Substance use amphetamines: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Other drugs with similar effects include cocaine, ecstasy, caffeine, and many others. Increased HIV and hepatitis B and C transmission are possible related consequences of increased methamphetamine abuse, not only in individuals who inject the drug but also in non-injecting methamphetamine abusers. Among injection drug users, infection with HIV and other infectious diseases is spread primarily through the use of contaminated syringes, needles, or other paraphernalia by more than one person.

But methamphetamine, like cocaine, results in an accumulation of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which appears to produce the stimulation and feelings of euphoria experienced by the user. Methamphetamine has a much longer duration of action and a larger percentage of the drug remains unchanged in the body. This results in methamphetamine being present in the brain longer, which ultimately leads to prolonged stimulant effects. Providers will monitor how your body reacts to amphetamines to see if they alleviate your symptoms and prevent side effects, especially addiction. A person’s tolerance begins slowly, which could result in dependence over time. If you take amphetamines and feel you are dependent on the drug, talk with your healthcare provider.

Treatment / Management

Study completion rates were low, with studies reporting the proportion of the sample who did not complete the protocol as 38.4% of the total randomised. Eighty-three percent of studies analysed their results by intention-to-treat, while five (12%) [33, 46, 53, 57, 61] were unclear in this regard and two (5%) [24, 45] did not. Females were underrepresented in the data, being only 29.7% of the total participants. This comprises both studies that only enrolled males (nine studies, 21%) [24, 29, 30, 34, 46, 52, 55, 57, 58] and those enrolling both males and females but with higher male enrolments. Thirty-four (79.1%) of the studies we reviewed excluded participants with depression or psychotic disorders, or those taking an antidepressant or antipsychotic medication.

At a minimum, reduction in MA/AMPH use (e.g. days used or reduction in MA/AMPH-positive UDS) is required for assessment of efficacy. The reliance on extended periods of ‘abstinence’ as a primary endpoint does not always reflect participant treatment goals and is a somewhat insensitive marker of clinically meaningful change in substance use. However, further work is required to determine outcomes that are both clinically meaningful and meaningful to consumers. One study (2%) examined amineptine [300 mg oral (po) daily (OD)], an atypical tricyclic antidepressant, in inpatient participants for AMPH withdrawal over 14 days [43].

What Are the Symptoms of Amphetamine Addiction?

You may need to use a similar drug to relieve or avoid amphetamine withdrawal symptoms. You may become dependent if you use these drugs without a prescription. It’s even possible to develop a use disorder if you take amphetamines according to your doctor’s directions. You should only take the amount of amphetamine as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Misusing or taking amphetamines that your provider did not prescribe to you can cause dangerous side effects and could lead to addiction or death.

Such symptoms can be very uncomfortable and may result in people consuming amphetamines to avoid physical and mental discomfort, thus entrapping them in a vicious addiction cycle. The different types of amphetamines—and related drugs such as methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin)—are stimulant drugs. They act like adrenaline, a hormone that is one of the body’s natural stimulants.

How long do the effects last?

Studies relying on pill count or self-report lacked critical appraisal of the results. For example, in one study where no participant returned un-used study drug, 100% adherence was inferred as opposed to examining if there were other reasons (e.g. discarding drug). Extra-medical use of AMPH and MA is usually at higher doses than those prescribed orally, and through routes of administration that result in more rapid onset (inhaled, injected intravenously, intra-nasal, per-vaginal, and per-rectal). Extra-medical consumption of amphetamines may be for enjoyment and/or for performance enhancement (such as for night-shift workers to enable longer working hours) [5]. Therefore, if someone were to be dependent on the drug, they would start to experience withdrawal symptoms quite quickly.

Regular use of amphetamines, especially when the drug is smoked or injected, can quickly cause addiction. The effects of amphetamines are often different from person to person. In a 2017 survey of Ontario students in grades 7 to 12, about two percent of students reported non-medical use of ADHD stimulant drugs in the past year.

Amphetamine Addiction Treatment

The sympathomimetic impacts of amphetamine toxicity include diaphoresis, hypertension, tachycardia, tachypnea, flushing, headache, mydriasis, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain in some severe cases with dryness of mucous membranes. Amphetamine toxicity is a clinical diagnosis and some of the key features to look for are agitation, hyperthermia, tachycardia, Amphetamine Addiction hypertension, and diaphoresis. Patients who experience altered mental status will require laboratory studies, including complete blood count (CBC), comprehensive metabolic panel, serum creatine kinase levels, and when appropriate urinalysis. A chest radiograph and electrocardiogram may be required if patients complain of chest pain or palpitations.