Stimulants

Stimulants

The use of chemical agents to stimulate the body to greater exertion is rapidly becoming a way of life in our nations. But each stimulant that a person imbibes, whether it be a drink or a pill, gradually takes his body down. Research has proven this to be a fact. The two most commonly used stimulants are nicotine (contained in tobacco products) and caffeine (the active ingredient in coffee, tea, and many bottled beverages, such as the colas).

There is also a broad range of stronger stimulants that may produce mood elevation and a heightened sense of well-being; but, because of their dependence-producing potential, they are under government regulatory control.

These government-controlled stimulants are available on prescription and also being illegally manufactured in vast quantities for the illicit drug market. Chronic users of these stimulants tend to rely on them to feel stronger, more confident, decisive, and self-possessed.

But, in reality, that which those people need is to forsake these "crutches" entirely and obtain more rest-then they would feel better and regain a much higher level of general health.

Soon the chronic stimulant takers enter a pattern of swallowing "uppers" (stimulants) in the morning, to push their tired bodies into action for another day-and then swallow "downers," such as alcohol or sleeping pills, late in the evening so their exhausted, but tense, bodies and minds can obtain some sleep at night. However, such activities greatly injure the nerves, hormone production, and the entire body system. The experts call this "chemical self-control," but the correct name is "control by chemicals." Interfering as they do with normal body processes, these habits are artificially stimulating and/or depressing the body and can lead to mental and physical illness.

Physical problems resulting from taking such substances can include dizziness, tremor, agitation, hostility, panic, headache, flushed skin, chest pain with palpitations, excessive sweating, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and grinding the teeth.

Mental problems can include a sense of vagueness, performing the same task over and over, preoccupation with one's own thought processes, suspiciousness, a feeling of being watched, paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations, and even psychosis.

Young people, seeing their parents using stimulants, begin the habit themselves. Frequently, they will consume large doses sporadically, over the weekends or at night, and often go on to experiment with other more dangerous drugs.

At first, the use of stimulants brings a temporary sense of exhilaration, an apparent super-abundant energy, hyperactivity, and extended wakefulness.

But other effects of these stimulants soon are obvious: anxiety, tension, irritability, quarrelling, apprehension, and unexplainable fears. These effects are greatly intensified when a "shot" (an intravenous injection) of a stimulant

is taken. A "flash" or "rush" instantly follows, and later comes what is called "the crashing." Those who have experienced it describe it as a horrible sensation that continues on for some time. And the more stimulant shots that are taken, the greater the successive "crashings." Since the "crashing" is immediately stopped by another injection, the addict wants to keep taking more and more. Heavy users may inject themselves every few hours, a process sometimes continued to the point of delirium, psychosis, or physical exhaustion.

Most people do not go this deeply into the use of stimulants. They merely take coffee, tea, tobacco, or something similar. But one problem is that, to one degree or another, the aftereffects of all stimulants are unpleasant. For this reason, the one habituated to them keeps coming back for more, in an effort to block the later depressed "low," so he can feel normal again.

Ironically, people begin taking coffee, tea, and tobacco to feel better than the rest of us. But before long, a subtle adaptation has occurred in the body and they continue taking the stimulants-just so they can feel the "normally good" that the non-stimulant people feel all the time!

Excessive use of stimulants results in several bad effects, some of which have been mentioned above. One of the bad effects is addiction. Yes, addiction. Coffee users will vigorously maintain that there is no addiction in drinking coffee. Yet there is. (If you are a coffee drinker, just try stopping for one entire day and see what happens.)

Because even the stimulant, coffee, is addicting, you are wise not use it. Drop the use of all stimulants and do not return to them.

Instead, turn to adequate rest, fresh air, sunlight, exercise, trust in God, a careful diet, prayer for help and guidance, the study of Scripture, and the other natural remedies as the healthful, stimulating, invigorating keys to a better way of life. The best things in life are those that are best for you. And peace with God is one of the best of all.

