Q: What are amphetamines?
A: Amphetamines are a group of drugs that are made by combining various chemicals. They work by stimulating the brain and nervous system. They have a variety of street names including uppers, bennies and pep pills. They are very similar to a type of drug called methamphetamines, sometimes called speed, meth or crank. There is also a type of methamphetamine that can be smoked. On the street, it is usually called crystal meth or ice.
Q: What do amphetamines look like?
A: They come in tablets and capsules that can be swallowed. They can also be crystals, chunks or powders, which can be snorted or injected. Ice looks like shaved glass slivers or clear rock salt (the stuff that is used to melt ice in the winter).
Q: What effects do amphetamines have on people who use them?
A: Because amphetamines increase activity in the brain, they cause alertness, energy and a sense of well-being. That is why they are sometimes illegally used by people who need to stay awake, like truck drivers, shift workers and students pulling all-nighters cramming for exams.
Q: What physical effects do amphetamines have?
A: Amphetamines can increase your breathing and heart rate at the same time as they decrease your appetite. They can also make you very thirsty, and make you have trouble sleeping. Large doses can cause an intense high but also restlessness, shakiness, sweating, anxiety, headache, blurred vision, dizziness, irregular heartbeat and chest pain. Some users feel powerful, and others get hostile and aggressive. You can also overdose on amphetamines. Overdoses can cause high fever, delusions, hallucinations, seizures, coma, stroke, heart failure and death. Combining amphetamines with alcohol or other drugs is especially dangerous.
Q: What are the effects of frequently using amphetamines for months or years?
A: If you use amphetamines regularly, you can experience sleep problems, depression, mood swings, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, weight loss, constipation or diarrhea, and nutritional problems.
High doses of amphetamines can cause nerve damage, mental problems like paranoia, and hallucinations.
Most of these problems disappear a few days or weeks after you stop taking amphetamines, but some nerve damage may be permanent.
Q: Are there other problems?
A: Yes. Amphetamine users who inject the drug with shared needles risk getting hepatitis and AIDS.
Babies born to amphetamine users are more likely to be born too soon. They may also have an increased risk of birth defects. The drug passes to nursing babies through the mothers' milk.
Q: Are amphetamines addictive?
A: Yes. People who use amphetamines regularly find they need to take larger doses to get the same effects as they used to get from smaller doses. This is called tolerance. Once a tolerance is developed, doses get larger and users can develop a need for the drug. These cravings can be very strong, and users may go to great lengths to get more amphetamines.
If users stop suddenly, they can experience withdrawal caused by their body craving, but not getting, amphetamines. This withdrawal usually involves extreme tiredness, disturbed sleep, hunger, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
