Amphetamine Abuse

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 1 day ago
Related Articles [Cerebral vasospasm in patient with hemorrhagic stroke after Amphetamine intake--case report] Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2008 Mar;24(141):265-7 Authors: Łysoń T, Kochanowicz J, Rutkowski R, Turek G, Lewko J Amphetamine Abuse increase risk of hemorrhagic stroke and may result in cerebral vasospasm. In this report we present 31 years old male with intracerebral hemorrhage subsequent to Amphetamine intake. Diffuse cerebral vasospasm was found by angiography. Transcranial color coded Doppler sonography was applied for vasospasm monitoring and pharmacological treatment after surgical removal of the intracerebral hemorrhage. Basing on this case we can conclude that cerebral vasospasm should be suspected in patient with Amphetamine Abuse and hemorrhagic stroke. PMID: 18634298 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 29 days ago
Related Articles Dopamine/serotonin releasers as medications for stimulant addictions. Prog Brain Res. 2008;172:385-406 Authors: Rothman RB, Blough BE, Baumann MH The use of 'agonist therapy' for cocaine and methamphetamine addiction involves administration of stimulant-like medications (e.g. monoamine releasers) to reduce withdrawal symptoms and prevent relapse. A significant problem with this strategy is that many candidate medications possess Abuse liability due to activation of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) neurons in the brain. One way to reduce DA-mediated Abuse liability of candidate drugs might be to add in serotonin (5-HT)-releasing properties, since substantial evidence shows that 5-HT neurons provide an inhibitory influence over mesolimbic DA neurons. This chapter addresses several key issues related to the development of dual DA/5-HT releasers for the treatment of substance use disorders. First, we briefly summarize the evidence supporting a dual deficit in DA and 5-HT function during withdrawal from chronic cocaine or alcohol Abuse. Second, we discuss data demonstrating that 5-HT release can dampen DA-mediated stimulant effects, and the 'anti-stimulant' role of 5-HT(2C) receptors is considered. Next, the mechanisms underlying potential adverse effects of 5-HT releasers are described. Finally, we discuss recently published data with PAL-287, a novel non-Amphetamine DA/5-HT-releasing agent that suppresses cocaine self-administrati ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 25 days ago
Related Articles The Impact of Substance Abuse on Mortality in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. J Trauma. 2008 Sep;65(3):674-677 Authors: Oʼphelan K, McArthur DL, Chang CW, Green D, Hovda DA BACKGROUND:: Drug and alcohol use are common in neurotrauma patients. Despite growing methamphetamine use there are few studies of the impact of methamphetamine use on outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS:: We conducted a retrospective review of 5-years of data from a trauma database. Inclusion criteria included severe TBI and diagnosis codes indicating head injury. The entire database was analyzed and then a subset of patients with complete toxicology data were examined separately. Primary outcome was mortality. RESULTS:: Four hundred eighty-three patients were included. Toxicology results were available for 52.6% of patients. Alcohol, amphetamines, and cannabis were the most commonly detected substances. Overall mortality was 50.9%. When the group with complete tox screen data were analyzed, a toxicology screen that was positive for alcohol or Amphetamine was associated with decreased mortality with an odds ratio of 0.23 (CI: 0.10-0.56, p = 0.001) and 0.25 (CI: 0.08-0.79, p = 0.02), respectively. When the subset of patients for whom toxicology data were available was analyzed the Amphetamine-positive group was more likely to use cannabis and less likely to use alcohol. CONCLUSIONS:: We unexpectedly found alcohol and me ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 49 days ago
The Role of Oxidative Stress, Metabolic Compromise, and Inflammation in Neuronal Injury Produced by Amphetamine-Related Drugs of Abuse. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2008 Aug 15; Authors: Yamamoto BK, Raudensky J Methamphetamine (METH) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) are Amphetamine derivatives with high Abuse liability. These Amphetamine-related drugs of Abuse mediate their effects through the acute activation of both dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons. Long-term Abuse of these Amphetamine derivatives, however, results in damage to both dopaminergic and serotonergic terminals throughout the brain. This toxicity is mediated in part by oxidative stress, metabolic compromise, and inflammation. The overall objective of this review is to highlight experimental evidence that METH and MDMA increase oxidative stress, produce mitochondrial dysfunction, and increase inflammation that converge and culminate in the long-term toxicity to dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons. PMID: 18709468 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 54 days ago
