Amphetamines: Uses, Side Effects, and Addiction Treatment

Amphetamine Addiction

The broad selection of outcomes and measures render it difficult to meta-analyse or otherwise collectively synthesise the study results as reported. Future endeavours to standardise outcome measures across clinical trials in addiction medicine would make it easier to interpret study results collectively and better translate research results to clinical practice. Importantly, only three studies reviewed here (7%) provided information on adverse events/serious adverse events, despite the standard reporting format adopted by most publishers (CONSORT 83) including a minimum standard of harm reporting.

What Are the Causes of Amphetamine Addiction?

There’s limited clear data on how much amphetamine use and misuse in the United States costs the general public. However, reports published by the National Institute of Health6 create a clear case of risk. In the western portion of the United States, Medicaid is the primary payer for these medications in prescription form. That makes it a public health concern, especially since 1.3 million people were hospitalized from 2003 to 2015 because of the misuse of the drug.

Amphetamine Addiction: Uses, Side Effects, and Treatment

We do not receive any fee or commission dependent upon which treatment or provider a caller chooses. This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article. NL had the idea for this systematic review; KJS, LSA, NL, and NE designed the study; KJS and LSA performed the literature search and data analyses; KJS drafted the first manuscript; LSA, NL and NE critically revised the manuscript.

  • However, it’s important to note that for prescription medications taken as directed by a doctor, developing tolerance or dependence does not necessarily indicate a SUD and would not be counted among the 2 required criteria.
  • Similarly, the choice between residential or ambulatory treatment settings for longer term rehabilitation programmes may be determined by factors such as social supports, housing, employment and legal status of the patient.
  • They treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, a sleep disorder.
  • Stage 2 involved validating these questionnaire items based on their psychometric properties.

Are amphetamines a stimulant?

The primary outcomes included safety and efficacy defined as abstinence from MA—measured by a new MA-positive UDS (measured twice weekly) and self-reported MA consumption. Two Iranian studies reviewed examined opioid agonists, one buprenorphine 57 and one buprenorphine and methadone 24. Both studies were in MA-dependent inpatient males with no co-occurring substance use disorder.

Amphetamine Addiction

However, further work is required to determine outcomes that are both clinically meaningful and meaningful to consumers. Future research should address small sample sizes and low participant retention and treatment adherence rates, leading to underpowered studies lacking meaningful results. Medication adherence also needs to be better examined and monitored in trials, particularly when using medications with abuse liability (e.g. psychoactive medications such as stimulants). There are a few pharmacotherapy candidates for the treatment of AMPH/MA dependence/use disorder that demonstrate some weak positive signals.

Treatment of Withdrawal Symptoms

Amphetamine Addiction

It found that, in 2018, the number of college students misusing drugs like Adderall, which is a type of amphetamine, was 11.1% of all enrolled students. By comparison, just 8.1% of all young people the same age but not in college used the drug. These studies also showed that college-aged men were more likely to use the drugs, with 14.6% reporting their use. In college-age non-students, 10.1% of females reported using the drug compared to just 5.3% of males. Studies examining the efficacy of pharmacotherapy alone Amphetamine Addiction versus combined medication and psychosocial counselling are required to better understand the role each treatment modality may have.

Amphetamine Addiction

What is the difference between amphetamine and methamphetamine?

  • Phase 1 of this study is a qualitative study in which open-ended questions were asked to participants through in-depth interviews.
  • After receiving a total of 41 questions, the researcher designed the assessment form with Likert scale (Rating scale) because it is an evaluation based on one’s own perception or opinion by dividing opinions into 5 levels.
  • Likewise, significant comorbidity (e.g. psychoses) may impact the ability to remain in ambulatory care during periods of treatment for AMPH/MA withdrawal or treatment.

While there are promising candidates, no pharmacotherapy for the treatment of AMPH/MA dependence/use disorder has provided convincing results. Studies are often limited by small sample sizes in defined populations, and with low treatment retention or completion rates. Different treatment options may be indicated for various degrees of severity of disorder. Optimal psychosocial interventions accompanying medication must also be considered. Further and substantial investment to determine effective pharmacotherapies is required. Nearly a quarter of the reviewed studies had no female participants, and male sex made up over 70% of the population across all studies.

  • In psychology, resilience refers to an individual’s ability to adapt to, recover from, or bounce back in the face of adversity, trauma, stress, or significant challenges.
  • The broad selection of outcomes and measures render it difficult to meta-analyse or otherwise collectively synthesise the study results as reported.
  • With some types of amphetamines, the stimulant effects can last up to 12 hours.
  • Over time, chronic use of amphetamines causes neuroadaptive changes in the brain, resulting in tolerance, dependence, and difficulty experiencing pleasure without the drug.
  • You should take FDA-approved amphetamines orally (by mouth) as directed by your healthcare provider.
  • There was a reduction in MA craving compared with placebo, and no participants produced MA-positive UDS in the study period, but the setting was a controlled inpatient environment 24.

However, it’s important to note that for prescription medications taken as directed by a doctor, developing tolerance or dependence does not necessarily indicate a SUD and would not be counted among the 2 required criteria. Amphetamines are prescription medications or illegal substances that are also known as stimulants, as they speed up your metabolism and increase your alertness. When legally prescribed, they are typically used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. Effectively evaluating resilience requires the development of instruments that are reliable, consistent, and appropriately designed23. Currently, there is no definitive standard for measuring resilience various tools have been developed to assess resilience, with significant variation across sampled populations, age groups, and exposure to trauma. Many of these measures emphasize psychological resilience, such as the Resilience Factors Scale for Thai adolescents (RFS), designed to assess protective factors against alcohol use.

Outpatient Treatment Programs

Amphetamine Addiction

Uncut Gems‘ frenetic camerawork and an almost unbearable sense of momentum mirror Howard’s chaotic mindset, adding a layer of urgency and intensity throughout the A24 film’s 135-minute runtime. The 2019 crime movie is exhilarating and exhausting, and one that cinephiles should not miss. From the pulse-pounding Trainspotting to Sober living house the haunting Requiem for a Dream, the best addiction movies offer a compelling look at this all-too-human struggle.

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