Effects of Amphetamines
Amphetamines are a stimulant so this may:
- Speed up your heartbeart
- Speed up breathing
- Make you tense particularly in the jaw area resulting in grinding or ‘gurning’
- Reduced appetite
Side Effects / Health Risks of Amphetamines
- Amphetamines put an intense strain on your heart, if you have high blood pressure or a heart defect, stay away from the drug.
- The comedown from phet can be intense making you feel depressed and irritable, this can last up to two days.
- There is a risk of overdose with speed especially when injected.
- As with most drugs, taking speed will compromise your immune system.
- Amphetamine use can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, paranoia and psychosis.
- Injecting with a needle can lead to ulcers, vein damage and gangrene.
- Sharing needles or dirty needles opens up the risk of viral hepatitis and HIV.
Amphetamine addiction
The body builds a quick tolerance to speed and amphetamines. This can fade for short term or occasional users. More chronic use requires increased doses to maintain the same effect.
Amphetamines are stimulants, making them highly addictive and work much like alcohol, nicotine and cocaine in that they know the ‘reward’ pathways of the brain.
Amphetamine – the law
Amphetamines are currently a class B drug, but have class A penalties if prepared for injection. Crystal Meth a form of amphetamine, is a Class A drug.
How Amphetamines is used
Amphetamines can be ingested in a ‘speed bomb’, speed twisted up in a cigarette paper and swallowed. Amphetamines can also be snorted, rubbed on the gums, taken in a drink.
Contamination risk
Amphetamine and Speed is one of the most impure drugs due to it often being heavily cut with anything from paracetamol, to baby milk, talcum powder, glucose and other substances, so it is impossible without testing to know exactly what you are taking. Base speed, or paste is purer.
Mixing the D’s what to avoid
Mixing Amphetamines with cocaine or ecstasy can bring increased toxicity due to the similar effect. This can put a strain on the heart, result in risk of overheating, permanent damage or death. Long term users are advised to take vitamin supplements and be aware of body weight.
Amphetamine overdose
An Amphetamine overdose is rarely fatal but some users have died from overdose. Overdose can lead to a number of symptoms, including hypertension, psychosis and chest pain.
Amphetamine withdrawal
Withdrawal from short term use can include: hyperactivity, flushing, restlessness, headache, sweating, shaking, and insomnia.
Withdrawal from chronic use can include: anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleeping, short temper, psychosis, delusions, suicidal thoughts
Amphetamines drug test
There isn’t an individual drug test available, but you can test for a number of drugs at once.
Amphetamines in the news
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