Amphetamines - Effects on the Body

Effects on the Body

Amphetamines are psychostimulantsPronounced SY-koh-STIM-yew-lent; a stimulant that acts on the brain.. As a prescription drug for the treatment of ADHD, amphetamines have been shown to increase performance accuracy, improve short-term memory, improve reaction time, aid in solving mathematical problems, increase problem-solving abilities in games, and help individuals concentrate.

"If stimulants simply increased energy and alertness," commented Kuhn, "they indeed would be [a] miracle medicine.… How ever, these drugs also cause an unmistakable euphoria and sense of well-being that is the basis of addiction." The effect of amphetamines is similar to the effect of cocaine, another widely abused psychostimulant. However, amphetamine highs are generally longer lasting.

Amphetamine users often feel that the drug puts them in a better mood and increases their level of confidence. "It gives me a lot of energy," remarked one user in an interview with Klee. "I can get out and do things, meet people, things like that. And you don't let anything get to you. You're on top of the world."

Amphetamines are often abused by people who want to boost their energy and enhance their physical performance. Athletes on amphetamines may find that they can play longer, harder, and better. Students on speed can endure longer studying sessions and remain focused on their homework for hours, sometimes without even taking a break to eat. Truck drivers who take amphetamines are able to cover more miles without falling asleep at the wheel. But the high generated by amphetamines eventually wears off.

In 2001, track star Justin Gatlin received a two-year suspension from competing after testing positive for amphetamines. He successfully fought the suspension, however, showing that the drug was prescribed to him to treat ADHD. Gatlin stopped t
In 2001, track star Justin Gatlin received a two-year suspension from competing after testing positive for amphetamines. He successfully fought the suspension, however, showing that the drug was prescribed to him to treat ADHD. Gatlin stopped taking the medication and later won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. AP/Wide World Photos.

After the Buzz

"A single oral dose of amphetamine usually stimulates the body for at least four hours," wrote Weil and Rosen. After that, more of the drug is needed to maintain the high. Once the buzz of uppers has worn off, users who felt awake, energized, and full find themselves very tired, grumpy, and extremely hungry. A person coming down from an amphetamine high may sleep an entire day away before the drug leaves his or her system entirely.

"Irritability and/or aggression is common when 'coming down' off the drug, when using [it] heavily, and when [it is] combined with alcohol," reported Klee. "You get to the point where you're shouting at people and causing trouble and the amphetamine gives you the energy to do it… which is a problem," noted one of the users Klee quoted. Such behavior can ruin longstanding relationships and, in some cases, result in social rejection for users.

Addiction and Other Dangers

Long-term amphetamine use can result in a psychological addiction or psychological dependenceThe belief that a person needs to take a certain substance in order to function, whether that person really does or not.. Psychological dependence can develop quickly, especially in people who already show signs of depression. As Kuhn put it, "We know that the drive to use cocaine or amphetamine is considerably stronger than that for any of the other addictive drugs."

The use of amphetamines can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, nervousness, weight loss, and insomnia. The drug can also lead users to perform bizarre, repetitive actions. "Assembling and disassembling radios, cars, and gadgets is common among… users. [They] are aware that their activity is meaningless but report not being able to stop," noted Murray. Higher doses result in fever, an unusually fast heartbeat, chest pain, blurred vision, tics, tremors, and antisocial behavior.

Amphetamines can kill. Prolonged abuse of amphetamines can lead to toleranceA condition in which higher and higher doses of a drug are needed to produce the original effect or high experienced.. Taking greater quantities of amphetamines increases the chance of an overdose. Signs of an overdose include convulsions, followed by coma, and then possibly death. The cause of death may be from the bursting of blood vessels in the brain, a heart attack, or an extremely high fever.

Lab Studies

The National Academy of Sciences revealed in 2003 that exposure to amphetamines can reduce "the ability of certain brain cells to change in response to life experiences." With funding provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), drug researchers from the University of Lethbridge in Canada and U of M-Ann Arbor worked together, conducting experiments with amphetamines on lab rats.

Amphetamine-treated rats seemed confused by changes that were introduced to their surroundings during the course of the testing. Rats that were not given amphetamines, however, had no problems maneuvering around ramps, bridges, tunnels, and toys that had been relocated in their cages. Even after three and a half months, the amphetamine-treated rats were unable to adjust to changes in their environment. Analysis of the brains of both treated and untreated rats showed definite differences in their physical appearance.

These findings correspond with drug experiments conducted by three researchers on human volunteers in 1969. Those experiments, according to Murray, indicated that high doses of amphetamines affect the brain. The volunteers, who were hospitalized for the six-week-long study, experienced wide mood swings that began with euphoria, or a feeling of great happiness, and ended with deep depression. They also went for days without eating or sleeping well, talked nonstop for hours at a time, and showed signs of paranoiaAbnormal feelings of suspicion and fear. before the experiment was concluded.