Amphetamines

What are amphetamines?

Amphetamines are powerful psycho-stimulant drugs that increase activity in the central nervous system. They can be acquired legally by prescription for childhood hyperactivity, obesity, and narcolepsy.

How do they work?

Amphetamines mimic the effect of the body's own adrenalin. They are also thought to cause an accumulation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter. This excessive dopamine concentration appears to produce the stimulation and feelings of euphoria experienced by the user.

When amphetamines are taken swallowed, snorted, or smoked, the user usually experiences feelings of euphoria, heightened alertness, and greater energy. Oftentimes, sedatives and amphetamines are taken together, since the sedative tends to counteract the amphetamine's side effects, such as tremors and nervousness.

Intravenous injection of amphetamines immediately produces a "flash" or "rush" and causes tingling in the head and extremities, an increased heart rate, and euphoria. After the first few minutes, the rush decreases and blends imperceptibly into a level of central stimulation indistinguishable from that of oral use. This lasts for several hours, after which the "comedown" or "crash" occurs.

What are the side effects of amphetamines?

Amphetamines increase the user's heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure rate, and they dull the sensations of hunger and fatigue. The mouth usually becomes dry, and both swallowing and urination are difficult. The user's pupils become dilated, and reflexes become faster. Oftentimes the user experiences rapid speech followed by slurred speech. Extremely high doses may cause users to flush or become pale and cause a rapid or irregular heartbeat, loss of coordination, and even physical collapse. Amphetamine injections can cause such an intense increase in blood pressure that a high fever, a stroke, or heart failure may result. Anxiety, delirium, hallucination, restlessness, and irritability are also acute toxic effects of amphetamine use.

What are amphetamines' possible long-term effects?

Chronic amphetamine use can result in inflammation of the heart lining, damaged blood vessels, and skin abscesses. It can also cause increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, rapid heart rate, and irreversible, stroke-producing damage to small blood vessels in the brain. Amphetamine abusers can also have episodes of violent behavior, paranoia, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. After ingesting or injecting large doses of amphetamines, a user might experience amphetamine-induced psychosis, a mental disorder similar to paranoid schizophrenia in which the abuser exhibits bizarre, sometimes violent behavior. The symptoms usually disappear within a few weeks after drug use stops.

What are some street names for amphetamines?

Amphetamines are sometimes referred to as bennies, speed, and uppers. In addition, Dexedrine and Biphetamine are popular brand names for amphetamines.