Using Amphetamine
Ways of administration
Oral
Description: Oral administration of amphetamine is the only route used in the therapeutic setting, but is also very common as a method of recreational use. The effects from an oral dose of amphetamine appear within 15 to 60 minutes, peak within 2 to 3 hours and begin to decline shortly after. Amphetamine preparations with a timed release mechanism usually release half of the drug right away, resulting in the same onset and peak times. The second half of the amphetamine is released about 4 hours later, which delays the decline in effects by about 3 to 4 hours compared to immediate release forms.
Method: Oral administration of amphetamine often requires no preparation, making it the easiest option in many cases. Amphetamine powder can be taken orally by parachuting, mixing with a liquid or putting it into capsules. In some areas of the world a white paste form of amphetamine is common, which can be swallowed alone or mixed with liquid to mask the taste. Pharmaceutical amphetamine preparations require no preparation for oral administration since this is their intended route. However, it is common for users to modify extended release forms of amphetamine to receive the full dose at once. This is done by removing the amphetamine-containing beads from the capsule and crushing them to destroy the mechanism that causes the extended release. The most common tool for crushing the beads is a mortar and pestle but other improvised tools can be used, such as a simple plastic bag and hammer. The amphetamine is then ingested by parachuting or putting it back into the capsule, resulting in the entire dose being absorbed at once, producing identical effects to any immediate release form.
Notes / Warnings: The oral route of administering amphetamine is generally the safest available method. Many of the common impurities in street amphetamine will be dealt with by the first-pass effect. However, some impurities may still cause ill effects when taken orally. While oral administration of amphetamine is the safest method, it also produces a less intense (though longer lasting) effect. Several factors also affect the pharmacokinetics of an oral amphetamine dose. See the section on pharmacokinetics for a full discussion of these factors. See:
Pharmacokinetics
Insufflation
Description:
Intranasal administration (or
snorting) of amphetamine is not used in the therapeutic setting. However, snorting amphetamine is the second most reported route of administration. Insufflation involves inhaling amphetamine into the nose where it is absorbed rapidly through the mucous membrane. This method has not been well studied due to its lack of therapeutic value. Anecdotal evidence and user reports show that snorting amphetamine increases its bioavailability, resulting in a more intense effect. When insufflated, the effects of amphetamine appear within minutes and have a shorter duration of effect.
Method: Insufflation of amphetamine requires that it be in the form of a fine powder. Street forms of amphetamine that are already in powdered form typically require little to no additional preparation before snorting. Amphetamine paste can be dried out, resulting in a solid form that can be snorted. Pharmaceutical preparations of amphetamine can also be snorted, but require varying amounts of preparation first. Instant release tablets are crushed into a fine powder. Extended release amphetamine preparations require that the beads be removed from the capsule and crushed in to a fine powder. This can be done using a mortar and pestle or an improvised tool such as a simple plastic bag and hammer. Once the amphetamine tablets or beads have been crushed into a powder, it is either snorted directly or occasionally purified first to remove binders and other ingredients. Some specific brand names of amphetamine are easier to snort due to differences in tablet size, even when comparing within the same dosage. For instance, CorePharma LLC produces amphetamine salt combinations in dosages of both 10mg and 20mg, with both tablets being approximately the same physical size. Meanwhile, a 20mg amphetamine salt combo produced by Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a smaller physical size compared to both dosages produced by CorePharma. This smaller size results in less material to snort.
Notes / Warnings: Snorting amphetamine is generally safer than injecting it or administering it rectally. However, ill effects can result from impurities, improper preparation or improper technique. Street forms of amphetamine can contain impurities that can have different negative effects, ranging from irritation to significant nasal membrane damage. Pharmaceutical amphetamine preparations typically contain binders, dyes or other ingredients that can cause irritation and/or contribute to an unpleasant “drip”. The extended release versions of amphetamine are often much more difficult to prepare for insufflation, so instant release tablets are usually preferred. While snorting amphetamine produces a more rapid and intense high, this results in a shorter duration of effect and causes a more dramatic
comedown.
Injection
Description: Injection of amphetamine is also not used in the therapeutic setting, but in recreational settings, or occasionally during tests with animals. The practice of injecting amphetamine remains somewhat common in some parts of the world mainly due to the intense and almost immediate rush it gives users. Injected doses of amphetamine are usually administered intravenously or subcutaneously, and are circulated rapidly through the bloodstream. Injecting amphetamine has the highest bioavailability and produces a very rapid and intense effect. When injected, the effects of amphetamine appear almost immediately and are typically short-lived. While injection of amphetamine is the most effective method, it is also the most complicated and dangerous, and thus not recommended.
