Amphetamine is a psychostimulant, meaning it speeds up the signals traveling between the brain and the body. It enhances concentration, however, if taken in large doses, the effect can be completely different.
Some types of amphetamine is used in medicine to treat conditions such as ADHD and narcolepsy. In the past, amphetamines have also been used to treat Parkinson's disease, but other types of amphetamines, such as speed, are manufactured and distributed illegally. The most potent form of amphetamine is crystal methamphetamine.
How do Amphetamines Look?
Amphetamine can be found in powder, tablet, crystal, and capsule forms.
Amphetamine powder can range in color from white to brown, sometimes gray or even pink. It has a strong smell and a bitter taste.
Illegally manufactured amphetamines may contain various drugs, binding agents, caffeine and sugar. Various new psychoactive substances may also be found in it.
სხვა დასახელებები
Speed, up, uppers, louee, goey, whiz, rack.
Methods of Use
Amphetamines can be used by smoking, snorting, injecting, or orally
Effects
Use of any drug always carries some risk, so it’s important to be careful when taking any type of drug.
The range of effects of amphetamines depends on the following factors:
Our height, weight, and health
The dose of the received substance
Strength and quality of the drug
Whether other drugs are taken around the same time
Tolerance (how accustomed our body is to receiving amphetamines)
The effects of aphetamine are felt immediately (if smoked or injected) or within about 30 minutes (if snorted or swallowed). At this time you may feel:
Psychological effects
Happiness and confidence
Increased desire to talk
A surge of energy
Increased alertness
Confusion
Paranoia
Visual and auditory hallucinations
Physiological effects
Dilated pupils
Dry mouth
Rapid heartbeat and breathing
Grinding of teeth
Decreased appetite
Nausea
Sexual arousal
Comedown
During the next 2-4 days after consuming amphetamines, you may experience:
Sleep problems and exhaustion
Headache
Paranoia, hallucinations and confusion
Spasms and muscle pain
Irritability
Rapidly changing mood
Anxiety
Depression
Using a depressant drug (alcohol, benzodiazepines, cannabis) to cope with these effects can lead to addiction to both types of substances.
Long-term Effects
Long-term use of amphetamines can eventually lead to:
Decreased appetite and dangerous weight loss
Sleep problems
Cavities and tooth loss
Frequent illness due to weakened immunity
Anxiety and paranoia
Depression
Increased chance of stroke
Liver, kidney and lung problems
Financial, professional and social problems.
Mental Health
Studies show that frequent use of amphetamines contributes to the deterioration of mental health.
Long-term use of amphetamine can lead a person to delusional-hallucinatory psychosis (auditory hallucinations and persecutory mania). The cause of such a condition can be chronic insomnia, which disrupts the action of neurotransmitters. Sometimes psychoses are so strong and deep that they can be cured only as a result of long-term psychiatric treatment. Similar long-term treatment may be required for depression caused by amphetamine withdrawal. Such depression is often accompanied by suicidal thoughts, which sometimes turn into suicide attempts.
Psychotic symptoms can sometimes persist for months or even years after a person has given up methamphetamine use. Stress has been found to contribute to spontaneous relapse of methamphetamine psychosis in former methamphetamine users.
Overdose and Risks
Some studies have found a link between amphetamine use and aggressive behavior.
When injecting amphetamines, there is a high risk of tetanus, infection, vein damage, and blood clots. If you share needles with others, you are at high risk of contracting hepatitis B and C and AIDS.
Signs of Amphetamine overdose include:
High body temperature and sweating
Nausea and vomiting
Violent tremors and convulsions
Pain in the abdomen, chest and kidney areas
Aggressiveness and paranoia
Hallucinations
Suicidal thoughts
Stroke, heart attack and death
Reducing Risks
Be sure to test your drug before using it so you know what to be prepared for. You can visit our office or come to our tent at an event to test your drug and find out what you're dealing with;
Before consuming the desired dose, it is recommended to take a quarter of the dose and wait for the effects. This way, you will understand how strong that particular batch is;
Drink about 500ml (2 medium glasses) of water per hour to avoid dehydration and overheating;
If you inject, always use new sterile injection equipment (needle, syringe, filter, etc.). Do not share them even with people you know well. If you both have hepatitis C, sharing is still not recommended - You may be carriers of viruses with different genotypes and become carriers of a new infection by sharing;
If you smoke meth, it is necessary to completely vaporize the meth - you should not inhale only the liquid, as this is dangerous for the lungs;
Overdose Management
If you or someone else is experiencing similar symptoms, and you are at an event where a harm reduction organization is present, please seek them out and ask for help. If you don't have a similar organization near you, do the following:
In case of high temperature, try to cool the person - apply ice, put them in a cool bath, move them to a cool place;
Do not leave the patient alone, call others for help;
Have them drink water to prevent dehydration;
Take them to a quiet place and reassure them that everything will be fine. Speak calmly, even when they are aggressive;
If the person is unconscious - try to bring them to their senses, call them by name, shake them. If you do not get a response, put them in the first aid recovery position and call for emergency medical help
Call emergency medical help immediately if the victim has:
Convulsions
Severe headache
Pain in the chest
Shortness of breath
Paranoid thoughts and associated aggressive behavior
Mixing Amphetamines with Other Substances
Taking amphetamines with any other type of substance can have unpredictable and dangerous effects on us.
Amphetamines + some depressants: increased risk of arrhythmia and seizures
Amphetamines + alcohol: increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure
Amphetamines + opioids: increased risk of arrhythmia and seizures
Addiction and Tolerance
The excitement and pleasurable euphoria that this substance causes also contribute to the emergence of a psychological dependence on it. The desire to use again is also strengthened by the very unpleasant psychological state that follows the cessation of taking amphetamines. Deteriorated mood and lack of energy encourage us to continue to consume.
Symptoms of physical dependence are slight or fully absent. The only possible symptom of physical dependence is the long-term fatigue and drowsiness that develops after taking amphetamine, which sometimes lasts for several tens of hours.
Withdrawal symptoms usually weaken 1 week after stopping the use, after 1 month they disappear almost completely. At this time you may feel:
Increased appetite
Confusion and irritability
Apathy
Muscle pain
Tiredness
Sleep problems, nightmares
Anxiety, depression and paranoia
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