Amphetamines and methamphetamines

What are amphetamines and methamphetamines, in what forms do they exist, manners of use

The name ‘speed’ is mostly used for the stimulants – amphetamines and methamphetamines. The stimulants are chemical substances, which arouse the central nervous system. In Bulgaria the most spread are amphetamines, which can be bought in the form of powder for sniffing or injection.

Some users call the combination of amphetamine and heroine “speed”. Widespread is also the name “speed-ball” for the combination of cocaine-heroine and amphetamine-heroine.

In this text the name “speed” will be used for amphetamines and methamphetamines.

Addictive? Physically, not or to a small extent. Psychological dependence can occur quickly and to a large extent.
Increasingly more needed for the same effect? Yes.
Short-term effects: Increased concentration, suppression of fatigue and sleepiness, loss of appetite, increased self-overestimation.
Long-term effects: Restlessness, irritability, weight loss, anxiety, paranoia, delusions, aggressiveness, physical exhaustion.
Important: Particularly dangerous for people with cardiovascular diseases.

What is it?

‘Speed’ and ‘ampheti’ are street names for the stimulants. Stimulants are chemical substances which have a stimulating effect upon the central nervous system. There are different types of stimulants. The most important are (dex)amphetamine and methamphetamine.

Amphetamines differ in the strength and duration of their effects. Methamphetamine is stronger than amphetamine and also operates longer.

Where does speed come from?

Compared to most of the drugs, speed didn’t exist for very long time. The first amphetamine was synthesized in the laboratory at the end of the nineteenth century. After 1930 a research on the effects of amphetamine was undertaken.

Up until the 1960s, amphetamine was used as a diet pill or pep pill. During World War II and other wars, amphetamine was also used to combat fatigue and increase alertness on the part of the soldiers. At that time it was legally prescribed and one can thus speak of controlled use.

All of this changed in 1960s when speed became fashionable among certain groups of young people. Between 1969 and 1972, in particular, we can speak even of a ‘speed wave.’ Gradually, the harmful consequences of uncontrolled use made themselves apparent. In 1970 on an international basis, amphetamine was listed as a controlled substance and subjected to legal regulation. In Bulgaria the Law for control over the drug substances and the precursors (03.10.1999) forbids the use of amphetamines and methamphetamines and defines them as substances with high degree of risk.

How is it used?

Amphetamines and Methamphetamines are known to be in the form of powder or pills. They are taken through the nose and orally, as well as intravenously. If taken orally the effect of amphetamines and methamphetamines start after 15 – 20 minutes. When taken through the nose, the active ingredients go to the blood stream via the nasal membrane and takes effect within few minutes. When injected into a blood vessel, it works almost immediately. For all manners of use, the effects wear off after about 8 hours. Because of mixing speed with other substances from its producers or dealers, the user therefore never really knows with certainty what he or she has bought. Methamphetamine and amphetamine are two substances which closely resemble each other. The difference is that methamphetamine reaches the brain much easier than amphetamine and therefore has stronger effects. Methamphetamine also works longer — for a period of about 12 hours. The risks of using speed are big and sometimes unexpected for the users.

Who uses it?

A special category of speed users cannot really be identified. Some of the users can be found in the nightlife circuit. Others use speed to stay awake for work purposes. Heroine users also sometimes take speed as an ‘additional substance.’

The use of amphetamines in the world of sports or so-called ‘doping’ has recently received considerable publicity. Given that amphetamines are easy to detect in doping controls, other substances have now been adopted for doping purposes.

In comparison to Europe, in the USA and Southeast Asia the methamphetamine is used on a much larger scale. In Bulgaria it is spreading more and more, but usually it has very low quality.

What does the user feel?

Speed is used as a stimulant. Both the body and the mind are affected. The intensity of the effect depends upon the dosage and manner of use. Psychological effects are also influenced by user’s expectations.

One effect of speed is that fatigue is no longer felt. Appetite diminishes. Blood pressure drops. Heart rate increases. Pupils dilate. Muscles contract. Headache and dizziness are also not unusual, just as the clenched teeth and jaw grinding. The psychological effect: Speed temporarily makes the user more active, energetic, cheerful, alert and self-assured. Self-critique disappears, talking is easier and speech could even be quicker.

Amphetamines and methamphetamines can have other effects too. The user can become irritable, restless and anxious — most notably when the effects are wearing off. When the substance has worn off completely, appetite returns.

