Amphetamines

What are amphetamines?

Amphetamines are a group of drugs known as stimulants, which means that they speed up the messages going to and from the brain. In small doses, they give a burst of energy, which can cause you to feel alert and refreshed.

There are a number of amphetamine-type stimulants, which are closely related, in a chemical sense, for example 'amphetamine' and 'methamphetamine'. These drugs can come in a number of different forms, like powder, tablets, paste, crystal or liquid, and are called many different names, like 'speed', 'goey', 'whizz', 'uppers', 'ice', 'crystal meth', 'shabu' or 'base'. In most cases amphetamines are made in back street laboratories and sold illegally.

Usually, the drug sold on the illegal market is mixed with other substances, and these cutting agents can have dangerous effects. For more information about the effects of amphetamine and its potential effects on your life read on.

So how do you decide whether amphetamines are for you?

Amphetamines can cause a range of effects, both positive and negative. For more information, read 'the facts' below. They can also affect individuals in a number of ways, so it is difficult to see how it will affect you when there are so many variables that might influence this.

Read the Impact of drug use on your life fact sheet to help you work through some of the questions you might want to ask yourself if you are thinking about taking amphetamines for the first time, or you already take amphetamines.

The facts

The effects of using amphetamines

The effects of amphetamines can vary from person to person.

The effects depend on:

• your size (height and weight)
• how healthy you are
• whether you have eaten
• whether other drugs including alcohol have been taken
• how much of the drug is taken
• how it is taken ie smoked, swallowed, sniffed or injected
• how pure the drug is
• whether you are used to using the drug (whether you have developed tolerance or immunity to it)
• the environment in which the drug is taken, for example, is it at a dance party or in a quieter environment.

It is possible for you to develop a dependence on amphetamines. This means that the amphetamines become central to your life. Some signs that you may be starting to become dependent on amphetamines are: feeling stressed when you can't get any; finding the drug starts to take up more and more of your time; and needing to use it before you go out.

Some of the immediate effects of using amphetamines may be:

• being more awake and alert
• having more energy
• being more confident
• feeling euphoric, happy and positive
• increased talkativeness
• feeling agitated
• aggression
• a loss of appetite
• not being able to sleep
• increased heart rate and breathing
• headaches
• nausea or vomiting
• jaw clenching
• hot and cold flushes
• sweats.

Taking larger amounts of amphetamines may also cause:

• headaches
• pale skin
• restlessness 
• dizziness
• very quick or irregular heartbeat
• paranoia
• aggression
• violence
• anxiety
• panic attacks
• depression
• confusion (feeling 'scattered')

Taking amphetamines regularly may have longer-term effects, these may be:

• sleeping problems
• anxiety
• depression
• confusion (feeling 'scattered ' all the time)
• chronic paranoia
• psychosis
• violence - heavy amphetamine users may suddenly become violent for no apparent reason
• high levels of stress
• high blood pressure
• fast and irregular heartbeat
• malnutrition which may result from a loss of appetite.

Family problems, financial, legal and other personal problems may be related to amphetamine use. Disagreements over drug use can cause family arguments and affect personal relationships. Use of amphetamines may also lead to problems at work, like taking sickies, difficulty concentrating, or feeling unmotivated. These problems can be made much worse because some users become irritable, hostile or violent. It is also dangerous to drive and operate machinery after using amphetamines. Even though you may not feel like they've affected you, amphetamines can disturb your perception and your judgement. For more information, read the Impact of drug use on your life fact sheet.

Research has shown that amphetamines can increase risk of having a psychotic episode, which may mean you experience paranoia as well as delusions, hallucinations and bizarre behaviour. Many are brief psychotic experiences which can be very distressing. Amphetamines can also bring on or intensify underlying psychotic symptoms.

If you use amphetamines heavily you can develop an acute paranoid psychosis. This means you may hear, see, and feel things that do not exist. You may also have delusions (irrational thoughts or beliefs), become paranoid and/or violent. Amphetamine use can also lead to delirium, which is a state of mental confusion and disorganisation.

Avoid mixing the use of other drugs with amphetamines as it can cause serious physical and psychological problems. Using amphetamines when you're drinking alcohol may make you feel less drunk and can increase the risk of unsafe driving or sex.

Mixing amphetamines and alcohol can lead to increased aggression and violence. Sometimes people take other drugs as a way of coping with some of the unwanted affects of amphetamines, like sleeping or anxiety-reducing tablets such as Valium or Xanax, but again, this can be dangerous to your safety and health.

If you feel like your amphetamine use might be getting out of control, there are a number of ways to cut down on how much you are using. The treatment option that suits best may be different from one person to another. If you are using amphetamines regularly and feel like you may want some help to get it under control, then it may be a good idea to talk to a doctor, drug and alcohol worker or other health worker about the treatment options that are best for you.

For more information about treatment options you may want to read the fact sheet on Drug and alcohol services, or contact the Alcohol and Drugs Information and Counselling Service. Other numbers for getting help for drug use are listed in the 'more information' section at the bottom of this page.

The law

There are a few prescription drugs that have amphetamines as an ingredient. Excluding these, the possession, use, supply and manufacture of amphetamines is illegal in Ireland.

More information

Headsup - you can search for drug treatment centres in your area - http://www.headsup.ie/outsidehelp.php

Drugs and Alcohol Programme - DAP provides live helper-interactive services, telephone & mobile help-line services and various other online services for drug and alcohol issues. Visit www.drugs.ie or call 01 8360911

Narcotics Anonymous - a non-profit fellowship of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. They are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. Visit http://www.na-ireland.org/

Merchants Quay Ireland - provides a range of services for people affected by drug use and the associated problems of HIV infection, crime, homelessness, unemployment and poverty. Visit www.mqi.ie or call 01 5240160.

Drug Misuse Research Division - the Drug Misuse Research Division (DMRD) of the Health Research Board (HRB) hosts the National Documentation Centre on Drug Use which provides information and research on drug misuse in Ireland (and internationally). Visit www.hrb.ie/ndc

Drug Treatment Centre Board - website of the Drug Treatment Centre Board (Trinity Court) which is the longest established treatment service in Ireland.
Visit www.addictionireland.ie, Call - 01 6488600 or Email - info@dtcb.ie