The Long-Term Effects of Amphetamines

If you have taken amphetamines, you know all about the high, something like an adrenaline rush. Like cocaine, amphetamine makes you feel energized. But, unlike cocaine, the effects of amphetamine can stay active for several hours. You will be able to stay awake and concentrate more. And, if you mix your amphetamine use with other drugs or alcohol, you can increase these effects. In a lot of ways, amphetamine use makes sense; it sounds great.

But, you can very easily develop a dependence on the drug and that may transition into a full-blown addiction. When that happens, you will face withdrawals and other challenges when you try to quit using. You will need help. Amphetamines.com can help you. Amphetamine treatment isn’t easy and connecting to qualified professionals who are educated in the field of addiction, you will give yourself the best chance of getting sober and staying that way. Call 800-816-1059(Who Answers?) to get connected to experts.

What Is the History of Amphetamines?

The Center for Substance Abuse and Research (CESAR) identifies German chemist L. Edeleano as the first to synthesize amphetamine, which was not immediately recognized for its stimulating effects. It would not be until decades after Edeleano’s 1887 synthesis that amphetamine’s central nervous system effects and its use as a respiratory stimulant were noticed and taken advantage of.  By the early 1930s, amphetamine was being marketed, in an inhaler form, to clear up nasal congestion.

During this period, professionals in the medical field endorsed amphetamine for a number of complaints:  pregnancy-related vomiting (or morning sickness), hangover, excess weight, narcolepsy, hyperactivity, and depression. Because of its many uses, low-cost, availability, and lasting effects, the use of amphetamine grew quickly. This was also helped by medical professionals incorrectly reporting that amphetamine was not addictive.

Long-Term Effects

Long-term amphetamine use can cause mental health disorders.

The military in the US, UK, Japan, And German all used amphetamines during World War II. The aim was to increase alertness, increase stamina, and elevate mood.

The period between the 1940s and 1960s is considered the first amphetamine epidemic.

In the 1960s and 1970s, people became aware of the increased high and speed of onset that could be gained by using amphetamine (particularly methamphetamine) via intravenous injection. This kick started a rise in amphetamine abuse.

By the mid-1980s, law enforcement was reporting the abuse of crystal methamphetamine.

How Do People Use Amphetamines?

Because amphetamine has many forms, it also has many avenues of use. In pill form, methamphetamine and amphetamine can be smoked, dissolved and injected, crushed and snorted, or swallowed. Pure methamphetamine, often called “glass” and “ice,” is most often smoked, using a glass pipe. This means that the drug is quickly absorbed into the body without the associated risks of injecting the drug. Crystal meth, the powdered for of the drug, can be taken by mouth, via snorting, or injected.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Amphetamine Use?

It’s important to remember that different people will develop different symptoms with prolonged use of amphetamine. Different bodily make-ups, usage patterns, and drug forms will all affect which effects manifest. Don’t decide that you don’t have a problem because you aren’t showing some of these symptoms. You can be dealing with a full-blown addiction regardless of the effects you are personally dealing with.

 

CESAR informs readers that long-term use in high doses may lead to the following:

  • Toxic psychosis
  • Physiological disorders
  • Behavioral disorders
  • Wooziness
  • Pronounced heartbeat
  • Trouble breathing
  • Mood fluctuations
  • Mental changes
  • Uncommon exhaustion or weakness
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Repeated motor activity
  • Convulsions
  • Coma
  • Death
  • Ulcers
  • Malnutrition
  • Mental health disorders
  • Skin problems
  • Vitamin deficit
  • Flushed or pale skin
  • Loss of coordination
  • Physical breakdown

One side effect specific to amphetamine use is amphetamine psychosis. It is a type of mental illness and it bears a strong resemblance to paranoid schizophrenia. For some sufferers, toxic psychosis is the result of using a high dose of amphetamine over a short time. Ideally, as a person comes down from their high, they can become, once again, grounded in reality. However, this can take days or weeks to happen.

If you are dependent on amphetamines or addicted to them and you need help making it through withdrawal and working on recovery, you should call Amphetamines.com. By calling 800-816-1059(Who Answers?), you can get your questions answered, learn about funding resources, and have quality amphetamine treatment programs recommended. Call now.