Related Articles Potential adverse effects of Amphetamine treatment on brain and behavior: a review. Mol Psychiatry. 2008 Aug 12; Authors: Berman SM, Kuczenski R, McCracken JT, London ED Amphetamine stimulants have been used medically since early in the twentieth century, but they have a high Abuse potential and can be neurotoxic. Although they have long been used effectively to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents, amphetamines are now being prescribed increasingly as maintenance therapy for ADHD and narcolepsy in adults, considerably extending the period of potential exposure. Effects of prolonged stimulant treatment have not been fully explored, and understanding such effects is a research priority. Because the pharmacokinetics of amphetamines differ between children and adults, reevaluation of the potential for adverse effects of chronic treatment of adults is essential. Despite information on the effects of stimulants in laboratory animals, profound species differences in susceptibility to stimulant-induced neurotoxicity underscore the need for systematic studies of prolonged human exposure. Early Amphetamine treatment has been linked to slowing in height and weight growth in some children. Because the number of prescriptions for amphetamines has increased several fold over the past decade, an Amphetamine-containing formulation is the most commonly prescribed stimulant in North America, ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 68 days ago
Related Articles Methylphenidate does not increase ethanol consumption in a rat model for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-the spontaneously hypertensive rat. Metab Brain Dis. 2008 Jul 30; Authors: Soeters HS, Howells FM, Russell VA Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioural disorder that has been suggested to result from disturbances in the dopaminergic system of the brain. The most effective drugs used to treat ADHD are the psychostimulants, methylphenidate and Amphetamine. They block dopamine transporters and increase dopamine release, thereby increasing the extracellular concentration of dopamine and altering dopamine signaling. Drugs of Abuse, such as cocaine, also block dopamine transporters, which raises the concern that treatment of children with ADHD with psychostimulants might increase their susceptibility to drug addiction. The present study was aimed at investigating whether treatment with methylphenidate at an early stage of development increased preference for ethanol in a widely used rat model for ADHD, the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). SHR display the three major characteristics of ADHD (hyperactivity, impulsivity, poor sustained attention) compared to their progenitor Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat strain. Ethanol increased locomotor activity of SHR slightly more than WKY when injected intraperitoneally (0.6 g/kg). SHR also spent more time in the inner zone of the open field than WKY, con ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 67 days ago
Related Articles Early maternal separation and sex differences in the aversive effects of Amphetamine in adult rats. Physiol Behav. 2008 Mar 18;93(4-5):897-904 Authors: Roma PG, Davis CM, Kohut SJ, Huntsberry ME, Riley AL Early life stress increases vulnerability to psychostimulant Abuse, sometimes in a sex-dependent manner. These effects are presumably produced by modulation of neurobiological reward mechanisms; however, drug intake is also influenced by sensitivity to the drug's aversive properties, and little is known about the effects of early life stress on stimulant aversion. To assess this possibility, Sprague-Dawley rat litters experienced daily separation from the dam for 3 h (MS) or 15 min (H) on post-natal days 2-14; control litters (AFR) experienced twice-weekly routine animal facility care only. As adults, the animals were tested for conditioned taste aversions (CTA) induced by 1.5, 2.0 or 3.0 mg/kg d-Amphetamine administered intraperitoneally over three acquisition trials followed by six drug-free extinction trials (n=7-8/sex/dose/rearing group). All groups acquired significant aversions compared to their vehicle-treated controls, but differential rearing had no effect on CTA acquisition or extinction. Collapsed across rearing groups, females exhibited significantly stronger aversions and slower extinction than their male counterparts at the low 1.5 mg/kg dose, and unlike the males, failed to fully extinguish relative to t ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 93 days ago
