10 Amphetamine Overdose Symptoms You

Should be Aware Of.

Collectively, amphetamines and amphetamine derivatives such as dextroamphetamine,
levoamphetamine, and methamphetamine are stimulant drugs that increase heart rate, blood
pressure, respiration, temperature, energy, and stamina, affecting various neurotransmissions
within the brain and central nervous system.
Therapeutic doses of amphetamine are helpful in treating ADD/ADHD, narcolepsy, and obesity,
but, the trends of abuse continue to grow leading to increased rates of amphetamine overdoses.
In the most recent data collected for the years 2011 and 2012, the Center for Behavioral Health
Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ) reports that on an average day, an estimated 850 young adults
aged 18 to 25 used licit or illicit stimulants non-medically for the first time.
An amphetamine overdose does not necessarily have to involve taking too much of the drug,
these types of overdoses can occur in a variety of scenarios and for a number of reasons.
The following, are 10 amphetamine overdose symptoms you should be aware of:

1. Hypothermia

Amphetamine overdose can cause hypothermia.

Amphetamines raise temperature levels to dangerous degrees and can lead to hyperthermia or
unusually high body temperatures. Even the smallest amount of amphetamine can cause
hyperthermia to the extent that the person becomes severely dehydrated or vital systems and
organs begin to malfunction.

2. Seizures
Seizures are severe neurological problems and can result in rapid fatality or life-long disabilities
including brain damage.

3. Rapid Pulse
A rapid pulse can lead to damages in the blood vessels or heart valves and increase the risk of
severe cardiovascular problems, stroke, or bleeding in the brain.

4. Rapid Heart Rate

Increasing heart rate to dangerous levels can cause arrhythmias, cardiac failures, or heart attacks.
Sudden cardiac death is often related to amphetamine overdose because the drugs are commonly
used to increase physical performance and stamina in activities involving high exertion levels.

5. Irregular or Difficulty Breathing

1

Irregular or difficulty breathing can lead to decreased oxygen levels in the blood and preclude
seizures, stroke, respiratory or cardiac failure. Bluish-colored lips or fingernails indicate
amphetamine overdose symptoms resulting from low oxygen levels in the blood.

6. Tremors or Excessive Shakiness

Tremors and excessive shakiness are forewarning amphetamine overdose symptoms you should
be aware of as signs of over-stimulation in the central nervous system which can lead to any
number of bodily system or organ failures.

7. Cognitive Difficulties
Confusion, poor judgment, fainting, and loss of consciousness are amphetamine overdose
symptoms you should be aware. They often preclude or coincide with more imminent dangers.

8. Uncontrollable Anxiety
Uncontrollable anxiety is a common amphetamine overdose symptom that can be a precursor to
more dangerous psychological disorders and adverse behaviors.

9. Loss of Coordination
Loss of coordination, clumsiness, and muscle weakness, slurred or difficult speech can be serious
symptoms resulting from neurological and other bodily system malfunctions during
amphetamine overdose.

10. Amphetamine Psychosis

Amphetamine psychosis can present itself through extreme panic, mania, paranoia,
hallucinations, delirium, and schizophrenic-like behaviors. These amphetamine overdose
symptoms are not only dangerous to the user, but, to others as well.

10 Signs of Amphetamine Use You May be

Overlooking
Amphetamines offer a range of therapeutic benefits for people struggling with conditions
involving ADHD, narcolepsy and obesity. As central nervous system stimulants, amphetamine
drugs work to correct for the brain chemical imbalances that underlie these conditions.
For people not affected by these conditions, amphetamines produce certain effects that may seem
beneficial at first, but over time create a range of health problems, both physical and
psychological. Signs of amphetamine use may develop slowly or quickly depending on how
often a person uses the drug and the dosage amounts taken.
Amphetamines exert a tremendous toll on the brains normal chemical processes when taken for
nonmedical purposes. Anyone who takes these drugs on a regular basis may want to keep a look
out for signs of amphetamine use. In effect, ignoring or overlooking signs of amphetamine use
can lead to any number of unintended consequences.
Here are 10 signs of amphetamine use you may be overlooking.

1. Increasing Tolerance Levels

Amphetamine effects take place at individual brain cell sites, forcing the release of large amounts
of neurotransmitter chemicals, namely dopamine and norepinephrine. Under normal conditions,
the brain produces these chemicals on an as-needed basis.
2

When used on a frequent basis, signs of amphetamine use first appear as increasing tolerance
levels. Tolerance level increases result from amphetamines ability to stimulate neurotransmitter
production, and in the process overwork brain cell sites.
Before long, cells develop structural damage making them less responsive to amphetamine
effects. Consequently, users must take increasingly larger doses to experience the drugs desired
effects. According to the University of California Irvine School of Medicine, this sign of
amphetamine use becomes the driving force behind all the others.