1 - AMPHETAMINES-

Amphetamines are a class of drugs that produce a stimulant reaction. First produced in the 1920s for medical use, amphetamines stimulate the central nervous system and lessen the sense of fatigue and normal sleepiness. Of course, the actual physical effects of exhaustion have not been removed, only the awareness of it. Thus, amphetamines are a classic example of beating a tired horse to do yet more work. In this case, the stick is a Benzidrine or Dexedrine tablet which fools the horse into thinking he can keep on working when he is too exhausted to do so. Since you are the tired horse, decide from common sense whether it be better to wear out your body with "pep pills"-or let it get the normal sleep that it is calling for.

This general category of stimulants divides into three classes: amphetamine (Benzidrine), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), and methamphetamine (Methedrine). Slang terms for these drugs includes: "pep pills," "bennies,"

and "speed."

A New York attorney told a news reporter that he regularly kept amphetamines on hand to give to the guests at his parties. He said that his friends enjoy getting drunk on them, just as much as on liquor.

But much more common are the tens of thousands who regularly overwork and decide that they would rather take pills than start getting to bed earlier at night. Then they take a barbiturate (a depressant), so their bodies, tense with exhaustion, can get some rest; upon awaking the next morning, they take an amphetamine (a stimulant) or something similar, to arouse their tired frames to get moving into another day. They live a life of continual fatigue and use chemicals, to try to keep from knowing it.

About 20 percent of all medical prescriptions for mood-affecting drugs are for stimulants. The amount produced by the drug industry each year is enough to provide every man, woman, and child in America with 25 doses of these drugs. The Food and Drug Administration reports that about one-half of this prescription-only supply of stimulant drugs enters the illegal drug market.

Drivers take them to stay awake on long trips, students take them during exams, athletes take them during competitive meets. Others take them for "kicks" or to get their tired bodies going each morning. There is no doubt that we live in a drug age.

The immediate feeling of alertness, self-confidence, and well-being, is followed by a letdown feeling or a depression hangover. Heavier doses cause jitteriness, irritability, unclear speech, and even more tension than they experienced before. People on very large doses of amphetamines appear to be withdrawn, with their emotions dulled; they seem unable to properly organize their thinking.

Stimulant drugs increase the heart rate, raise the blood pressure, cause palpitations of the heart (throbbing heart) and rapid breathing. They dilate (enlarge) the pupils of the eyes, cause dry mouth, sweating, headache, diarrhea, and paleness.

The primary danger in stimulants (amphetamine and its chemical relatives) lies in the fact that it requires an ever-increasing amount of the substance to give the amount of "kick" earlier provided by a smaller dose. This is called "drug tolerance" and means that larger doses are continually taken in order to feel the desired effects. But, of course, this greatly intensifies the negative aftereffects, described above, until they become overwhelming.

These drugs can drive a person to do things that are beyond his physical endurance. Physical damage may be the result. Heavy doses can cause a temporary toxic psychosis (insanity). This is usually accompanied by auditory and visual hallucinations (hearing and seeing imaginary things). Abrupt withdrawal from regularly taking the drug can result in a deep, and suicidal, depression.

It is quite obvious that you are playing around with very dangerous substances when you begin taking keep-awake pills.

2 - METHAMPHETAMINE

The most frightening of all the amphetamines is "speed." Since "speeding" is a quicker way to get to the end of your life, so speed is probably a good name for it. Commercially, it is known as methedrine. It is also known as methamphetamine, and is bringing misery to untold thousands as they inject it into their veins. Trying to increase the "kick" of stimulants by "mainlining" methedrine directly into a blood vein, they are preparing themselves for real trouble ahead. This is because these intravenous injections of methamphetamine will later lead to the development of paranoid psychosis and possibly death. And the death will either come by physical breakdown or by suicide.

Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. Methamphetamine is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but the central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater. Both drugs have some medical uses, primarily in the treatment of obesity, but their therapeutic use is limited.

Street methamphetamine is referred to by many names, such as "speed," "meth," and "chalk." Methamphetamine hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals resembling ice, which can be inhaled by smoking, is referred to as "ice," "crystal," and "glass."