Related Articles Abuse of medications employed for the treatment of ADHD: results from a large-scale community survey. Medscape J Med. 2008;10(5):111 Authors: Bright GM OBJECTIVE: The objective is to assess Abuse of prescription and illicit stimulants among individuals being treated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: A survey was distributed to patients enrolled in an ADHD treatment center. It included questions designed to gain information about demographics; ADHD treatment history; illicit drug use; and misuse of prescribed stimulant medications, including type of stimulant medication most frequently misused or abused, and how the stimulant was prepared and administered. RESULTS: A total of 545 subjects (89.2% with ADHD) were included in the survey. Results indicated that 14.3% of respondents abused prescription stimulants. Of these, 79.8% abused short-acting agents; 17.2% abused long-acting stimulants; 2.0% abused both short- and long-acting agents; and 1.0% abused other agents. The specific medications abused most often were mixed Amphetamine salts (Adderall; 40.0%), mixed Amphetamine salts extended release (Adderall XR; 14.2%), and methylphenidate (Ritalin; 15.0%), and the most common manner of stimulant Abuse was crushing pills and snorting (75.0%). Survey results also showed that 39.1% of respondents used nonprescription stimulants, most often cocaine (62.2%), methamphetamine (4.8%), and both cocaine a ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 27 days ago
Related Articles Neurogenic bladder and chronic urinary retention associated with MDMA Abuse. J Med Toxicol. 2008 Jun;4(2):106-8 Authors: Beuerle JR, Barrueto F INTRODUCTION: The use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, known as "ecstasy"), a synthetic Amphetamine and "club drug," has been associated with acute, transient urinary retention. We report a case of neurogenic bladder and chronic urinary retention associated with MDMA Abuse. CASE REPORT: A 21-year-old male presented to the emergency department (ED) because he had abdominal pain and difficulty urinating. He had experienced difficulty in initiating urination over the past 1.5 months, with periods of 24 to 36 hours between voids and large volumes of urine. The patient had a chronic pattern of MDMA use, taking 4 tablets/day for 3 months. Two weeks before coming to the ED, he had been admitted to an inpatient drug rehabilitation center. During the time since that admission, the patient had visited EDs repeatedly for insertion and removal of Foley catheters to relieve the urinary retention until he could be admitted to a urologic service. Cystometrogram was abnormal, finding no sensation of bladder fullness after instillation of 350 mL of saline and inability to generate a voluntary voiding pressure. Cystoscopy revealed no outlet obstruction. The findings were consistent with neurogenic bladder. The patient was given prescriptions for bethanecol and phenazopyridine, and to ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 13 days ago
Related Articles Medial Orbitofrontal Cortex Gray Matter Is Reduced in Abstinent Substance-Dependent Individuals. Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Sep 16; Authors: Tanabe J, Tregellas JR, Dalwani M, Thompson L, Owens E, Crowley T, Banich M BACKGROUND: Chronic exposure to drugs of addiction induces cellular adaptations in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and associated limbic-prefrontal pathways that might underlie Abuse-related behavior. A propensity to make risky decisions in spite of substantial negative consequences might be mediated by medial OFC dysfunction in substance-dependent individuals (SDI). We tested the hypothesis that medial OFC gray matter (GM) volume would be lower in SDI compared with control subjects. METHODS: Nineteen SDI and 20 control subjects participated. The SDI were dependent on two or more substances, most often cocaine, Amphetamine, and alcohol, with mean duration of abstinence 4.7, 2.4, and 3.2 years, respectively. High-resolution T1-weighted images were acquired on a 3-T magnetic resonance system. Image processing and analyses were conducted with voxel-based morphometry (VBM) implemented in Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) 5. Differences in regional GM volume were tested with an analysis of covariance model, co-varying for global GM and age. Statistical maps were set at p < .05, corrected for multiple comparisons. Medial OFC GM volume was correlated with behavioral performance on a modified gambling task. RESULTS: The ...

