Methamphetamine Abuse - Meth, Speed, Cystal
Methamphetamine, also known as "speed", is manufactured in laboratories and is highly addictive. It may be smoked, injected, or taken orally. It is increasingly used by teens who attend "raves" and creates a feeling of energized gbphoria. The resulting "high" is almost immediate and includes a gbphoria and increased physical activity. Wakefulness, irritability, aggressiveness and decreased appetite often result. On occasion, convulsions and death have occurred.
Benzedrine and Dexedrine (typically referred to as "uppers" have been available via prescription in this country for many years and have been employed for various medical conditions. Physicians are careful about prescribing them because of their addictive potential.
Amphetamines were for a long period prescribed by some physicians for such needs as weight loss and for college students doing "all nighters" before an examination.
While a substantial amount of available amphetamines are obtained from legitimate prescriptions and sold illicitly on the streets large quantities are produced in illegal laboratories and sold also by street level dealers. "Speed", "uppers" and "dexies" are some common street names for amphetamines. Trade names are Dexedrine, Adderall and dextroStat.
The amphetamines have therapgbtic utility in conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Narcolepsy.
One of the more serious problems with the amphetamines is that residuals remain in the brain leading to prolonged periods of stimulation and thus a lessening of normalized brain functions will often result. Prolonged use of the amphetamines can damage the heart lining. Additionally, in some heavy users, psychotic symptoms, often irreversible, can result. These psychotic states are often indistinguishable from schizophrenic reactions indicating the need for a skilled diagnostician on admission to the treatment facility.
Lead acetate is one of the production agents for the amphetamines and if poorly controlled may cause acute lead poisoning. Users during pregnancy run the risks of premature delivery and fetal damage resulting in birth defects.
The amphetamines are in some respects similar to cocaine in their stimulant properties. However they differ from cocaine in that these effects last much longer. Smoking the amphetamines will produce a stimulating "high" that can last for twenty four hours while a cocaine smoking "high" lasts typically for a half hour
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