Deliriants: Amphetamine

Introduction:

AMPHETAMINE

• Amphetamine  is  a powerful CNS  stimulator.
• It acts  on norepinephrine  release  in  brain,  along  with  an action on release of dopamine  and serotonine.
• Liquid  gold  is  a slang  used  for  urine  of amphetamine  addicts, which is  collected  and  sold  because  40% of amphetamine is  excreted  unchanged  in  urine

Amphetamine  abuse  may cause  :

A)  Acute  intoxication:

Symptoms  of acute  intoxication  are  : 

1. Cardiovascular:  – Tachycardia,  hypertension, Cardiac  failure,  Cardiovascular  shock.
2. CNS – Euphoria, seizures,  hyperpyrexia, tremors,  ataxia, pupillary  dilatation.
3. Neuropsychiatric:  – Anxiety,  panic,  insomnia,  restlessness,  irritability.
4. Paranoid hallucinatory  syndrome: – Closely  mimics paranoid  schizophrenia.It  is  also  known
5. as  amphetamine psychosis.
6. There  may  be idea  of  reference,  delusion of  persecution , Auditory or visual hallucination in  a  setting  of  clear consciousness.

B)  Chronic  abuse:

• Severe and  compulsive  craving for  the  drug.
• cycle  of  ‘runs’  (heavy  use for  several  days)  followed by  ‘crashes’ (stopping the  drug  use).
• Tactile  hallucination (formination).

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