Source: www.associatedcontent.com --- 48 days ago
Read the Adderall insert and it becomes plain that Adderall is an Amphetamine prescribed for children as young as six years of age Because of the weight loss Adderall causes as a side effect Adderall Abuse is at an all time high in the adult population ...

Source: jb.oxfordjournals.org --- 65 days ago
The aim of this work was to investigate the putative modulation of glucose uptake in trophoblast cells by several dietary compounds and by drugs of Abuse. For this, the acute (26 min) and chronic (48 h) effect of these substances on the apical uptake of 3 H-2-deoxy- d -glucose ( 3 H-DG) by a human choriocarcinoma cell line (BeWo) was determined. 3 H-DG apical uptake by BeWo cells was time dependent, displayed saturable kinetics ( V max = 1210 ± 29 nmol mg protein – 1 6 min – 1 and K m = 13.4 ± 0.5 mM) and was insulin-insensitive and cytochalasin B-sensitive (by up to 60%). Acutely, acetaldehyde (30–100 mM), resveratrol, xanthohumol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (100 µM), chrysin and quercetin (10–100 µM) decreased 3 H-DG apical uptake, whereas rutin, catechin (10–100 µM), epicatechin (100 µM) and ethanol (10 mM) increased it. Quercetin and xanthohumol seem to be non-competitive inhibitors of 3 H-DG apical uptake, whereas both epigallocatechin-3-gallate and acetaldehyde decreased both the K m and V max values. Chronically, rutin and myricetin increased the apical uptake of 3 H-DG both isolated (0.1–1 µM) and in combination (both at 1 µM), whereas theophylline (0.1–1 µM) and Amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (0.25–1 µM) and 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (1 nM) decreased it. In conclusion, 3 H-DG apical uptake by BeWo cells is differentially modulated by different compounds present in drinks and by drugs of Abuse. ...

Source: www.chinapost.com.tw --- 81 days ago
Southeast Asian anti-narcotics agencies warned on Thursday of growing Abuse of Amphetamine-type stimulants using readily-available chemicals, including fertilizers. ...

Source: www.sanluisobispo.com --- 90 days ago
More than three-quarters of Web sites that offer highly addictive medications do not require a prescription, according to a study released Wednesday. Powerful pain killers like morphine and oxycodone, and stimulants such as Amphetamine, are among the so-called controlled substances regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency because of their high potential for Abuse and addiction. But findings by Columbia University researchers highlight how easily those narcotics and stimulants can be purchased online. "Anyone of any age can obtain dangerous and addictive prescription drugs with the click of a mouse," said Joseph Califano, who heads Columbia's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, which issued its fifth annual report on online drug dispensing. ...

Source: irjci.blogspot.com --- 92 days ago
Next month, cockfighting will no longer be legal anywhere in the United States, when a ban takes effect in Louisiana. Circulation of the sport's magazine, the Gamecock , has declined to 8,000 from 14,000, but the bloody sport lives on in lower profile in many rural areas, Adam Ellick reports for The New York Times from New Mexico, which last year became the 49th state to ban it. (NYT photo of New Mexico cockfighter Ed Lowry by Brian Berman) "Light penalties — a first offense is a petty misdemeanor — have not only failed to stop the fights, they continue to attract cockfighters from four of New Mexico’s five neighboring states, where the sport is a felony," Ellick writes. Cockfighters have gone to court, "claiming tribal, religious and cultural sovereignty," but been unsuccessful, and law-enforcement officials are conducting raids — and causing some grumbling. "Some police officers in this state say the pressure for stepped-up enforcement from the animal rights lobby has become so intense that resources are being diverted from more serious crimes, like drunken driving and Amphetamine Abuse." ( Read more ) ...

