Preliminary evidence for lowered basal cortisol in a naturalistic sample of methamphetamine polydrug users.

The effects of chronic methamphetamine use on neuroendocrine functioning in humans are largely undocumented. Here we assessed basal plasma oxytocin, arginine vasopressin, and cortisol levels in a naturalistic sample of methamphetamine polydrug users (n = 12) compared with controls matched for age, gender, education, occupation status, and marital status (n = 17). All of the methamphetamine users tested positive for blood methamphetamine and/or its main metabolite, amphetamine.