(14%) Amphetamines (Adderall, Speed, Uppers)

Amphetamines

Amphetamines are now most commonly found in prescription ADHD medication such as Adderall or Dexedrine in the United States. 

*Things to Add/Look into
MDA was around before MDMA? Why? Reference MDA timeline of experiments to treat parkinsonism in 1940’s-1950’s

Common Names/Types: Amps, Speed, Uppers
Chemical Name: 1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Classifications: Stimulant

(*C*) indicates a 90%+ Completed section
(SSS) indicates the section has been started
No prefix indicates the section hasn’t been started

Include differences in Lev vs Dex
https://www.reddit.com/r/Drugs/comments/2t7136/whats_the_difference_between_levoamphetamine_and/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670101/

TERMINOLOGY section


-Basic Introduction to the Drug
-Informs the reader of the general background of this drug, usually focusing on the current world
-History of the Drug’s Use
-A brief guide to the history and use of the drug
-Legal Status
-What is the legal availability of this drug?
-Testing your Drug and Handling your drug
-Doing an actual reagent test on your substance, taste testing, smell, sight, etc
-Ways to ensure the substance you have is the substance you want
-Handling  your drug without harming the contents or losing potency
-Method of Ingestion
-How is this drug safely consumed or ingested?
-BIOAVAILABILITY
-Central (Desired) Effects, Side Effects. What are the dosages?
-How much of the drug is needed for consumption
-What are some of the desirable effects of the drug?
-What are some undesirable effects?
-Long Term effects
Are there lingering long-lasting side effects
-Mechanism of Action – How does this Drug work in the body? [Physical (Physiological) and Mental (Psychological) effects]
-What are some of the physiological effects on the body?
-How does the drug affect the brain?
-Which neurotransmitters are impacted?
-Recommended Uses and Doses (Varies by person)
-Suggestions for how the drug could be used
-Addiction, Withdrawal, Tolerance
-Addiction profile of the drug. Is it physically or mentally addictive?
-What are the withdrawal effects?
-How does the tolerance of the substance impact the usage?
+-Drug Combinations with this Drug (Mixing Drugs, USE CAUTION!)
-When mixing drugs, which combinations are most dangerous with this drug
-Enjoyable Drug Combinations
-Medicinal Uses
-What has this drug been found to be beneficial for medicinally?
-Detection in Biological Fluids (Drug Testing)
-How can this drug be best detected in the body? For how long?
-(SSS)Personal Experiences
-Personal experience I have on the drug
-Friendly Experiences
-Experiences that close friends of mine have had on the drug
-Other notable experiences
-Experiences that others may have had on the drug, i.e. Sasha Shulgin, Terrence McKenna
-Useful Facts
-Are there any extra fun or useful facts about the drug that seem to be missing?
-Sources and Bibliography (Comments on sources)
-Sources of information on the drug.




Basic Introduction to the Drug

Amphetamine-based drugs a

Personally, I like amphetamine-based drugs such as Adderall and Dexedrine. They provide a stimulation and focus that is enjoyable for me at the proper dose from time to time, as well as a mild mood lift. 


Amphetamine based prescriptions are the most abused prescriptions in North America [Amph Longst 2008].


-History of the Drug’s Use

The history of Amphetamines sparked much interest in me. Initially, I did not realize how extensively amphetamine and methamphetamine were used during World War II [Ero Amph 2015(1)].

Si*nce the 1930's, Amphetamines were prescribed for medical uses. In 1932, it was marketed as Benzedrine in an inhalant form to aid congestion. In 1935, it's stimulant effect was recognized and used to treat narcolepsy. And in 1937, it was also sold for treatment of hyperactivity disorders, which would later come to be known later as ADHD [Ero Amph 2015(1)].

It seems amphetamine usage was rampant throughout wars had throughout the world. 

In the 1950's, the United States distributed Amphetamines to troops in Korea [Ero Amph 2015(1)].  


According to the National Library of Medicine, there was an epidemic of amphetamine usage that rivals today's amphetamine abuse. Where did it come from? The perpetrator of the epidemic was pharmaceutical industry in trying to find a decongestant and bronchodilator. The chemists were successful in 1929, and by 1932, a patent formed for Benzedrine, the name for racemic amphetamine (Dex/Lev-Amphetamine). In the late 1930's, amphetamines have even found their to psychiatrists to b+.e used in mild "neurotic" depression. Once it became used as a mood stabilizer, it seems to have only escalated in popularity from there [AmphEpi 2008].
+l Advertising and marketing for depression fueled psychiatrists into high levels of the prescription drug into World War II. The U.S. Military and British Military supplied troops with 5mg tablets during the war, while Japanese and German Militaries provided methamphetamine to their troops, giving a greater rise to the popularity of these drugs [AmphEpi 2008].

