In contrast to human studies, adult female rats exhibit markedly greater dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and more pronounced behavioral effects from amphetamine administration relative to males, effects that may be modulated by fluctuating estradiol levels across the estrous cycle or more broadly by adult gonadal hormones. Moreover, neuroimaging studies have reported significant sex differences in the neural response to amphetamine in humans, including differences in dopamine release within the striatum and other brain regions. Following amphetamine uptake at VMAT2, amphetamine induces the collapse of the vesicular pH gradient, which results in a dose-dependent release of dopamine molecules from synaptic vesicles into the cytosol via dopamine efflux through VMAT2. The concentrations of the main neurotransmitters involved in reward circuitry and executive functioning, dopamine and norepinephrine, increase dramatically in a dose-dependent manner by amphetamine because of its effects on monoamine transporters. According to the same review, there is at least one trial that shows antipsychotic medications effectively resolve the symptoms of acute amphetamine psychosis.
Because of this, you should take amphetamines exactly as prescribed. When taken in certain ways, amphetamines can cause a “high” feeling. Amphetamines (pronounced “am-FET-uh-meens”) make your body release extra dopamine and norepinephrine. Amphetamines are stimulant drugs that make your central nervous system more active.
- Outside Europe, the illicit market for amphetamine is much smaller than the market for methamphetamine and MDMA.
- Cleveland Clinic’s primary care providers offer lifelong medical care.
- Call your doctor right away if you notice these symptoms.
- The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients.
- The few studies that have used equivalent (weight-adjusted) human therapeutic doses and oral administration show that these changes, if they occur, are relatively minor.
Medical
Pathological overactivation of the mesolimbic pathway, a dopamine pathway that connects the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens, plays a central role in amphetamine addiction. In a normal person at therapeutic doses, this effect is usually not noticeable, but when respiration is already compromised, it may be evident. Amphetamine and other dopaminergic drugs also increase power output at fixed levels of perceived exertion by overriding a “safety switch”, allowing the core temperature limit to increase in order to access a reserve capacity that is normally off-limits. Amphetamine is used by some athletes for its psychological and athletic performance-enhancing effects, such as increased endurance and alertness; however, non-medical amphetamine use is prohibited at sporting events that are regulated by collegiate, national, and international anti-doping agencies. Therapeutic doses of amphetamine also enhance cortical network efficiency, an effect which mediates improvements in working memory in all individuals.
What is the difference between amphetamine and methamphetamine?
Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary.
Prolonged elevations of brain temperature above 40 °C likely promote the development of amphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in laboratory animals by facilitating the production of reactive oxygen species, disrupting cellular protein function, and transiently increasing blood–brain barrier permeability. In 2013, overdose on amphetamine, methamphetamine, and other compounds implicated in an “amphetamine use disorder” resulted in an estimated 3,788 deaths worldwide (3,425–4,145 deaths, 95% confidence).note 16 Symptoms of a moderate and extremely large overdose are listed below; fatal amphetamine poisoning usually also involves convulsions and coma.
Can I drink alcohol with amphetamines?
However, a typical dose of amphetamine is generally between 5mg and 40mg per day, split into one to three doses. Amphetamines are a form of central nervous system (CNS) stimulant drugs that come as either prescription medication or illegal narcotics, such as speed. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine.
Missed Dose
- Following amphetamine uptake at VMAT2, amphetamine induces the collapse of the vesicular pH gradient, which results in a dose-dependent release of dopamine molecules from synaptic vesicles into the cytosol via dopamine efflux through VMAT2.
- Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects.
- In spite of strict government controls, amphetamine has been used legally or illicitly by people from a variety of backgrounds, including authors, musicians, mathematicians, and athletes.
