Tag Archives: amphetamines

Diagnostic Criteria for Amphetamine (or Related Substance) Intoxication

In previous articles, we discussed the origins, medicinal use and side effects of the amphetamine family of drugs. The criteria for amphetamine (including speed, Ecstacy, methamphetamine, ice) intoxication as outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) are as follows: 1. Clinically significant maladaptive behavior or psychological changes ( e.g euphoria or emotional blunting i.e. unempathic behavior, changes in sociability, hypervigilance (nervousness, tenseness), impaired judgment or impaired social or occupational functioning, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, or anger that develops during or shortly after use of an amphetamine-type substance. 2. The presence of two (or more) of the following, … Continue reading →

Amphetamines: What Do They Do?

Originally used as a treatment for asthma and as a nasal decongestant, amphetamines were first manufactured as early as 1887. Because they suppress the appetite, amphetamines were often used to assist in weight loss. Amphetamines are still prescribes for certain forms of narcolepsy (a sleeping disorder where the person falls asleep unexpectedly) and for ADHD, Ritalin being one of the more famous amphetamines used for medical purposes today. Street amphetamines, by contrast, are made in homemade labs and hence are not manufactured under the strict guidelines of pharmaceutical-grade drugs. Hence the raw ingredient, often sources from drugstores as nasal decongestants … Continue reading →

Stimulant Drugs: How Much Do You Know?

Drugs have become everyday commodities that parents and teenagers must learn to deal with in effective and responsible ways. As a parent, it is natural to want to protect your child from the influence of drugs, but we can’t be there all the time to watch over our teenagers. And while we can adopt the “just say no!” attitude, it helps if we actually know what we are saying no to. Therefore, this is the first in a series of some of the most common street drugs readily available to our children and each one outlines the common immediate effects … Continue reading →