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Amphetamines
Australian Drug Foundation © 2005
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This information has been adapted from the pamphlet How Drugs Affect You: Amphetamines, produced by the Australian Drug Foundation. For single copies of this pamphlet contact the DrugInfo Clearinghouse on telelphone 1300 85 85 84 or email druginfo@adf.org.au (Victoria only). Multiple copies are available through the ADF Bookshop.
Please note that the information given on this page does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied upon in this way. The information is correct at the time of publication. People wanting medical advice on this issue should consult a doctor.
What are amphetamines?
Amphetamines belong to a group of drugs called "psychostimulants". Amphetamines stimulate the central nervous system and speed up the messages going to and from the brain to the body.
Most amphetamines are produced in backyard laboratories and sold illegally. People who buy amphetamines illegally are often buying these drugs mixed with other substances that can have unpleasant or harmful effects.
What do they look like?
Amphetamines are a whole family of related drugs—each with its own recipe—and are taken in different ways. They can be in the form of powder, tablets, capsules, crystals or red liquid.
Amphetamines can come as a white through to a brown powder, sometimes even orange and dark purple. They have a strong smell and bitter taste.
Amphetamine capsules vary considerably in colour and are sometimes sold in commercial brand shells. They are packaged in "foils" (aluminium foil), plastic bags or small balloons when sold on the street.
Amphetamine tablets vary in colour, and can be a cocktail of drugs, binding agents, caffeine and sugar.
Crystal methamphetamine, or "ice", generally comes in large "sheet-like" crystals, or as a crystalline powder.
The reddish-brown liquid is sold in capsules.
MDMA, or "ecstasy" as it is more commonly known, is another illicit drug related to amphetamines. It is usually available in small tablets.
Pictures of amphetamines
Why are they used?
People use amphetamines for different reasons. Some use the drugs to get "high" and dance all night. Others use the drugs to help stay awake for long periods of time, to improve performance in sport or at work, or to boost their self-confidence. Amphetamines can reduce tiredness and increase endurance.
For medical purposes, amphetamines are prescribed to treat narcolepsy (where a person has an uncontrollable urge to sleep) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
How are they taken?
Amphetamines are most commonly swallowed, injected or smoked. They are also "snorted", or sniffed, through the nose. Some people insert them anally ("shafting").
Street names
Common names for amphetamines are "speed", "up", "fast", "louee", "goey", "whiz", "pep pills", "uppers". Crystal methamphetamine is also known as "ice", "shabu", "crystal meth", or "glass".
Effects of amphetamines
The effects of any drug (including amphetamines) vary from person to person, depending on the individual’s size, weight and health, how much and how the drug is taken, whether the person is used to taking it and whether other drugs are taken. It also depends on the environment in which the drug is used; for example, whether the person is alone, with others or at a party.
Immediate effects
Soon after taking amphetamines, the following effects may be experienced:
- Speeding up of bodily functions
Amphetamines speed up the body’s activity. Heart rate, breathing and blood pressure increase. A dry mouth, increased sweating, enlargement of the eye’s pupils and headaches may occur.
- More energy and alertness
Users may feel energetic and full of confidence, with a heightened sense of well being. Other effects include feeling wide awake and alert, becoming talkative, restless and excited, and having difficulty sleeping. Panic attacks may also be experienced.
- Reduced appetite
- Irritability
Some users become anxious, irritable, hostile and aggressive. Sometimes people feel a sense of power and superiority over others.
Impure amphetamines
Most amphetamines sold illegally contain a mixture of pure amphetamines and other substances such as sugar, glucose, bicarbonate of soda and ephedrine. These additives can be highly poisonous. They can cause collapsed veins, tetanus, abscesses and damage to the heart, lungs, liver and brain. And because the person doesn’t know whether they are using 5 per cent or 50 per cent pure amphetamines, it is easy to overdose by accident.
In greater quantities
Very high quantities of amphetamines can cause paleness, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, tremors, irregular heartbeat, stomach cramps, sweating, restlessness, irregular breathing and loss of coordination. Some users have collapsed after taking amphetamines. High quantities can also create an "amphetamine psychosis", characterised by paranoid delusions, hallucinations and aggressive or violent behaviour.
Effects of overdosing
Due to the unknown strength and mix of street amphetamines, some users have overdosed and experienced strokes, heart failure, seizures and high body temperature. Some have died as a result. Injecting runs a greater risk of overdosing due to large amounts of the drug entering the blood stream and quickly travelling to the brain.
Coming down
As the effects of amphetamines begin to wear off, a person may experience a range of symptoms including uncontrolled violence, tension, radical mood swings, depression and total exhaustion.
