#amphetamines #ecstasy #methamphetamines, dangerous synthetic drugs: risks for health and acute overdose.

Amphetamines are a class of compounds increasingly abused in regions of the world such as the western United States, Australasia, and Europe. Synthetic amphetamine compounds (ecstasy, metamphetamines) commonly are produced in clandestine laboratories and vary in purity and potency. Other potentials for amphetamine abuse include prescription medications and various over-the-counter diet pills.

Acute overdose of amphetamines produces seizures, hypertension, tachycardia, hyperthermia, psychosis, hallucinosis, stroke, and fatality.

One study at San Francisco General Hospital from 1975-1987 determined that approximately 25% of seizures were secondary to amphetamine use. In a few patients, amphetamine use produces long-term toxic paranoid schizophrenia: hallucinations, delusions, and bizarre violent behavior are common. Severe psychological depression and prolonged sleep follow chronic use and binges. 

Amphetamine use was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarctions in 15-45 year olds in Texas.

In the United States, amphetamine use characteristically occurs among single white men aged 20-35 years who are typically unemployed. However, amphetamine use is becoming more common among women and other ethnic groups. Data from rural populations reveal that Caucasians use amphetamines significantly more than African Americans.

A recent study suggests that the action of estrogen within the central nervous system might explain why fewer women than men use amphetamines. Women in their late follicular phase (when estrogen levels are high and progesterone levels are low) were more likely to report "unpleasant stimulation" when exposed to amphetamine. This effect was not observed in the early follicular phase, when both hormone levels are low.