Source: healthpump.info --- 63 days ago
Exercise may help prevent substance Abuse Sure, exercise is good for your waistline, your heart, your bones — but might it also help prevent addiction to drugs or alcohol? Amphetamine and IVF Question: Hello, first, sorry [...] ...

Source: www.yardbarker.com --- 71 days ago
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Tampa Bay Rays Minor League player Matthew Walker has received a 50-game suspension for testing positive for an Amphetamine, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.The suspension of Walker will be effective immediately. Walker is currently with Single-A Vero Beach of the Florida State League.Since mandatory drug testing was instituted, a total of 182 suspensions have been doled out across baseball for a total of 5,725 games. The following is a summary of drug violations, based upon The Biz of Baseball's detailed Drug Violations page (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=996 Itemid=85):20082 major leaguers* 2 - PEDs * Eliezer Alfonzo was part of the Giants 40-man roster, but at the time of the suspension was playing at Triple-A Fresno.* Cota was penalized under the major league drug program, even though he has not been on a major league roster since last June 15, when he was released by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The reason he was covered by the major league plan rather than the minor league program wasn't announced. 9 minor leaguers4 - PEDs1 - Amphetamines1 - Failure to Test1 - Human Growth Hormone1 - Stanozolol Metabolites 1 - Drug of Abuse 20078 major leaguers5 - PEDs3 - Stimulants (Neifi Perez twice)29 minor leaguers17 - PEDs2 - Failure to Test8 - Drug of Abuse2 - Unknown (not identifed by MLB in relea ...

Source: www.politicsofwellbeing.com --- 12 days ago
Good to see that NICE, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, has published new guidelines saying UK doctors should only prescribe ritalin for children with ADHD (attention deficit disorder) if absolutely necessary. I'm rather dubious about the huge rise of diagnoses in ADHD in the US and UK that we've seen over the last 30 years (ever since Ritalin first became commercially available). Alot of the time, the diagnosis is a way for parents to get special treatment for their children, such as extra time in exams. I know of one mother, for example, who is highly ambitious for her children, to the point of spending thousands of pounds on extra-curricular tutoring for her children. Last time I saw her, she had managed to get her children diagnosed for both dyslexia and ADHD, which meant they got at least an hour extra in each of their public exams. They were also put on ritalin, which supposedly helps them concentrate and work better. Yeah, but at a cost! It's basically letting the children know that they don't / can't function effectively on their own, but need a chemical boost to be 'normal'. What a great way to make sure they have a cocaine habit, or some other form of substance Abuse, later in life. Never mind accepting if you're not the most academic person (and in fact they were both fine). Let's get a chemical upgrade! Ritalin, let's remind ourselves, is basically Amphetamine. Imagine, 5% of our children on speed. ...

Source: bodyhealthsoul.com --- 87 days ago
Prescriptions Not Said To Be Needed For Easy Obtaining of Controlled Drugs A new Columbia University Study has stated that powerful addictive drugs -- known as controlled substances because of their potential for Abuse -- are easily ordered online, and in most cases without a prescription. According to an Associated Press analysis of the study, amongst the 365 Web sites that sold controlled substances regulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), it was stated that 85 percent of the sites did not require a prescription. Experts state that examples of drugs that could be purchased this way included the potent painkillers morphine and oxycodone, and Amphetamine stimulants. It was also discovered by the study that the number of sites that sold controlled substances actually fell 37 percent from last year's analysis. Background investigation with this report goes on to suggest that the researchers cited efforts by law enforcement to crack down on illegal online drug sales. The DEA noted that at this stage, currently: about 80 percent of online prescriptions are for controlled substances. On a concluding note, the House of Representatives is considering a bill to ban the sale of controlled substances online without a prescription. ...