Long-term effects
Regular use of amphetamines may result in chronic sleeping problems, anxiety and tension, high blood pressure and a rapid and irregular heartbeat. In order to combat these drug-related effects, people who use amphetamines may also use alcohol, benzodiazepines, other sedatives/hypnotics, cannabis and opiates.
Other possible long-term effects include:
- Malnutrition
Amphetamines reduce appetite, resulting in people being less likely to eat properly.
- Psychosis
Frequent heavy use can cause "amphetamine psychosis". Symptoms may include paranoia as well as delusions, hallucinations and bizarre behaviour. These symptoms usually disappear a few days after the person stops using amphetamines.
- Reduced resistance to infections
Regular amphetamine users often don’t eat or sleep properly and are generally run down, so their resistance to infections is reduced.
- Violence
People who use amphetamines regularly or in high quantities may suddenly become violent for no apparent reason.
- Brain damage
There is some evidence that amphetamine use may damage brain cells. This damage can result in reduced memory function and possibly other impairments in thinking.
Tolerance and dependence
People who are physically dependent on amphetamines usually develop tolerance to the drug, making it necessary to take more and more to get the same effect. The quantity taken can reach a stage at which no further increase in the amount taken will produce the desired effect.
Dependence on amphetamines can be psychological or physical, or both. People who are psychologically dependent on amphetamines find that using them becomes far more important than other activities in their life. They crave the drug and will find it very difficult to stop using it. People who are physically dependent on amphetamines find that their body has become used to functioning with the amphetamines present.
Withdrawal
If a person who is dependent on amphetamines suddenly stops taking it, they will experience withdrawal symptoms, because their body has to readjust to functioning without the drug.
Amphetamine withdrawal symptoms may include hunger, extreme fatigue, anxiety, irritability and depression. People may also have a long but restless sleep, often interrupted by nightmares. Some experience severe distress or feelings of panic.
Treatment options
There are a number of drug treatment options available in Australia. While abstinence may be a suitable treatment aim for some people, many programs recognise that for others this may not be possible or realistic. Most programs adopt strategies that have an overall aim of reducing the harms and risks related to the person’s drug use.
Some treatment options include counselling, group therapy, withdrawal (detoxification) and medication (pharmacotherapy). Residential and "out-patient" programs are available.
Treatment is more effective if tailored to suit a person's circumstances, and usually involves a combination of methods.
For referral to a treatment service, contact the alcohol and drug information service in your state or territory.
More on treatment
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Amphetamine use during pregnancy can affect foetal development. Amphetamine use has been linked with bleeding, early labour and miscarriage. Amphetamine use during pregnancy has also been linked to an increased risk of foetal abnormalities, including smaller head size, eye problems, cleft palate, delayed motor development, limb defects and changes to the brain. Amphetamines also cause the heart rate of mother and baby to increase.
If amphetamines are used close to birth the baby may be unsettled and may be over-active and agitated. Babies of mothers who regularly use amphetamines may also experience withdrawal symptoms in the first few weeks after birth.
Not much is known about the effects of amphetamines on the mother during breastfeeding. There is evidence that babies feed poorly and may be irritable.
See your doctor or other health professional if you are taking or planning to take any substances while pregnant or breastfeeding, including prescribed and over-the-counter medications.
More on alcohol, other drugs and pregnancy
Hepatitis and HIV
Sharing needles, syringes and other injecting equipment can greatly increase the risk of contracting blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus—the virus that causes AIDS).
To find out where to obtain clean needles and syringes, search the Better Health Channel service directory or contact the alcohol and drug information service in your State or Territory.
Reducing the risks
Australian drug policy is based on harm minimisation. The aim is to reduce drug-related harm to both the community and the individuals who use drugs.
Harm-minimisation strategies range from encouraging "non-use" through to providing the means for people who use drugs to use them with reduced risks.
For tips on how to reduce the risks of using amphetamines, contact the alcohol and drug information service in your State or Territory.
Remember: there is no safe level of drug use.
What to do in a crisis
- If someone overdoses or has an adverse reaction while using amphetamines it is very important that they receive professional help as soon as possible. A quick response can save their life.
- Call an ambulance. Dial 000. Don’t delay because you think you or your friend might get into trouble. Ambulance officers are not obliged to involve the police.
- Stay with the person until the ambulance arrives. Find out if anyone at the scene knows mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Ensure that the person has adequate air by keeping crowds back and opening windows. Loosen tight clothing.
- If the person is unconscious, don’t leave them on their back—they could choke. Turn them on their side and put them in the recovery position. Gently tilt their head back so their tongue does not block the airway.
- If breathing has stopped, give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If there is no pulse, apply CPR.
- Provide the ambulance officers with as much information as you can—what drugs were taken, how much was taken, how long ago and any pre-existing medical conditions.
- Before using amphetamines, make sure you and your friends know what to do in a crisis.
More information