Addiction to amphetamine

When a person who is addicted to amphetamines suddenly stops taking the drug, he or she usually experiences unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, including ... 

Amphetamine abuse among teenagers is not just a problem faced by the United States and western countries. In Thailand, every day more teenagers become addicted to amphetamines. The number of youths arrested on drug-related charges sharply escalated in 1996, reportedly the year that the popularity of amphetamines among young people surpassed that of heroin. 

Methadone would not help a client addicted to amphetamines. 

Cocaine Clinically used as a local anaesthetic during eye surgery recreational use widespread tolerance develops readily highly addictive, especially crack cocaine severe potential problems similar to amphetamine users often become suspicious and paranoid, displaying antisocial and troublesome behaviour patterns. 

Despite public misconceptions, there is little firm evidence that the typical and atypical antidepressants produce dependence in clinical users. A review of 21 case reports of antidepressant addiction revealed that 12 were associated with tranylcypromine, although 8 of these 12 had a previous history of substance misuse (Haddad, 1999). Tranylcypromine s structural similarity to amphetamine may account for the significant number of reports of its addictive potential, but even here the term (mild) discontinuation reaction rather than withdrawal reaction should be used to allay any concerns patients might have (Haddad, 1999). 

Amphetamines are very effective for weight loss but their use is limited by serious side effects and the potential for abuse. Therefore, amphetamine is still FDA approved for other diseases but is no longer permitted for weight loss. Many drugs that are similar to amphetamine have been formulated in an attempt to promote weight loss without causing addiction and dangerous side effects. 

Chewing leaves of the khat shrub is practiced in parts of East Africa and the Arabian peninsula (Kalix 1988 Widler et al. 1994). Some estimate daily use at 5 million portions. Use in the West is less common, but has increased somewhat. More common in the United States has been use of the synthetic drug methcathinone (or "cat"), which is derived from khat alkaloids. Only the fresh khat leaves are pharmacologically active, so for some time use was limited to local areas that grew the plant. However, with air transportation, use has spread with emigrants in Europe and the United States. Because of its pharmacological similarities to amphetamine and its addictive properties, khat has been listed on Schedule I of the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances. 

Cyberpunk science fiction drizzles in coercive pharmacotherapy. In the quintessential cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer ] 984) an addiction" to cyberspace becomes the target not of government, but corporate retributive malice. The protagonist has his delicate nervous system damaged with the forced application of a Russian mycotoxin to punish him for data thievery. As a condition of employment, his pancreas is replaced and his liver is blocked so that he cannot experience the effects of amphetamines. 

Let me press this point a bit further. I am told that it is possible for a well-supplied heroin addict to live an otherwise healthy and productive life. (It appears to be otherwise with cocaine and amphetamines.) In any case, imagine that this is so for a certain severely addictive substance,, and that in a certain culture, otherwise similar to ours, the use of S is not only tolerated but respected as highly spiritually beneficial. This culture regards the dependency on this substance, which is to say, the vulnerability to various kinds of diminished self-control, as a small price to pay for the enrichment of human life provided by S. Fortunately, S is easily obtainable, perhaps even subsidized by the society for religious reasons. 

SYMPATHOMIMETIC Amedication similar to amphetamine, but is less powerful and has less potential for addiction than amphetamine. 

When actress Sheree North filmed the 1956 movie How to Be Very, Very Popular, she received metham-phetamine shots, bottles of Benzedrine (another amphetamine) for daytime use and the barbiturate Nembutal to sleep at night. The actress described that situation in the book Marilyn The Last Take. In the 1993 book written by Peter Harry Brown and Patte Barham about the late actress Marilyn Monroe, North said that people did not know the drugs were harmful. She became addicted to the drugs, as did Monroe. 

Amphetamine stimulates the central nervous system, which suppresses the appetite. Most diet pills are sympathomimetics. They are similar to amphetamines, but are less powerful and have less potential for addiction. The sympathomimetics are benzphetamine, diethylpropion, mazindol, methamphetamine, phendimetrazine, phentermine, and sibutramine. 

Ritalin became popular primarily because it was not an amphetamine. Amphetamines were known to have the potential for abuse and addiction. The potential for abuse of and addiction to Ritalin was still unknown. Ritalin was also preferred because it had been shown in many studies to have a rapid positive effect on children s performance, it remained in the bloodstream for only a few hours, and it had no negative effect after the children stopped taking the drug. 

Methamphetamine is an addiction-inducing drug that is closely related to amphetamine. However, methamphetamine shows greater CNS effects when compared with amphetamine. The therapeutic use of these drugs is limited to the treatment of obesity. 

All of the DEA s observations run contrary to the Ritalin label as found in the Physicians Desk Reference (2007), which continues to identify this potent, highly addictive drug as a mild central nervous system (CNS) stimulant (p. 2269), misleading doctors and consumers alike. Although the DEA and all responsible pharmacologists view Ritalin as essentially similar to amphetamine, the dependence warnings on the Ritalin label remain extremely weak in comparison to those on the Dexedrine and Adderall (amphetamine) labels. 

AMPHETAMINES BUPROPION 1. t plasma concentrations of these substrates, with risk of toxic effects 2. t risk of seizures. This risk is marked in elderly people, patients with a history of seizures, those with an addiction to opiates/ cocaine/stimulants, and those with diabetes treated with oral hypoglycaemics or insulin 1. Bupropion and its metabolite hydroxybupropion inhibit CYP2D6 2. Bupropion is associated with a dose-related risk of seizures. These drugs that lower seizure threshold are individually epileptogenic. They have additive effects when combined 1. Initiate therapy with these drugs, particularly those with a narrow therapeutic index, at the lowest effective dose. Interaction is likely to be important with substrates for which CYP2D6 is considered the only metabolic pathway (e.g. amphetamines) 2. Extreme caution. The dose of bupropion should not exceed 450 mg/day (or 150 mg/day in those with severe hepatic cirrhosis)... 

Sweden (1992) 1 700 to 3350 heroin addicts 8 900 to 12 450 other addicts, mostly amphetamine injectors (excluding cannabis addicts). 

Some might object... even though caffeine is demonstrably inferior to amphetamines for pilots, everyone knows that amphetamines are "addictive" and hence unsuitable for such use. Such people will be well advised to consult the pharmacological literature on caffeine, which has been thoroughly documented as an addictive drug... 

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