Those who use mixed amphetamine salts, however, were more likely to continue with the treatment. Long-term treatment with amphetamine-based medication in children appears to prevent unwanted changes in brain function and structure. Amphetamine has been trialed for a wide variety of conditions. Now, it is mainly used to treat ADHD, and, rarely, depression. In the past, it has been used to treat narcolepsy and to help with weight loss, but this is less common now. According to the DSM-5 criteria, a diagnosis of substance use disorder (SUD) requires meeting at least 2 of the specified criteria within a 12-month period.
Risks of Addiction
Talk to your doctor if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant. This drug should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk. Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with amphetamine are listed below.
What are the side effects of amphetamines?
It’s important to familiarize yourself so you can pick up on any concerning signs demonstrated by a loved one. It is very important that your doctor check your or your child’s progress at regular visits to make sure the medicine is working properly. Blood tests and blood pressure tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. Your doctor may occasionally stop treatment to check symptoms of ADHD.
Is it addictive?
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Taking amphetamine during pregnancy can cause premature birth, low birth weight, or withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Amphetamine is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If you’re dependent on amphetamines and are taking more than the required daily amount prescribed by your healthcare provider, you shouldn’t breastfeed (chestfeed).
Long-Term Health Risks
(Dopamine how long do amphetamines stay in your system is a neurotransmitter, a substance that helps nerve cells communicate.) This effect is the likely cause of mood elevation. MDMA differs from other amphetamines in that it also interferes with the reuptake of serotonin (another neurotransmitter) in the brain. Amphetamine users frequently develop dependence, often referred to as a substance use disorder. While the physical changes amphetamines cause in the brain are permanent, several therapeutic treatment programs that can help people overcome their addiction.
- Healthcare providers may prescribe amphetamines to people with ADHD or narcolepsy.
- They proposed a 6-month use of the drug to help people who have not responded to other treatment to improve their diet and increase exercise levels.
- Under the name Benzedrine, amphetamines were first used to treat obesity in the 1930s, due to their appetite-suppressing capabilities.
- Amphetamines work by stimulating the central nervous system to increase alertness, focus, and concentration while decreasing fatigue.
Are amphetamines a stimulant?
- Some amphetamine users are depressed and seek the mood-elevating effects of these stimulants to temporarily relieve the depression.
- When amphetamines are injected or smoked, they reach the brain quickly and produce a “rush,” or surge of euphoria, immediately.
- You may push Evekeo ODT® through the back of the foil to remove it.
- The Evekeo brand of amphetamine is used to treat ADHD and also narcolepsy.
A person’s tolerance begins slowly, which could result in dependence over time. If you take amphetamines and feel you are dependent on the drug, talk with your healthcare provider. Amphetamines are stimulant drugs that speed up how your body functions.
Related/similar drugs
The amphetamine stimulants reduce the swelling of the blood vessels in the nose; this helps open up the airways, allowing for easier breathing. The medications are available without a prescription but are stored behind the pharmacy counter because they can be illegally used to brew methamphetamine, according to the American Council on Science and Health. Amphetamines have been used since then in the development of a variety of drugs, most notably Adderall and Ritalin, which treat ADD and ADHD. Addiction to amphetamines has been an issue since the 1940s, but it escalated in the 1980s with increased illicit production of methamphetamine, a very addictive stimulant known for its euphoric effects. These drugs partially reverse the depressant effects of anesthetics, narcotics, hypnotics, and alcohol.
- (Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a substance that helps nerve cells communicate.) This effect is the likely cause of mood elevation.
- It has indications as a first-line agent for ADHD in adults and children six years of age and older.
- While the physical changes amphetamines cause in the brain are permanent, several therapeutic treatment programs that can help people overcome their addiction.
- In the past, it has been used to treat narcolepsy and to help with weight loss, but this is less common now.
Serotonergic drugs
Amphetamine effectively dulls the appetite when taken before meals, so it is widely used as an adjunct to dietary restriction in weight reduction. It is used (sometimes illicitly) by pilots, truckers, and soldiers on long-term missions where prolonged wakefulness is required. The amphetamines have had a major role in the management of hyperactive children because the drugs calm such children and enable them to concentrate, usually within a day after treatment is begun. Amphetamines have also been used in the treatment of narcolepsy. Always follow your healthcare provider’s instructions when taking amphetamines.