Methamphetamine releases high levels of the neurotransmitter, dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. It also appears to have a neurotoxic effect, damaging brain cells that contain dopamine and serotonin, another neurotransmitter. Over time, methamphetamine appears to cause reduced levels of dopamine, which can result in symptoms like those of Parkinson's disease, a severe movement disorder.

Methamphetamine powder is taken orally, snorting, by intravenous injection, and by smoking. Immediately after smoking or intravenous injection, the methamphetamine user experiences an intense sensation, called a "rush" or "flash," that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Oral use produces euphoria-a high, but not a rush. Users may become addicted quickly and use it with increasing frequency and increasing doses.

Methamphetamine has bad short-term effects. The central nervous system (CNS) actions that result from taking even small amounts of methamphetamine include increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration, hyperthermia, and euphoria. Other CNS effects include irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, anxiety, paranoia, and aggressiveness. Hyperthermia and convulsions can result in death.

It also has serious long-term effects. Methamphetamine causes increased heart rate and blood pressure and can cause irreversible damage

to blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes. Other effects of methamphetamine include respiratory problems, irregular heartbeat, and extreme anorexia. Its use can result in cardiovascular collapse and death.

Dangers from unsanitary injections of "speed' (methamphetamine) include serum hepatitis and abscesses. Injections of "speed" can also cause abnormal heart rates and may result in a psychotic state of insanity and long-term personality disorders. Doses that are higher than usual can also bring death.

3 - CRANK

Although it is not yet a national problem, the latest amphetamine to hit the market goes by the title, "Crank." California drug-enforcement officials say that it is already a major problem in their state. It has the potential of becoming a nation-wide fad. Snorting (sniffing) it through the nose has clearly been linked to respiratory failure and severe central nervous-system disorders; but the people taking it do not seem to care. Robert Elsberb, special-agent supervisor of the California State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, predicts: "Crank is the next cocaine."

4 - CLUB DRUGS-

So-called "club drugs" are being used by young adults at all-night dance parties such as "raves" or "trances," dance clubs, and bars. MDMA (ecstasy), GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine, and LSD are some of the club or party drugs gaining popularity. NIDA-supported research has shown that use of club drugs can cause serious health problems and, in some cases, even death. Used in combination with alcohol, these drugs can be even more dangerous.

No club drug is benign. Chronic abuse of MDMA, for example, appears to produce long-term damage to serotonin-containing neurons in the brain. Given the important role that the neurotransmitter, serotonin, plays in regulating emotion, memory, sleep, pain, and higher order cognitive processes, it is likely that MDMA use can cause a variety of behavioral and cognitive consequences as well as impair memory.

Because some club drugs are colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be added unobtrusively to beverages by individuals who want to intoxicate or sedate others. In recent years, there has been an increase in reports of club drugs used to commit sexual assaults.

5 - ECSTASY (MDMA)

Here is additional information about this strange substance. MDMA, called "Adam," "ecstasy," or "XTC" on the street, is a synthetic, psychoactive (mind-altering) drug with hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like properties. Its chemical structure is similar to two other synthetic drugs, MDMA and methamphetamine, which are known to cause brain damage.

Beliefs about MDMA are reminiscent of similar claims made about LSD in the 1950s and 1960s, which proved to be untrue. According to its proponents, MDMA can make people trust each other and can break down barriers between therapists and patients, lovers, and family members.

Many of the problems caused by MDMA are similar to those found with the use of amphetamines and cocaine.

First, there are psychological difficulties, including confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, severe anxiety, and paranoia during and sometimes weeks after taking MDMA. In some cases, psychotic episodes have been reported.

Then there are the physical symptoms. These include muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, rapid-eye movement, faintness, and either chills or sweating.

The increase in heart rate and blood pressure, induced by MDMA, is a special risk for people with circulatory or heart disease.

There are also very serious long-term effects. Recent research findings also link MDMA use to long-term damage to those parts of the brain critical to thought and memory. It is believed that the drug causes damage to the neurons which use the chemical, serotonin, to communicate with other neurons.

