What are amphetamines?
Amphetamines are manufactured central nervous system (CNS) stimulants -- drugs that increase your heart rate and give you more energy and stamina. Over the years, doctors have used them to treat a laundry list of ailments, including hiccups, seasickness, schizophrenia, and caffeine dependence, and during World War II they were distributed to servicemen to keep them alert for combat. Pseudoephedrine is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter nasal decongestants. Today, they are most often used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Common amphetamine preparations for these disorders include methylphenidate and detroamphetamine compounds.
Others were developed specifically for the illegal drug market and have been sold on the street, usually as pills or in powder form, under names like speed, or "white crosses". Along with cocaine and Ecstasy, amphetamines and methamphetamine are the most widely used illegal stimulants. Amphetamines increase your heart rate and blood pressure, which can result in heart attack or stroke. Speed bought on the street carries an added risk common to all black-market drugs -- you never know quite what you're getting. Preparations may vary wildly in concentration, or be laced with other harmful drugs, such as PCP or Ecstasy. However, the danger is not confined to illicit amphetamines -- over-the-counter diet pills containing phenylpropanolamine (PPA) have also been linked to stroke in otherwise healthy people. And ephedrine, a CNS stimulant found in many diet pills, has been linked to a variety of adverse effects, including heart attacks and strokes.
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