Given that the user has not given into fatigue because it has not been felt, a sense of being hung-over may occur when the substance has worn off. Exhaustion can also occur without being noticed.

Chronic fatigue, apathy and dejection are among the frequently heard complaints of regular speed users.

Can you become addicted to it?

A distinction can be made between physical and psychological dependence.

We speak of physical dependence when the body protests to stopped use of the substance (withdrawal symptoms occur). When someone stops using amphetamines and methamphetamines he/she will experience physical symptoms of great and unbearable fatigue and increased appetite. Some people have muscle aches, stomach aches, sense of coldness, shaking. Most of these symptoms will disappear in few days.

A physical phenomenon which clearly occurs for speed is tolerance. When regularly used, increased amounts are needed to obtain the same effect.

Psychological dependence means that the user craves the substance increasingly more strongly and really cannot feel good without it. Psychological dependence plays a role in speed use. With regular use the person can indeed start to think that he or she simply cannot function adequately or enjoy life without the feeling which speed gives, namely: that you can take the whole world on. A party or night out in the town is no longer fun without the use of speed. Working without speed is also more difficult. The depressive symptoms of withdraw can continue for weeks.

The annoying thing is that the opposites of these positive feelings have increased after speed use, namely fatigue and depression. These can obviously be handled by taking more speed. And in such manner, the user gets caught in a vicious circle.

What are the risks?

The risk of dependence clearly exists. ‘Want to use’ changes into ‘need to use.’
Long-tem speed use also has physical consequences. Speed increases, for example, the risk of cardiac arrhythmia, heart attack and stroke. For people with a weak heart, high blood pressure, diabetes or epilepsy, the use of speed is thus particularly dangerous.
A physical risk of using speed in the nightlife circuit is literally ‘overheating.’ The person who uses speed does not feel fatigue and can therefore dance for hours on end, for example. If the physical surroundings are also warm and humid, it is possible that the body cannot rid itself of warmth via the evaporation of sweat. The person continues to sweat but does not cool off. When sufficient amounts of liquid are also not consumed, the risk of dehydration and the body literally overheating clearly arises. Certain muscles and organs such as the liver and kidneys may not work as a consequence. Overheating is, in fact, life-threatening and difficult to treat. The risk is smaller when sufficient ventilation and cooling is present in the disco or party location.
Amphetamines and methamphetamines deplete bodily reserves. Fatigue is a signal from the body that the limits have been reached and that rest is clearly needed. Speed blurs the limits such that the user easily goes beyond them and depletes the body’s final reserves.
Long-term use can lead to total exhaustion. Loss of appetite can lead to weight loss. The result is undernourishment and reduced resistance, nails which break off, teeth which can come loose and even fall out.
Among people who have used speed on a frequent and protracted basis, compulsive movements can be seen to occur such as the grinding of teeth or chewing movements. These compulsive movements can remain even after speed use has stopped. Heavy speed users can also start to repeat the same action over and over again such as taking apart an apparatus and putting it back together again but then repeatedly.
Heavy users can feel like there are little bugs crawling on, in or under their skin. The skin may, as a result of this, be scratched until it bleeds.
Amphetamines and methamphetamines influence the behaviour. They can make the user irritable, depressed and aggressive. Sometimes it leads to confused thinking, suspicion and paranoia. Given that speed also makes one overconfident, traffic and speed do not go together. This has also therefore been prohibited.
A major risk arises when speed is combined with other drugs. Such combinations can go very wrong. When speed is mixed with alcohol, for example, drunkenness is not felt. This can lead to recklessness and/or aggression. The person who plans to use speed in combination with cocaine or XTC can be in for a very unpleasant surprise. The physical effects of the substances may be intensified and last longer. This can be particularly the case when someone has purchased XTC which turns out to be pure speed.
When speed is sniffed, the mucous membranes of the nose can be damaged in the long run.
There are indications that the intensive and long-term use of amphetamine can lead to possibly irreparable brain damage. Additional research is nevertheless needed to demonstrate the connection between amphetamine use and the occurrence of brain damage.

Recognition of use

One cannot really see whether someone uses speed or not. Use nevertheless brings certain symptoms with it as described elsewhere in this website.

The symptoms which are present can also be a consequence of something else. Use is thus more probable to the extent that more symptoms are present simultaneously.

It can really only be determined if someone is using speed or not in a candid talk. Tips on how to conduct such a talk can be found on “For the parents”