Amphetamines withdrawal symptoms

The treatment goals for withdrawal from ethanol, cocaine/ amphetamines, and opioids include (1) a determination if pharmacologic treatment of withdrawal symptoms is necessary, (2) management of medical manifestations of withdrawal such as hypertension, seizures, arthralgias, and nausea, and (3) referral to the appropriate program for substance abuse treatment. 

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

Drug abuse and dependence These drugs are chemically and pharmacologically related to the amphetamines and have abuse potential. Intense psychological or physical dependence and severe social dysfunction may be associated with long-term therapy or abuse. If this occurs, gradually reduce the dosage to avoid withdrawal symptoms. 

It is beheved that phenomena such as sensitization, tolerance and drug-dependence might also involve synaptic plasticity. In fact, numerous studies indicate that NMDA receptor antagonists block sensitization to amphetamine and cocaine as well as tolerance and dependence to ethanol and opioids in animal models (Trujillo and Akil 1991 Pasternak and Inturrisi 1995 Trujillo and Akil 1995 Mao 1999). Recent studies indicate that the uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists dextromethorphan, memantine and neramexane not only prevent the development of morphine tolerance, but also reverse estabhshed tolerance in the continuing presence of this opioid, prevent the expression of withdrawal symptoms in rats (Popik and Skolnick 1996 Popik and Danysz 1997 Popik and Kozela 1999 Houghton et al. 2001) and attenuate the expres-... 

Medical studies indicate that five to 15% of the amphetamine users who become psychotic fail to recover completely even after physical withdrawal symptoms pass. Psychiatrists in Japan did a study demonstrating that amphetamine psychosis can persist for several years. 

Animal studies show that amphetamine abuse may cause birth defects. There are no controlled studies of this effect in humans however it is known that pregnant women who are amphetamine-dependent may give birth prematurely and are more likely to have infants with a low birth weight. Amphetamines cross the placenta, so a baby bom to an amphetamine abuser may experience withdrawal symptoms once the drug begins to leave the infant s system. 

For amphetamine addicts and drug abusers, the controlled, therapeutic environment of residential rehab provides a safe place to learn new behaviors and explore the emotional issues behind their drug use. And for patients experiencing amphetamine or other drug withdrawal symptoms, an inpatient facility is the best option for a safe and gradual detoxification from the drug. 

Once an amphetamine abuser stops taking the drug, withdrawal symptoms begin as the body tries to adjust to the absence of the stimulant. This results in very uncomfortable and potentially life-threatening physical symptoms, called withdrawal syndrome. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), withdrawal is experienced by 87% of amphetamine users who stop the drug. 

Pregnant mothers who are dependent on amphetamines risk giving birth prematurely. The baby may have a low birth weight and could experience withdrawal symptoms. 

Amphetamines, or stimulant drugs, become popular as diet pills. Serious side effects and withdrawal symptoms cause its popularity to fade. Approval for weight loss use is eventually reversed. 

The nature of the withdrawal symptoms depends upon the neurotransmitter systems which are the target of the drug. Thus cocaine and the amphetamines alleviate fatigue, cause anorexia and elevate mood withdrawal therefore results in feelings of fatigue, hyperphagia and depression. Abrupt withdrawal from the sedatives, such as barbiturates or following... 

These natural reward centers have developed over the course of evolution to reinforce useful behaviors (e.g., pleasure, sexual satisfaction, eating, and drinking). It is believed that drugs such as cocaine and amphetamine directly stimulate these centers, while opiates free the pathways from inhibitory control. Nicotine, on the other hand, reaches the brain in as little as 10-20 seconds, where it stimulates nicotine receptors to cause dopaminergic neurons to release large quantities of dopamine. After a few hours, dopamine levels decline, causing withdrawal symptoms to readily appear (e.g., anxiety, irritability, and inattentiveness). When cigarette smokers say they need a smoke to steady their nerves, what they really mean is that they have to contend with nicotine withdrawal. 

Like any addictive stimulant, methylphenidate and amphetamine can cause withdrawal symptoms such as crashing with depression, exhaustion, withdrawal, irritability, and suicidal feelings. However, parents and teachers almost never recognize a withdrawal reaction when their student or child gets upset after missing a single dose. Instead, they mistakenly believe that the child needs to be kept on the medication. 

Infants whose mothers take d,l-amphetamine during pregnancy may experience withdrawal symptoms... 

Lefetamine is an opioid receptor partial agonist, which combines the actions of amphetamines with opioid-Uke effects. It was a drug of abuse in Japan in the 1950s and later also in Italy (1). In 10 opiate addicts, lefetamine relieved acute opiate withdrawal symptoms and did not precipitate withdrawal symptoms in stable addicts (2). 

So the paranoid psychosis produced by cocaine and amphetamine overdose is properh called stimulant psychosis. By the late 1960s, the word was out on the street— Speed kills What was referred to in this slogan was not just death by overdose. Amphetamine overdose deaths did occur, but they were relatively rare. Far more common was the development of a paranoid state that often led to acts of violence. In addition, after a long binge of amphetamine abuse, the user may crash (sleep for an extended period) and then awaken deeply depressed. The depression could last for days and is now recognized as a common withdrawal symptom after hca%7 use of either amphetamine or cocaine. The depression often leads the user back to drugs to try to get up again, and the cycle is repeated. Eventually the user s physical and mental health deteriorates badly unless he or she can break out of the cycle. 

Dependence may develop after chronic use of cocaine or amphetamines. The abstinence syndrome is characterized primarily by depression and craving with few measurable physiological effects. Thus, a drug that does not cause severe physical withdrawal symptoms can still be highly addictive. 

Cocaine is usually legally classified as an addictive drug though withdrawal doesn t cause the abstinence syndrome seen in junkies. Cocaine withdrawal causes symptoms similar to those seen in withdrawal from amphetamines — depression, fetigue and listlessness. 

Amphetamines, analeptics, and anorexiants are commonly referred to as uppers when used to prevent sleep. Anorexiants and amphetamines can produce psychological dependence and the body can become tolerant to its effect if abused. Abruptly discontinuing these medications may result in withdrawal symptoms including depression. Amphetamines are also taken to decrease weight and increase energy enabling the patient to perform work quickly without rest. 

Opioids (especially methadone and heroin) are the most common cause of serious neonatal drug withdrawal symptoms. Other dmgs for which a withdrawal syndrome has been reported include phencyclidine (POP), cocaine, amphetamines, tricyclic antidepressants, phenothiazines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, ethanol, clonidine, diphenhydramine, lithium, meprobamate, and theophylline. A careful dmg history from the mother should include illicit drugs, alcohol, and prescription and over-the-counter medications, and whether she is breast-feeding. 

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