2. Physical Dependency
Over time, the brains increasing tolerance for amphetamine interferes with its ability to produce
neurotransmitter chemicals when needed. The brain rather cuts back on its normal chemical
output in response to amphetamines effects.
With continued drug use, signs of amphetamine use take the form of physical dependency, where
brain chemical processes cant function normally without the drugs effects. Physical
dependency marks the start of the abuse cycle, which only worsens in severity with ongoing drug
use.

3. Withdrawal Effects
Someone who uses amphetamines on a regular basis may have trouble picking up on initial
symptoms of withdrawal as signs of amphetamine use can develop gradually. Withdrawal effects
develop in response to weakening brain cell functions as the brain loses its ability to regulate
bodily processes as usual.
Chronic fatigue and headache are possible signs of amphetamine abuse.

As dopamine and norepinephrine play critical roles in regulating a range of central nervous
system functions, withdrawal signs of amphetamine use may take the form of:

Chronic fatigue

Headaches

Shakiness or tremors

Irritability

Sleep problems

4. Bingeing
From a big picture perspective, signs of amphetamine use feed into one another creating a neverending cycle of drug abuse. Bingeing develops out of the brains increasing tolerance levels,
where users reach point of having to ingest multiple drug doses at a time in order to experience
the drugs effects.
Consequently, users stand to experience excruciating withdrawal symptoms if needed amounts
of the drug are withheld. At this point, the brain has become totally dependent on amphetamine
to produce neurotransmitter materials.

5. Crashing
In general, amphetamines speed up the bodys chemical processes, which increase a persons:

Energy output

Heart rate

Breathing rate

Blood pressure
3

By the time a person starts engaging in bingeing behaviors, amphetamine effects have all but
ravaged the bodys major systems leaving a person in a state of exhaustion for much of the time.
After a binge episode, its not uncommon for a person to sleep for hours on end, sometimes for
days. This sign of amphetamine use is known as crashing.

6. Emotional Instability
Ongoing amphetamine abuse has a lasting impact on a persons emotional stability as brain
chemical imbalances grow more severe. In effect, amphetamines eat away at brain cells over
time.
After a certain point, users start to experience ongoing emotional turmoil. Even when bingeing,
feelings of emotional distress persist as the brains supply of neurotransmitter chemicals becomes
depleted.
With this sign of amphetamine use, users experience the following symptoms:

Panic episodes

Severe anxiety

Feelings of rage

Bouts of depression

7. Elevated Heart Rates

Signs of amphetamine use take a dangerous turn once the drugs effects start to impair the bodys
cardiovascular functions. With ongoing elevated heart rates, the cardiovascular system undergoes
considerable wear and tear over time, according to the U. S. Food & Drug Administration.
With faster heart rates comes an increase in blood pressure. Increased blood pressure rates wear
away at heart and blood pressure linings. When elevated heart rates persist for hours or days, the
risk of developing a heart attack or stroke increases considerably.

8. Decline in Cognitive Functioning

The damaging effects of amphetamines on the brain eventually cause structural damage within
the frontal lobe areas. After so many weeks or months of amphetamine abuse, users start to
experience significant decline in cognitive functioning.
This sign of amphetamine use produces the following effects:

Hallucinations

Paranoia

Loss of impulse control

Aggression, violent temperament

Delusional states

9. Psychological Dependency
With heavy and/or long-term amphetamine abuse, chemical imbalances start to impair the brains
reward system functions. The brains reward system regulates learning processes, thinking and
emotions all of which determine a persons priorities, drives and motivations.
Once amphetamine effects take over this area of the brain, users become psychologically
dependent on the drugs effects, meaning they need the drug in order to cope with daily life
stressors. This sign of amphetamine use marks a major turning point in a persons overall
lifestyle.

10. Denial
4

Once psychological dependency sets in, addiction has taken hold of a persons life. At this point,
it becomes extremely difficult to spot signs of amphetamine use once the addiction mindset takes
over. In effect, a person will deny he or she has a problem with amphetamines in spite of the
negative consequences drug abuse brings.
Considering how aggressively amphetamines attack the brain, the sooner you can spot signs of
amphetamine use the better, as these drugs can quickly destroy a persons life.

Telltale Amphetamine Overdose Symptoms

Amphetamines exist as a group of drugs known for their ability to stimulate or speed up bodily
processes. The chemical make-up of amphetamines bears a strong resemblance to the bodys
own natural chemicals, adrenalin and noradrenalin. This similarity in chemical make-up makes it
possible for amphetamines to stimulate the release of these chemicals in the body, according to
the U. S. National Library of Medicine.
Over time, these interactions set the stage for amphetamine overdose symptoms to develop.
Telltale signs of amphetamine overdose symptoms can be fairly easy for an observer to spot,
though not so easy for the person affected to spot. In effect, the bodily processes most affected
by the drug become the most susceptible to developing amphetamine overdose symptoms.

