Chapter 4
Amphetamines and Methamphetamines.
Amphetamines are a group of stimulants, including methamphetamines such as speed that were first used by soldiers during World War II, to help them remain alert through the night. Truck drivers in the US and Europe have used them to stay awake all night. Students have used them to stay up for all night studies for exams the next day, and people dieting have used them to quell feelings of hunger (appetite suppressants or diet pills). These drugs can be taken orally, smoked, snorted, or injected. Speed, uppers, bennies (for Benzedrine), and dexies or (Dexedrine), or ice, these drugs are often used for the euphoric rush they can produce, especially in high doses. Thus, it is this two-fold effect they have: they increase states of alertness and induce pleasurable feelings. Regular users may stay awake and high for days on end. Such highs though inevitably come to an end. People who have been on prolonged highs sometimes crash, or fall into a deep sleep or depression. A very pure form of Methamphetamine is called ice because of the appearance of its crystals when observed under magnification. Because of its high purity and relatively low vaporization point, as is true for crack (a common form of cocaine), ice can be smoked to produce an immediate and powerful stimulant effect. In the US, amphetamines and other stimulants may be obtained by prescription for the treatment of obesity, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and narcolepsy. Most of the effects of amphetamines are similar to those of cocaine. People can become psychologically dependent on amphetamines (such as speed), especially when they are routinely used to cope with stress or depression. Amphetamines are longer acting than cocaine and amphetamine use may be chronic or episodic. Aggressive or violent behaviour is associated with amphetamine dependence, especially when high doses are smoked, ingested, or administered intravenously. As with cocaine, intense but temporary anxiety resembling panic, or generalized anxiety as well as paranoia are often seen, especially with high-dosage use, as well as psychotic episodes that resembles schizophrenia. Withdrawal is often associated with temporary, but potentially intense depressive symptoms that mirror severe depression.
Tolerance to this drug, as well as to most drugs, develops rapidly and leads to substantial escalation of the dose. Recent evidence suggests that regular use of methamphetamine, a particularly powerful amphetamine, can also lead to physical dependence. High doses of amphetamines may cause restlessness, insomnia, loss of appetite, and irritability. Amphetamine use can also induce a form of psychosis (a break with reality) which is characterized by hallucinations and delusions that mimic the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. Heavy use of methamphetamine - also known as meth, chalk, ice, crystal, and glass - is also linked with mental and emotional problems and with possible neurological damage. For example, research has shown that heavy use is linked to the reduction of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is involved in the experience of pleasure and reward. Persistent dopamine reduction can lead users to rely increasingly on methamphetamine to experience pleasure. Amphetamine intoxication generally begins with a high feeling, followed by the development of symptoms such as euphoria, hyperactivity, anxiety, tension, grandiosity, and anger, to name a few. With chronic use, there can be sadness and social withdrawal. Physical symptoms can be tachycardia (or the opposite), elevation of blood pressure, nausea or vomiting, weight loss, respiratory problems, chest pain, and even coma. Withdrawal symptoms such as crashing often follow an episode of intense high-dose use (a speed-run) and are usually characterized by fatigue, vivid and unpleasant dreams, insomnia or hypersomnia (a sleep disorder in which someone sleeps for long periods and is always very tired during the day), increased appetite, difficulties in body movement, and depression. A crash generally requires several days rest and recuperation and the depressive symptoms may last up to several weeks and is sometimes accompanied by ideas of suicide.
Ecstasy (technically MDMA) is an amphetamine-like drug that has mild euphoric and hallucinogenic effects. Ecstasy is a synthetic drug manufactured in the laboratory. Although used by many teenagers who believe it to be a harmless way to party, it poses serious physical and psychological risks. It raises blood pressure and heart rate, something which is potentially dangerous for people with cardiovascular conditions, some people are not aware they have a heart condition. Psychologically, it can cause depression, anxiety, insomnia and even psychotic features such as extreme paranoia. Studies show that the drug ecstasy damages brain cells. If you think this drug will leave you ecstatic, think again. Some individuals, who develop a dependence on amphetamines such as speed or amphetamine-like substances such as ecstasy or abuse them, begin using them in an attempt to control their weight. Others become introduced to them through the illegal market. Dependence can occur rapidly when the substance is used intravenously or smoked. Oral administration usually results in a slower progression from use to dependence. Amphetamine dependence is associated with two patterns of use: episodic or daily (or almost daily). In the episodic pattern, use is alternated with days of non-use (for example, intense use over the weekend and on one or more weekdays). These periods of intense high-dose use are often associated with intravenous use and tend to end when supplies are depleted. In chronic daily use, there is usually an increase in the dose over time. Chronic use of high doses often becomes unpleasant because of the emergence of dysphoric and other negative drug effects. Some data points to a tendency for persons who have been dependent on amphetamines to decrease or stop use after eight to ten years. This appears to result from the development of adverse mental and physical effects that come with long-term dependence.