Because MDMA is related in its structure and effects to methamphetamine, it can result in dangerous effects which meth causes. Included here is degeneration of neurons containing the neurotransmitter, dopamine. Damage to dopamine-containing neurons is the underlying cause of the motor disturbances seen in Parkinson's disease. Symptoms of this disease begin with lack of coordination, tremors, and can eventually result in a form of paralysis.

6 - GHB

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a compound that was initially used by body builders to stimulate muscle growth. In recent years, it has become popular as a recreational drug among club kids and party goers.

This "designer" drug is often used in combination with other drugs, such as ecstasy. GHB is synthesized from a chemical used to clean electrical circuit boards, and is available in clear liquid, white powder, tablet, and capsule form.

GHB is odorless and nearly tasteless. Users report that it induces a state of relaxation. The effects can be felt within 5 to 20 minutes after ingestion and the high can last up to four hours.

The Food and Drug Administration banned GHB in 1990 after 57 cases of GHB-induced illnesses (ranging from nausea and vomiting to respiratory problems, seizures, and comas) were reported to poison control centers and emergency rooms. The drug was only permitted under the supervision of a physician. Since then, the drug has been implicated in several deaths and was subsequently added to the Schedule I list of drugs in the Controlled Substance Act. Anyone who possesses, manufactures, or distributes GHB could face a prison term of up to 20 years.

GHB users risk many negative physical effects-including vomiting, liver failure, potentially fatal respiratory problems, and tremors and seizures which can result in comas.

GHB has reportedly been used in cases of date rape. Because GHB is odorless and tasteless, it can be slipped into someone's drink without detection.

7 - RITALIN-

Ritalin is the trade name for methylphenidate. This is a medication prescribed for children who are thought to have an abnormally high level of activity, or attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is also occasionally prescribed for narcolepsy. Ritalin stimulates the central nervous system and has effects which are very similar to, but less potent than, amphetamines. It is more powerful than caffeine.

There is an increasing number of research studies on the dangers of using this commonly sold prescription drug.

In 1998, the National Institutes for Health consensus panel called for "urgent clarification of the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and research into the long-term effects of treatment with Ritalin" (British Medical Journal, December 5, 1998).

Over the past 10 years, prescriptions for Ritalin have increased sixfold. Various studies indicate that physicians are falsely diagnosing children as having problems they do not really have and routinely prescribing Ritalin as the solution. Yet it is a powerful drug with dangerous effects.

According to Peter Breggin, M.D., a psychiatrist and senior editor of the professional Ethical Human Sciences and Services, here are some of these dangerous effects:

Decreased blood flow to the brain, an effect recently shown to be caused by cocaine, where it is associated with impaired thinking ability and memory loss.

Disruption of growth hormone, leading to suppression of growth in the body and brain of the child.

Permanent neurological tics, including Tourette's Syndrome.

Addiction and abuse, including withdrawal reactions on a daily basis.

Psychosis (mania), depression, insomnia, agitation, and social withdrawal.

Possible shrinkage (atrophy) or other permanent physical abnormalities in the brain.

Worsening of the very symptoms the drug is supposed to improve, including hyperactivity and inattention.

Decreased ability to learn.

The 42nd Edition of the Physicians' Desk Reference lists even dangerous side effects of the drug, Ritalin:

" Warnings: Ritalin should NOT be used in children under six years, since safety and efficacy in this age group have not been established. Sufficient data on safety and efficacy of long-term use of Ritalin in children are not yet available. Although a casual relationship has not been established, suppres

sion of growth ( i.e., weight gain, and/or height) has been reported with the long-term use of stimulants in children. Therefore, patients requiring long-term therapy should be carefully monitored.

" Adverse reactions: Nervousness and insomnia are the most common adverse reactions, but are usually controlled by reducing dosage and omitting the drug in the afternoon or evening. Other reactions include hypersensitivity (including skin rash, urticaria, fever, arthralgia, exfoliative dermatitis, erythema multiforme with histopathological findings of necrotizing vasculitis, and thrombocytopenic purpura; anorexia; nausea; dizziness; palpitations; headache; dyskinesia; drowsiness; blood pressure and pulse changes, both up and down; tachycardia; angina; cardiac arrhythmia; abdominal pain; weight loss during prolonged therapy). There have been reports of Tourette's Syndrome. Toxic psychosis has been reported. Although a definite casual relationship has not been established, the following have been reported in patients taking this drug: leukopenia and/or anemia; a few instances of scalp hair loss. In children, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, weight loss during prolonged therapy, insomnia, and tachycardia may occur more frequently; however, any of the other adverse reactions listed above may also occur."

