Author: John Carter
Amphetamine addiction: Causes, signs, diagnosis, and treatment
To avoid withdrawal symptoms, take your medication exactly as your provider prescribed it to you. Schedule a time to take it every day and stick to that same schedule for the duration that you’re taking the drug. Amphetamines cause your central nervous system to work quickly. This could feel like a “rush” or a euphoric feeling that makes you happy and elevates your mood. This sensation is something that can cause addiction because people might look to feel that rush more often than they should, as prescribed by their healthcare provider. Talk to your healthcare provider about the medicines and supplements that you’re currently taking before starting amphetamines.
If you take an immediate-release amphetamine, wait at least four to six hours before drinking any alcohol. If you take an extended-release amphetamine, wait at least eight hours before drinking alcohol. Yes, amphetamines have a high potential for abuse and addiction despite medical uses.
- This may cause collapsed veins, tetanus, abscesses, and damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and brain.
- “Addiction” is the term for long-term behavioral, physical, and social changes a person may experience as a result of substance misuse.
- Methamphetamine is structurally similar to the neurotransmitter dopamine.
As a Schedule II Substance, it has a high potential for abuse and addiction. An individual’s brain chemistry changes during regular misuse of a substance or activity. The brain’s reward circuit changes, reducing a person’s ability to exercise self-control and leading to strong urges to continue. When someone misuses a substance consistently over time, they may find that they need more and more of the substance to feel the same degree of euphoria.
Used under prescription, stimulants can be safe and effective. Always take your amphetamines on a schedule or at the same time each day to avoid experiencing withdrawal symptoms. If you are close to the next time on your schedule to take another dose, wait until your scheduled time to take your next dose.
If a person suspects that they may have a drug misuse problem, then they should consult a medical professional. It is important for people to remember that they do not need to feel embarrassed about seeking help. Amphetamines are a type of drug that stimulate the nervous system. Doctors prescribe amphetamines for conditions such as ADHD, obesity, narcolepsy, and depression.
Are amphetamines a stimulant?
Amphetamine can produce many side effects, ranging from mild to severe. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, amid growing concern about its adverse effects, it was replaced by newly available antidepressants. Under the name Benzedrine, amphetamines were first used to treat obesity in the 1930s, due to their appetite-suppressing capabilities.
Amphetamines create a calming effect for children diagnosed with ADHD by targeting the chemicals in their brain that transmit signals between nerves in the central nervous system. Stopping consumption after long-term use results also causes amphetamine withdrawal symptoms. The intoxicating effects of methamphetamine can also alter judgment and inhibition, which may lead people to engage in unsafe behaviors. Methamphetamine abuse may also worsen the progression of HIV and its consequences.
What are the symptoms of amphetamine dependence?
Dosage for amphetamines ranges based on brand and reason for taking the drug. The average amphetamine dosage is 5 to 40 milligrams (mg), one to three times per day, divided at four to six-hour intervals. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved certain amphetamines to manage and treat ADHD, obesity and narcolepsy, specifically dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine. Find out how amphetamine addiction develops, the signs to look for if a loved one has an addiction problem, and treatment options available for…
It’s a chronic brain disorder involving compulsive drug seeking and use despite negative consequences. A person can recover from drug misuse or SUD and improve their relationships, professional life, sense of self, and physical and mental health. A person’s first step toward recovery is to reach out to a friend, family member, or healthcare professional to seek help. A person may need help for different types of substances or for mental health conditions alongside substance misuse.
What are the complications of amphetamine dependence?
If you are taking more than your prescribed dose of amphetamines or you are taking amphetamines that your provider did not prescribe to you, talk with your provider. Stimulants increase the activity of your central nervous system or the part of your brain that sends messages to nerves to tell them how to complete their jobs. Treatment focuses on the person who is living with the addiction. With the right support, many people who have experienced SUD go on to live happy lives with strong relationships and positive health outcomes. If a person has been misusing more than one substance, the medical and therapeutic professionals designing their treatment plan will address each substance separately. A person may need treatment in a therapeutic community in which they will stay at a residence for a long period.
What Are the Symptoms of Amphetamine Addiction?
From the 1930s, amphetamine was used to treat affective disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia. Amphetamines and amphetamine derivatives have been used in the past to treat narcolepsy. Nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-methamphetamine. Once you decide you want to do something about your drug use, the next step is to get help and support.
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The goal is to help you understand your behaviors and why you use amphetamines. Involving family and friends during counseling can help support you and keep you from going back to using (relapsing). People who use these drugs, especially methamphetamine, have a high chance of getting HIV and hepatitis B and C. This can be through sharing used needles with someone who has an infection. Or, it can be through having unsafe sex because drug use can lead to risky behaviors.
Many amphetamines are Schedule II stimulants, which means they have a high potential for abuse and are legally available only through a prescription. When used for medical purposes, the doses are much lower than those typical among abusers of the drugs. There have been fears that long-term use of amphetamines for ADHD could affect brain development, prevent physical growth, and increase the risk of drug abuse later in life. Stimulants such as amphetamine (Adderall) and methylphenidate (Ritalin and Concerta) are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).