A systematic review from 2014 found that low doses of amphetamine also improve memory consolidation, in turn leading to improved recall of information. However, the quality of evidence for these findings is low and is consequently reflected in the AASM’s conditional recommendation for dextroamphetamine as a treatment option for narcolepsy. Treatment with pharmaceutical amphetamines is generally less preferred relative to other stimulants (e.g., modafinil) and is considered a third-line treatment option. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) 2021 clinical practice guideline conditionally recommends dextroamphetamine for the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 narcolepsy. Noradrenergic and serotonergic nuclei in the ARAS are involved in the regulation of the REM sleep cycle and function as “REM-off” cells, with amphetamine’s effect on norepinephrine and serotonin contributing to the suppression of REM sleep and a possible reduction of cataplexy at high doses. Dextroamphetamine, the more dopaminergic enantiomer of amphetamine, is particularly effective at promoting wakefulness because dopamine release has the greatest influence on cortical activation and cognitive arousal, relative to other monoamines.
Mixing amphetamines and other drugs
It induces physical effects such as improved reaction time, Amphetamine Drug Profile fatigue resistance, decreased appetite, elevated heart rate, and increased muscle strength. The first amphetamine pharmaceutical was Benzedrine, a brand which was used to treat a variety of conditions. Amphetamine was discovered as a chemical in 1887 by Lazăr Edeleanu, and then as a drug in the late 1920s.
For treatment of ADHD or narcolepsy, the immediate-release tablet is usually taken with or without food 1 to 3 times daily, 4 to 6 hours apart, with the first dose in the morning. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family drinks or has ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, uses or has ever used street drugs, or has overused prescription medications. Managing withdrawal symptoms from amphetamines with dedicated treatment offers the highest chance for successful recovery. While withdrawal symptoms from amphetamines may feel insurmountable at first, with proper treatment and dedication they should subside within two weeks.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding. There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding.
What conditions do amphetamines treat?
This medication also may cause sudden death, heart attack or stroke in adults, especially adults who have heart defects or serious heart problems. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. Talk to your doctor about drinking fruit juice while taking this medicine.
While there are currently no effective drugs for treating amphetamine addiction, regularly engaging in sustained aerobic exercise appears to reduce the risk of developing such an addiction. Individuals who frequently self-administer high doses of amphetamine have a high risk of developing an amphetamine addiction, since chronic use at high doses gradually increases the level of accumbal ΔFosB, a “molecular switch” and “master control protein” for addiction. Amphetamine has also been shown to produce a conditioned place preference in humans taking therapeutic doses, meaning that individuals acquire a preference for spending time in places where they have previously used amphetamine. Chronic overuse of dextroamphetamine can lead to severe drug dependence, resulting in withdrawal symptoms when drug use stops.
In rodents and primates, sufficiently high doses of amphetamine cause dopaminergic neurotoxicity, or damage to dopamine neurons, which is characterized by dopamine terminal degeneration and reduced transporter and receptor function. The severity of overdose symptoms increases with dosage and decreases with drug tolerance to amphetamine. Discontinuation may unmask or cause a rebound of ADHD symptoms due to the cessation of treatment-related drug effects. There was low- to moderate-strength evidence of no benefit for most of the other medications used in RCTs, which included antidepressants (bupropion, mirtazapine, sertraline), antipsychotics (aripiprazole), anticonvulsants (topiramate, baclofen, gabapentin), naltrexone, varenicline, citicoline, ondansetron, prometa, riluzole, atomoxetine, dextroamphetamine, and modafinil.
Based on reviews of neuroimaging studies involving BED-diagnosed participants, therapeutic neuroplasticity in dopaminergic and noradrenergic pathways from long-term use of lisdexamfetamine may be implicated in lasting improvements in the regulation of eating behaviors that are observed. Through noradrenergic signaling pathways, dextroamphetamine triggers lipolysis in adipose fat cells, thereby prompting the release of triglycerides into blood plasma to be utilized as a fuel substrate. Beyond central nervous system mechanisms, peripheral actions of dextroamphetamine may also contribute to its treatment efficacy in BED.
The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. No information is available on the relationship of age to the effects of amphetamine tablets in geriatric patients. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of Adzenys XR-ODT® extended-release disintegrating tablet in children younger than 6 years of age. Yes, amphetamines can cause withdrawal symptoms. These drugs can interact with alcohol and have unwanted effects. The dosage strengths for amphetamines vary widely depending on the drug.