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classifies Ritalin as a Class II Drug and a controlled substance, a fact not widely known. Other drugs in this category include cocaine, methamphetamine, and methadone.

Because stimulant medicines such as Ritalin are so dangerous, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has placed stringent controls on their manufacture, distribution, and prescription.

A drug becomes a controlled substance when it has the potential for abuse and/or addiction. It is not uncommon in many classrooms today to find the percentage of children on Ritalin to be 25% or greater-and the numbers are climbing.

Both teenagers and adults use Ritalin as a street drug. Some mix Ritalin (or "West Coast") with heroin, or with both cocaine and heroin for a more potent effect. Middle- and high-school students crush and inhale the drug or take the pill orally. Some adults have been admitted to treatment programs for abusing the drug from their children's prescriptions.

Youth treatment providers report that adolescents obtain the drug through "diverted prescriptions." It is common for children as young as Junior High age to sell their Ritalin for up to $5 a pill. Other kids see it as a "cheap high" or to increase their concentration during heavy study periods or final exams. The downside is that many become addicted and some die.

Few realize the long-term effects of Ritalin on the brain. If a child takes Ritalin after the age of 12, he or she is ineligible for Military Service in the United States.

8 - PSEUDO-SPEED (Look-alikes)-

In 1980, drugstores began selling a new type of prescription drug. Known under such trade names as Dietac, Dexatrim, and Control, these drugs were intended to aid in weight-control

programs. They were classified as amphetamines and contained relatively low amounts of phenylpropanolamine and caffeine.

Soon they were being illegally manufactured for use as street drugs. In Central New York State, the most commonly misused chemicals by teenagers are alcohol, marijuana, and pseudo-speed.

Pseudo-speed (or look-alikes, or pea shooters) is the name given to these counterfeits. Containing various amounts of phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride, caffeine, and ephedrine, these pills are becoming a headache to young people, their parents, and to law-enforcement officers.

These mass-produced illegal tablets look exactly like the prescription kind sold in drugstores. Often they are advertised in youth journals and frequently with a Pennsylvania return address. They may be offered for as little as $10 for a thousand tablets. Young people order them and then take 5 or 6 at a time in the hope of a "high." But the phenylpropanolamine, caffeine, and ephedrine in them are causing real trouble.

Phenylpropanolamine is an amphetamine-like substance which is sold in drugstores to relieve cold and flu symptoms. But it affects the central nervous system; and, for the street people who take it, it will bring severe hypertension, heart attacks, and possible kidney failure. Medical journals report of individuals who have experienced psychotic (insanity) episodes as a result of small doses of it. Symptoms range from mild anxiety and agitation, through increased respiratory and pulse rate, to hallucinations, dizziness, and fatal cerebral vascular crises.

The second common ingredient in pseudo-speed is sold in drugstores for spasm in the bronchioles, but can bring on heavy agitation and restlessness.

Caffeine produces sleep disturbance, anxiety, heart disease, gastrointestinal irritation, and ulcers. Medical science reports that people who are taking 3½ to 4 cups of coffee a day (350 mg. or more of caffeine per day) can have true drug withdrawal symptoms if they try to stop. These symptoms include withdrawal headaches.

Some young people sniff pseudo-speed, along with a regular amphetamine. The result can be, what is known as, an "averamp." This is a coma or death from a cardiac arrhythmia or a hypertensive episode. The look-alikes are deliberately made to look like controlled substances, particularly speed. But while the ingredients are usually legal, the mixture makes them more dangerous than the powerful prescription drugs they are meant to resemble. They are generally advertised as "the most powerful stimulant available without a prescription."