While amphetamines were gaining popularity for attention deficit and decongestion, another off-the-label use of the drug at the time was for weight-loss, since the stimulant drug sped up metabolism and decreased appetite, it gained popularity in the 1940's [AmphEpi 2008].

The 1950's gave rise to creative amphetamine-tranquilizer combination drugs such as benzedrine and phenobarbital together to quell some of the unpleasant agitations that came with amphetamine usage. As the 1960's approached, it is often overlooked that amphetamine sales outpaced tranquilizers. In fact, amphetamine prescription was so widespread that in the United States, it is estimated that there were 65 doses per person per year on the basis of retail prescription sales [AmphEpi 2008].
+ The rise in sales was not without side effects. In 1960, negative health effects were becoming more evident. Originally believed that amphetamines were triggering symptoms of latent schizophrenia (paranoia, hearing voices, belief one was being spied upon), one British study revealed that it was the amphetamines causing the psychosis, which could happen to anyone, and usually occurred over continuous abuse of the drug [AmphEpi 2008].

For medical usage alone, from 1971, 5% of adults had indicated that they had used prescription amphetamines. This does not count amphetamine usage for non-prescription purposes [AmphEpi 2008]. Also in 1970, 80-90% of the amphetamines seized by law enforcement on the street were pills made by United States pharmaceutical firms [AmphEpi 2008], which begs the question, how did they get there?

As for some notable country leaders who took amphetamine based drugs, John F. Kennedy is reported to have received several injections a day of amphetamine based drugs from a German doctor [AmphEpi 2008].

I remember at my college, there was an article about prescription stimulant abuse for the purpose of increasing focus on papers or assignments and studying effectively late into the night. According to CNN, ADD MORE

-Amphet usage in colleges




-Legal Status
Amphetamines are scheduled in most countries including America and Great Britain, meaning it is illegal to buy or possess them without a prescription. In China, there is a ban on prescribed amphetamine based medication that is fairly recent [Ero Amph 2015 (2)].

The DEA concurs and notes that they are Schedule II in America which means they have a high potential for abuse and limited medicinal uses [DEA Amph xxxx].



-Testing your Drug and Handling your drug
Ensuring you have amphetamines is usually not difficult, seeing as most of the time they seem to be obtained via a prescription. Simply checking the number/letter code on the pill online will correspond to the correct medication and proper dosage. This should make it fairly easy to know what you have. I have come across pills pressed to look like Adderall, but were in fact simply filler pills with no active ingredient. Please note this is very rare, and should not cause trouble for the average person pursuing amphetamine usage.

From personal experience, using a Marquis test kit, the scraped off pill will turn a bright orange, sometimes bubbling depending on how much reagent is used. I have never reagent tested pure street speed, but I believe it would also turn orange in the aforementioned kit.

If you are able fortunate enough to obtain clean racemic amphetamine base, sometimes called "speed paste", it is wise to let it dry out. This can be done by letting it sit out in open air, or putting it near a bright light that generates heat - best if done in an area with low humidity. After the paste fully dries out, a powder can be crushed up from the remains as desired.

As for how handling your drug to keep it preserved, the amphetamine molecule is fairly stable and should last for decades if properly stored (away from excess light, heat and moisture) especially from a pharmaceutical company. 

Chemists manufacturing the chemical illegal may take shortcuts that leave the amphetamine with impurities that can allow it to degrade faster - in some cases over months or even weeks. Performing a wash on street grade amphetamine with anhydrous isopropanol can help remove impurities (better for your body) and allow the product to last longer [BL amp1 2006]. However, performing kitchen chemistry is not recommended in this guide! :)




-Method of Ingestion
Amphetamines can be ingested in a multitude of ways. From personal experimentation, and from what others have told me, amphetamine can be orally taken (swallowed or sublingual), insufflated, injected, plugged, or smoked. These methods deliver with varying degrees of efficiency and effect, but as amphetamines are water soluble they are quite versatile.

