if someone feels tense and anxious.

• Calm the person down and reassure them that everything is alright.
• Talk quietly and explain that the feelings will pass.
• Keep them away from loud noises and bright lights.
• Encourage them to breathe slowly and deeply to prevent hyperventilation.

What to do if someone is overheating

• Move person to a cool area; either outside or a chill out zone. 
• Remove excess clothing.
• Encourage them to sip non-alcoholic fluids such as soft drinks.
• Pat the back of the neck and wrists with a cold wet towel.
• Do not leave the person alone as overheating can cause the person to loose consciousness.

What to do if someone loses consciousness

• Call an ambulance on 000 - police do not routinely attend overdoses.
• Do not leave the person alone.
• Put the person in the recovery position.
• Loosen any tight clothing that might restrict their breathing.
• Keep them warm – unless the fainting is due to overheating. 
• If they stop breathing, perform CPR until the ambulance arrives.

What to do if someone has a fit

• Call an ambulance on 000- police do not routinely attend overdoses
• Do not restrict the person in any way
• Remove any objects from around the person that could cause injury

Mood, environment and personal factors

Mood

How you are feeling when you use ice can influence how the drug will affect you.  Ice works by releasing feel-good chemicals in the brain to create euphoric effects for users.  This leads to depression for days afterwards because the brain's stock of feel-good chemicals has been depleted. 

Taking more ice can not bring back the euphoric feeling as there are no more feel-good chemicals in the brain left to create it.  This often leads ice users to take higher and higher doses of ice to try to get back the euphoric effect.  Ice is highly addictive in this way. 

Acknowledgement: Bluebelly

If you stop using ice after prolonged frequent use it can take up to a year for the feel-good chemicals in the brain to start working normally again.

Environment

The setting in which you choose to use ice can influence the effect it will have on you.  It is best to use the drug in a place where you feel safe and relaxed to reduce the chance of an anxiety attack or paranoia and as with all drugs have a close friend nearby in case anything goes wrong.

Personal Factors

Like alcohol, personal factors such as weight, height, sex and general health all influence the way in which a drug may affect you. 

Make sure you eat and sleep well if you are planning on taking drugs as this will better equip your body to deal with the substance.  This is especially relevant in the case of ice as ice reduces appetite and ability to sleep.

Tolerance

Tolerance refers to how people build up a resistance to a drug after prolonged use.  This means that the person will gradually have to use more and more of the drug to achieve the same effects. A tolerance to ice can be built up very quickly.

If you are using ice again after taking a break keep in mind that your tolerance for the drug may have gone down and you may not need the same dose as previously to get the same effects.  In fact the same dose as previously may lead to overdose.

Method

• Swallowing: If ice is taken this way effects usually take 20 – 30 mins to come on.  However it is important to wait a few hours before re-dosing even if you feel the drug hasn’t worked.  Always make sure you fill your own pill or mix your own drink as only you know the dose you are comfortable in taking.

• Snorting: If you choose to take ice this way do not share straws or paper as this can pass on all types of germs including Hep C.

• Injecting: Using this method, any contaminants in the ice will go straight into the bloodstream as injecting bypasses all of the body's natural defences.  It also increases risk of blood-borne viruses (such as HIV and AIDS) and infections from using dirty equipment.

Driving

It is illegal to drive under the influence of drugs, including ice. Ice can make you feel more confident when you drive which could lead to you  to take dangerous risks on the road. If the police suspect someone of driving under the influence of drugs, they can have them blood or urine tested at a hospital. 

The penalties for drug driving include fines, a prison sentence or loss of driving licence.

Pregnancy

Using ice while pregnant can affect the development of the foetus. Research suggests amphetamine use during pregnancy can cause bleeding, early labour and increased risk of foetal abnormalities.

Using amphetamines close to the birth of the baby may be cause the baby to be unsettled, overactive and agitated.

If ice is used regularly close to the birth, the baby may experience withdrawal symptoms after it is born.

This fact sheet was prepared with assistance from the Australian Drug Foundation.