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Amphetamine chemical structure | |
| IUPAC name: 1-phenylpropan-2-amine | |
| CAS number 300-62-9 |
ATC code N06BA01 |
| Chemical formula | C9H13N |
| Molecular weight | 135.2084 |
| Bioavailability | 4L/kg; low binding to plasma proteins (20%) |
| Metabolism | hepatic & renal clearance |
| Elimination half life | 10-13 Hours |
| Excretion | significant portion unaltered |
| Pregnancy category | C |
| Legal status | DEA Schedule II (USA)
Class B (UK) |
| Delivery | Vaporized, Insufflated, Injected, Taken Orally |
| Indicated for: Recreational uses: Other uses:
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Contraindications:
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Side effects:
Severe:
Atypical sensations:
Eye:
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Urogenital and reproductive:
Miscellaneous: |
Amphetamine, or Amphetamines, also commonly known by the slang term speed, is a synthetic drug originally studied (and still used) as an appetite suppressant. It was first synthesized in 1887 by the German Chemist L. Edeleano, who called it "phenylisopropylamine". Amphetamine and its derivatives (amphetamines) are part of a broader class of compounds called phenethylamines.
Overview
Amphetamine is a synthetic stimulant used to suppress the appetite, control weight, and treat disorders including narcolepsy and ADHD. It is also used recreationally and for performance enhancement. These (latter) uses are illegal in most countries.
The experimental medical use of amphetamines began in the 1920s. It was introduced in most of the world in the form of the pharmaceutical Benzedrine in the late 1920s. The drug was used by the militaries of several nations, especially the air forces, to fight fatigue and increase alertness among servicemen. After decades of reports of abuse, the FDA banned Benzedrine inhalers and limited amphetamines to prescription use in 1959, but illegal use became common.
Medicinal use
Along with methylphenidate (Ritalin), amphetamine is one of the standard treatments for ADHD. Beneficial effects for ADHD can include improved impulse control, improved concentration, decreased sensory overstimulation and decreased irritability. These effects can be dramatic, particularly in young children. The ADHD medication Adderall is composed of a timed-release combination of four different amphetamine salts.
When used within the recommended doses, side effects like loss of appetite tend to decrease over time. However, amphetamines last longer in the body than methylphenidate (Ritalin Concerta), and tend to have stronger side effects on appetite and sleep.
Amphetamines are also a standard treatment for narcolepsy as well as other sleeping disorders. They are generally effective over long periods of time without producing addiction or physical dependence.
Amphetamines are sometimes used to augment anti-depressant therapy in treatment-resistant depression.
Medical use for weight loss is still approved in some countries, but is regarded as obsolete and dangerous in, for example, the United States.
== Performance enhancing use
Amphetamines are usually not used by athletes in sports involving extreme cardiovascular efforts, as methamphetamine and amphetamine put a great deal of additional stress on the heart.
The United States Air Force uses amphetamines (Dexedrine) as stimulants for pilots, calling them "go-pills". After a mission, the Air Force issues a "no-go pill' (Ambien) to help the pilot sleep.
Amphetamines have been popular among some truck drivers, construction workers, and factory workers whose jobs require long or irregular shift work or automatic, repetitive tasks. It is for this reason that they are sometimes labeled a "redneck drug". They are also used by white collar workers trying to stay alert during long hours of multitasking, or by students hoping to improve their academic performance. There has also been at least one report of the coercive administration of amphetemines to cannery workers in Thailand, in order to enhance productivity (Seabrook, 1996).
However, the majority of cases of non-medicinal amphetamine use appear to be recreational in nature.
Effects of use
Amphetamines release stores of norepinephrine and dopamine from nerve endings by converting the respective molecular transporters into open channels. Amphetamine also releases stores of serotonin from synaptic vesicles. Like methylphenidate (Ritalin) amphetamines also prevent the monoamine transporters for dopamine and norepinephrine from recycling them (called reuptake inhibition) which leads to increased amounts of dopamine and norepinephrine in synaptic clefts.
These combined effects rapidly increases the concentrations of the respective neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft, which promotes nerve impulse transmission in neurons that have those receptors.
Physiological effects
Short-term physiological effects include decreased appetite, increased stamina and physical energy, increased sexual drive/response, involuntary bodily movements, increased perspiration, hyperactivity, jitteriness, nausea, itchy, blotchy or greasy skin, increased heart rate, irregular heart rate, and headaches. Fatigue can often follow the dose's period of effectiveness.
Long-term abuse or overdose effects can include tremor, restlessness, changed sleep patterns, poor skin condition, hyperreflexia, tachypnea, gastrointestinal narrowing, and weakened immune system. Fatigue and depression can follow the excitement stage. Erectile dysfunction, heart problems, stroke, and liver, kidney and lung damage can result from prolonged use. When snorted, amphetamine can lead to a deterioration of the lining of the nostrils.
Psychological effects
Short-term psychological effects can include alertness, euphoria, increased concentration, rapid talking, increased confidence, increased social responsiveness, nystagmus (eye wiggles), hallucinations, and loss of REM sleep (dreaming) the night after use.
Long term psychological effects can include insomnia, mental states resembling schizophrenia, aggressiveness, addiction or dependence with accompanying withdrawal symptoms, irritability, confusion, and panic. Chronic and/or extensively continuous use can lead to amphetamine psychosis which causes delusions and paranoia, but this is uncommon when taken as prescribed.
Legal issues
Example 1: In the United Kingdom, amphetamines are regarded as Class B drugs. The maximum penalty for unauthorised possession is three months' imprisonment and a £2,500 fine.
Example 2: In the United States, amphetamine and methamphetamine are Schedule II controlled drugs, classified as a CNS (Central Nervous System) Stimulant. A Schedule II drug is classified as one that: has a high potential for abuse, has a currently accepted medical use and is used under severe restrictions, and has a high possibility of severe psychological and physiological dependence.
Internationally, amphetamine is a Schedule II drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances[1].
Books
. ISBN 1859849865. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
See also
- Stimulants
- Phenethylamines
- Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine and part of Adderall)
- Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta)
- Cathinone
- Methcathinone
- Ephedrine
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Clandestine chemistry
- Uncle Fester (author)
External links
- USAF use of amphetamines
- Erowid - Amphetamines
- The Good Drugs Guide - Amphetamines
- Lycaeum - Amphetamines
- Srisurapanont et al, Treatment for amphetamine dependence and abuse
- Drugs.com - Amphetamine
- Asia & Pacific Amphetamine - Type Simulant Information Centre - a very extensive information source mangaged by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.