Amphetamines (Speed, Crystal)

Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

Amphetamines and metamphetamines are synthetically produced illegal drugs. In the past, some of the active ingredients were on the market as drugs, for example against colds or poor performance. But then you recognized their high potential for addiction. In addition, there were more and more cases of acute poisoning and psychosis from amphetamines. As a result, the legal trade - sale and prescription of amphetamine preparations - was restricted worldwide. As a result, the illegal trade in these substances grew.

Amphetamines are often offered as "speed" in the drug scene. Speed ​​usually contains amphetamine, methamphetamine and ephedrine (an alkaloid from the plant genus ephedra), caffeine and wastes (e.g. milk sugar, washing powder). Ecstasy, a derivative of amphetamine that mostly contains MDMA (= methylenedioxymethamphetamine), is also very popular as a party drug. The trendy drug "Crystal" is a white, crystalline powder from the group of methamphetamines.

Most consumers snort the light-colored, powdery amphetamines or swallow them in capsule or tablet form. But some of them can also be smoked or injected.

Effects of amphetamines

Amphetamines release important messenger substances in the brain, for example noradrenaline - a stress hormone - and dopamine, which acts on the brain's reward center. This increases physical and mental performance and gives the person concerned a feeling of strong energy and crystal clear thoughts. Euphoria and hallucinations arise. In addition, the drugs suppress the feeling of hunger and thirst as well as the need for sleep. Because amphetamines also stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (sympathetic nervous system), the pulse rate, blood pressure and body temperature increase.

The effects of a single dose of amphetamine (ten to twenty milligrams) last for about six to twelve hours. With methamphetamine, the "high" can last much longer.

Consequences of Consumption

The more often amphetamines are consumed, the shorter the duration of action is usually because the body gradually gets used to them. The result is that the person concerned gradually increases the dose - he slips into a strong psychological dependence. His behavior changes: stereotypical actions and thoughts increase (e.g. constantly opening the same drawer or compulsively concentrating on the dots at the end of a sentence while reading). If the user increases the drug dose further, what is known as amphetamine psychosis can develop. It is understood to be a severe mental disorder that is similar to schizophrenia due to the paranoia and hallucinations that occur.

That being said, amphetamines can cause cardiovascular and nervous system damage. Methamphetamine ("meth" or also ice, crystal) is considered to be the strongest neurotoxin among the amphetamine descendants. Many drug users combine the amphetamines with other drugs such as LSD or cannabis. It is difficult to predict what consequences such drug cocktails will have on the nervous system and the rest of the body.

Withdrawal symptoms

When an amphetamine addict stops taking the drug, a withdrawal syndrome develops: the focus is on psychological effects such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks and paranoid states. However, physical symptoms such as sweating, tremors (tremor) and visual disturbances also occur.

Dissemination of amphetamines

Amphetamines such as ecstasy are among the most popular drugs across Europe. In many EU countries they even rank second after cannabis. As party drugs, the mood-makers and stimulants are particularly valued by the younger population. Amphetamines are also used as doping agents by some athletes.

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