Amphetamines Effects
Amphetamines stimulate the release of neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain. Normally, the
brain reabsorbs and recycles excess neurotransmitter chemicals. Amphetamines block this reabsorption process, which accounts for the intense rush users experience from the drug.
With ongoing drug use, neurotransmitter chemical supplies become depleted while the brain cells
that secrete these chemicals weaken, and so lose their ability to function normally. Over time, the
brain comes to rely on amphetamine effects to carry out cell secretion functions.
As these cells continue to weaken, it takes larger doses of the drug to produce the desired high
effects. These changes in brain cell function prompt users to increase their dosage amounts as
well as their frequency of drug use.
After a while, users have to ingest incredibly large amounts of amphetamines to experience a
high. Eventually dosage amounts will overwhelm brain and body functions at which point
amphetamine overdose symptoms can develop.
Someone who abuses amphetamines on a frequent basis over the course of weeks or months is
most at risk for developing amphetamine overdose symptoms.

Bodily Processes Affected

An overdose on amphetamine causes respiratory and cardiac struggles.

Amphetamines stimulant effects on the body affect each and every process thats regulated by
the central nervous system. Major processes affected include

Heart rate

Blood pressure

Blood vessel passages

Respiratory rate
Amphetamine effects increase blood flow and heart rate while causing blood vessel passageways
to constrict. These conditions force the heart to work even harder to move blood through

narrowed blood vessels. Not surprisingly, amphetamine overdose symptoms tend to develop
within one or more of these affected processes.

Amphetamine Overdose Symptoms

According to the University of Arizona, amphetamine overdose symptoms closely resemble the
types of symptoms brought on by heatstroke. In the case of heatstroke, multiple vital processes
start to shutdown all at once. The considerable strain placed on bodily processes by
amphetamines inevitably wears down physical structures when these drugs are abused on a
frequent basis.
Signs of amphetamine overdose include

Elevated body temperature

Psychotic-like behaviors

Difficulty breathing

Chest pains

Seizure episodes

Elevated heart rates

A drop in heart rate

Irregular heart beat

Hallucinations

Agitated behaviors
Chronic amphetamine users are most at risk of heart attack and stroke symptoms. As these signs
can be life threatening, immediate medical attention should be sought whenever overdose
symptoms develop.

Devastating Effects of Amphetamines

Amphetamines are stimulant drugs that speed up the brain and the way it processes information.
They help the person stay alert and awake and even can provide an energy burst. There are a few
prescription medicines that contain amphetamines in them. A large amount of people who take
amphetamines are not taking the drug as prescribed by their medical doctor or they are taking it
illegally. In the USA it is illegal to abuse amphetamines. The effects of amphetamines can be
dangerous and even deadly.
The most common medicine that contains amphetamine is Adderall. Adderall is used to help treat
hyperactivity disorder called ADHD. Many doctors will start off a patient on low dose and
increase them once every week. When the drug is abused, the addict will usually start off taking
large amounts and this can cause severe side effects of amphetamines.

Most Common Effects of Amphetamines

There are several different side effects of the amphetamines. Many people taking the drug will
either not care about the side effects or they want to experience some of them. There are many
different mental and physical effects of amphetamines. It is important to look for the these
common side effects if you or someone you love may be using amphetamines.
Devastating effects of amphetamines can happen when the drug is misused.

Dry mouth
Loss of appetite
6


Insomnia

Headache

Anxiety

Irritability

Depression

High blood pressure

Cocaine craving

Skin Infections / diseased

UTI

Vomiting

Seizures
According to Better Health Channel, these side effects of amphetamines can be treated with the
help of a professional. It is important to speak to your medical doctor about the symptoms that
you are experiencing. Also, going to counseling or group therapy can help you overcome some
of the withdrawal symptoms and overcome your addiction to amphetamines.

Permanent Effects of Amphetamines Abuse

Once a person is addicted to amphetamines, it is possible that you can permanently damage your
body and brain. The addiction can cause the brain to be rewired. When the person decides to stop
using amphetamines, they will experience severe withdrawal symptoms. Most circumstances, the
rewiring can cause the person to have problems quitting the drug altogether without the help of a
professional therapist or an addiction rehab program.
Memory loss and a disturbed thought process are other permanent neurological effects of
amphetamines. A person with an addiction to amphetamines can also experience financial
problems and loss of employment. Since the drug causes the addict to lose sole focus on what it
is important in life. The drug can also damage the liver, heart and other vital organs. Once the
damage is severe enough, the results can be fatal.

Common Symptoms of Overdose

It is important to know the symptoms of overdose. If you or someone you know has overdoes on
amphetamines, you will need to call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the
victim has collapsed, immediately call your local emergency services at 911.

Here are a list of the most common side effects of

amphetamines:

Restlessness
Confusion
Fever
Fast breathing
Muscle weakness
Fainting
Seizures
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Coma
7

The length of time that the effects of amphetamines last, will vary from person to person and
their dependency on the drug. The symptoms can last for a few days if only used occasional or
weeks to months if the user is more addicted. The person may become very sleepy and
experience lucid dreams while they are symptoms of amphetamines.