Methamphetamine-induced paralytic ileus.

Abstract

Methamphetamine abuse has become a significant problem in the United States with recent surveys reporting that nearly 10 million Americans have tried methamphetamine at least once. Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug that causes the release of monoamine neurotransmitters. Among its most deleterious effects are its ability to produce tachycardia, hypertension, and ischemia. However, it also has the potential to cause clinically significant effects outside of the cardiovascular system although a case of paralytic ileus caused by methamphetamine use has not been described before in the literature. Described is a case in which a patient presented with chest and abdominal pain after methamphetamine use. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with a methamphetamine-induced paralytic ileus.