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Most people know that amphetamines, or "speed," produce heightened activity, sleeplessness, euphoria, and sometimes paranoia or, in extreme cases, convulsions, loss of contact with reality, or even death through respiratory arrest or ventricular fibrillation. Despite the seriousness of these effects, abuse of and dependence on amphetamine are common. Increasing amounts of amphetamine are usually necessary to maintain its effects; in rare cases, however, users may become more sensitive to amphetamines, rather than habituated to them. Amphetamine intoxication may lead users to become aggressive and get into fights; need for the drug may also tempt users into illegal behaviors in order to obtain it. Amphetamines are only one of several drugs (cocaine is another example) that might produce some or all of the above effects; people with two or more of the above effects are likely candidates for a diagnosis of drug abuse. Amphetamine and cocaine intoxication produce such similar effects that they can be distinguished only because in one case the person took amphetamine and in the other the person took cocaine! Cocaine acts a little faster and wears off a little quicker than amphetamine, and accordingly may be more addictive. Withdrawal from amphetamines produces some effects that are opposite to those of use; that is, instead of having more energy and going for long periods without sleep, a person undergoing withdrawal is generally fatigued and unhappy, and may need to rest and sleep for a long time. One likely route to amphetamine
abuse is through taking the drug to decrease appetite as part of a weight
loss program. Such prescribed use of amphetamines is also one way that the
drug becomes available for illegal sale. The initial treatment for
amphetamine abuse or dependence is, of course, removal of the drug under
careful supervision. The patient will need rest and nutritious food,
and medical supervision is advisable if the abuse or dependence is at all
serious. People in recovery may be paranoid, anxious, and agitated; they
will almost certainly be unhappy and have a disrupted sleep pattern.
Medications may be helpful in dealing with these withdrawal symptoms. Last updated 12/19/03 |
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