Overview
Amphetamine is a strong stimulant that has been used medically for situations when a person needs
Elevations RTC – Troubled teen girl suffering from depression and anxiety
to be more alert, as in narcolepsy, a health problem that causes a person to fall asleep at any time. It has also been given to pilots and soldiers to keep them awake and alert for long hours. It does its job in these situations, but the side effects of this drug can be dangerous and damaging.
Amphetamine can be given orally, can be snorted or given intravenously. Symptoms of use will show up immediately if it is injected, within 3-5 minutes if it is snorted and within 15-20 minutes if it is ingested.
Signs and Symptoms
There is a long list of the signs that show up when this drug is used medically or when it is abused. Many of them are typical of any stimulant use.
Signs and Symptoms of Amphetamine Abuse include:
- Increased body temperature
- Euphoria
- Increased blood pressure
- Dry mouth
- Faster breathing
- Dilated pupils
- Increased energy and alertness
- Decreased fatigue
- Decreased appetite
Before amphetamine’s addictive problems were known about, this drug was used for weight control, depression, nasal congestion, even hangovers. It was an inexpensive, long-lasting solution to a number of problems. It has been sold as Desoxyn, Benzedrine, Adderall, DextroStat and Dexedrine.
After World War II, civilian use of amphetamines increased, and another form of the drug, methamphetamine – easily produced in small domestic labs – also hit the market. As more people used these two forms of the drugs, its addictiveness and other problems began to be obvious.
In addition to the symptoms of use listed above, less desirable symptoms of Amphetamines became noticeable, including:
- Hostility
- Paranoia
- Aggressiveness
- Cardiovascular system failure
- Irregular heart beat
- Nausea
- Headache
- Reduction of social inhibitions
- Altered sexual behavior
- Blurred vision
- Chest pain
- Hallucinations
- Unrealistic ideas of personal ability and power
- Convulsions
- Malnutrition
- Skin disorders
- Amphetamine-caused psychosis
Some people who abused this drug would wear themselves out with amphetamine binges where they would continually abuse the drug, not sleeping or eating for as long as a week. Then they would collapse. By repeating this pattern, amphetamine abusers – sometimes referred to as “speed freaks” – would suffer severe damage to their health.