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Definition of amphetamines
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
Amphetamine and substances similar in structure have a pronounced stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Amphetamine addiction is quite typical for professional athletes, drivers transporting goods over long distances (they use the drug to relieve fatigue), etc. In clinical practice, amphetamine is sometimes used for depression (doses from 2.5 to 20 mg/day) and asthenic conditions.
Amphetamines are readily absorbed when taken orally. The effects of amphetamine begin within 1 hour of ingestion and last for several hours. Characteristic effects include a feeling of well-being, improved performance on written, verbal, and motor tasks, decreased fatigue, and an increased pain threshold. Methamphetamine addiction has become widespread in recent decades; methamphetamine is often administered intravenously or smoked (using methamphetamine base). The half-life of amphetamine is 4-24 hours, while that of methamphetamine is 9-24 hours.
Signs of acute and chronic amphetamine intoxication include maladaptive behavioral changes (aggressiveness, impaired judgment, etc.), tachycardia, dilated pupils, hypertension, sweating or chills, nausea or vomiting. Psychological disorders include anxiety, dysphoria, logorrhea, insomnia, irritability, hostility, confusion, anxiety, panic reactions, and, in some cases, psychosis. Amphetamine overdose is rarely fatal and is usually treatable with haloperidol.
The most reliable method for diagnosing amphetamine intoxication is to detect amphetamine in urine. If more than 48 hours have passed since the last dose, amphetamine cannot be detected.
When long-term abuse of amphetamine is stopped, withdrawal symptoms develop, which reach their maximum after 2-4 days (depression, sometimes with suicidal attempts) and continue for several weeks.
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