Pharmaceutical amphetamines such as Adderall and Dexedrine come in tablet form and are usually orally consumed. They are quite effective in this regard, but it depends on the contents of your stomach. Since amphetamines break down faster in acidic environment, taking them shortly after a spaghetti and meatball dinner would probably be poor timing. Taking them in the beginning of the day on an empty stomach would maximize potency and increase the bioavailability. Taking antacids such as tums, or a small amount of baking soda dissolved in water to alkalize the stomach before taking amphetamine might potentiate the effects, but care should be taken as this could produce altered effects or a heightening of unpleasant side effects. While it is not advised to do this, please do research before making an attempt to ensure maximum safety. 

As a side note, one of the first few times I let the Adderall dissolve on my tongue before swallowing (sublingual to oral administration), I noticed it had an almost sweet flavor. Initially, this was shocking, as having taken Alprazolam (Xanax) and MDMA sublingually, the taste is rather bitter and sometimes gag-inducing. I came to learn that Adderall actually has glucose in some of the instant release tablets, a simple sugar, which later raised some questions in my head. If the drugs are being given to children, and they taste pleasant, will this encourage early abuse? Will it increase the likelihood of abuse?

Furthermore, when an Instant Release (IR) tablet of Adderall was insufflated, I found that it was not very painful (unlike some pharmaceutical pills which can burn the nasal passages rather harshly). There was even a faint sugary smell! Might this also make it easy for children and drug abusers to ingest in this way? However, Adderall XR (more difficult to crush and snort, more painful, and with less nasal bioavailability) and Vyvanse (lis-dexamphetamine) are both formulated differently to be harder to abuse. The latter has virtually non-existant bioavailability in the nose, and I can confirm this with personal testing.


-Central (Desired) Effects, Side Effects. What are the dosages?
I believe the most commonly desired effect from this drug is what the pharmaceutical industry advertises it for: heightened focus. Drug abusers will likely desire the increased stimulation and euphoria created by the rush of dopamine in the brain. Other desirable effects include decreased appetite (usually desired most by those who wish to lose weight) and wakefulness.

However, the "ups" are not without "downs" and there are many side effects present with this drug, especially when used in high doses. At low doses, side effects include increased heart rate, enlarged pupils, sweating, and insomnia. At very high doses, sometimes referred to as overdose effects, an individual may experience intense paranoia, visual hallucinations, convulsions, and high body temperature [DEA Amph xxxx]. 

A friend of mine develops a tick or twitch with high doses and does not report feeling negative side effects, despite appearing uncomfortably overstimulated.

Personally, when I have taken a higher dose of amphetamines than is enjoyable, I perspire excessively, my hands sometimes shake, and the anxiety created outweighs the enjoyment of the high.

For me, a high dose such as what was just mentioned would be approximately 30-40mgs of instant release Adderall taken at once on a rather empty stomach with no tolerance. Smoking cannabis helps relax the side effects, but still, at this dose the negatives outweigh the positives. Again, this is personal preference, but the ideal sweet spot would be about 10-15mgs of instant release taken on an empty stomach to increase focus and provide enjoyable stimulation. A 20mg extended release Adderall provides a good long lasting body high, with less of an emotional high, and a good day's worth of heightened focus. Dexedrine is more forgiving with less side effects from personal experience. 




-Long Term effects
Amphetamine based prescriptions have been on the rise in children in young adults for ADD and ADHD. These drugs can cause a slowing in height and weight growth [Amph Longst 2008].

In some cases with adults, even taking regularly prescribed amphetamines can produce psychological adverse effects such as stimulant-induced psychosis.


-Sources and Bibliography (Comments on sources)

WHOAmp xxxx

Amphetamine-type stimulants
http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/facts/ATS/en/

Author: World Health Organization

Ero Amph 2015
Amphetamines
[History] (1) https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/amphetamines/amphetamines_timeline.php
[Legal] (2) https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/amphetamines/amphetamines_law.shtml

Amph Epi 2008
America's First Amphetamine Epidemic
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377281/
National Library of Medicine

DEA Amph xxxx
DEA - Drug Fact Sheet - Amphetamines
http://www.dea.gov/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/Amphetamines.pdf
Author: DEA 

BL amp1 2006
Amphetamine in Europe, "base" going "bad" etc. Questions
http://www.bluelight.org/vb/archive/index.php/t-258271.html

Amph Longt 2008
Potential Adverse Effects of Amphetamine Treatment on Brain and Behavior: A Reviewhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670101/