Method: Keep in mind the dangers of injecting amphetamine, this is a basic overview of the methods and is not meant to be used as a step-by-step guide. Amphetamine powders or pastes are usually the easiest to prepare for injection. Instant release pharmaceutical forms of amphetamine are crushed into a very fine powder. Extended release amphetamine medications are generally not used because the beads are difficult to crush into a fine enough powder and they contain even more undesirable inactive ingredients. Once the amphetamine is in powdered form, an A/B extraction or other cleaning method may be done to remove impurities, binders, dyes and other inactive ingredients. The amphetamine powder is then dissolved in sterile water to create a solution. The amphetamine solution is filtered one or more times using a cigarette filter,
coffee filter or similar. The resulting filtered amphetamine solution is then administered to a sterile injection site using a sterile syringe.
Notes / Warnings: Injection is the most complicated and dangerous method of administering amphetamine. Many variables can cause dose ineffectiveness, serious
side effects or death. Aside from the inherent risks of the injection method (disease transmission via used needle, infection, abscesses and other damage due to improper technique, etc) there are significant risks posed by the ingredients of any amphetamine form. Street forms of amphetamine may contain impurities or
cutting agents that can cause serious side effects or death. Pharmaceutical amphetamine formulations contain binders, dyes and other inactive ingredients which can cause significant harm. Extended release forms of amphetamine are of particular danger because it is difficult to crush the beads into a fine enough powder to dissolve completely in water. Dosage may also need to be adjusted since injecting amphetamine increases the risk of overdose. One must research exhaustively, be fully informed on
harm reduction and know the specifics before even considering attempting to inject amphetamine.
Rectal
Description: Rectal administration (or
plugging) of amphetamine is not as common as the other routes and has not been studied or reviewed. Rectal administration involves inserting the amphetamine (usually in a solution with water) into the rectum where it is absorbed. Anecdotal evidence and user reports suggest that amphetamine has good bioavailability when administered rectally. Users report that the effects of rectally administered amphetamine come on more quickly than with oral administration, but not as quickly as with insufflation or injection. Plugging amphetamine seems to produce effects that are more intense than those given by oral administration, but not approaching the intensity of effects produced by injection. When compared to insufflation, the intensity of effects from a rectally administered dose of amphetamine varies from user to user, but are often comparable. Rectal administration of amphetamine also seems to have a shorter duration of effects than the oral route.
Method: Some reports suggest that amphetamine powder or tablets can be inserted directly if dampened with water. However this is not common as it may result in significant irritation. A more common method involves mixing the amphetamine powder or crushed pharmaceutical amphetamine with water. The resulting solution is then administered rectally, usually with a syringe.
Notes / Warnings: The safety of administering amphetamine rectally has not been established. However, the rectal administration method is generally safer than that of injection. Administering amphetamine rectally can cause varying amounts of irritation depending on the methods used, the presence of inactive ingredients and personal factors. The presence of impurities, binders, dyes and other inactive ingredients can contribute significantly to discomfort and/or irritation. Very little data exists examining the results of rectal amphetamine administration.
Effects of Amphetamine
Main Effects
Most Common: The following is a list of the most documented effects of amphetamine. These are the effects for which amphetamine is most well known and are observable in the majority of cases.
- Increased energy
- Euphoria
- Decreased appetite
- Increased concentration
- Increased motivation
Rare: There is some evidence in medical literature showing that amphetamine occasionally produces atypical or even opposite effects in some users. The reasons for these rare cases have not been identified. While uncommon and poorly understood, these effects include drowsiness and lowered electrical brain activity.
Side Effects
Most Common: While amphetamine use can have many side effects, some are far more prevalent than others. According to
side effect profiles from medical literature and clinical trials, the most common side effects of amphetamine use are as follows.[27,28,29,30]
- Decreased Appetite
- Dry Mouth
- Headache
- Weight Loss
- Anxiety / Nervousness
Prevalence of Most Common Side Effects in Clinical Trials
Column 1 |
Column 2 |
Column 3 |
Column 4 |
Column 5 |
Column 6 |
Symptom |
Group 1 |
Group 2 |
Group 3 |
Group 4 |
Avg % Affected |
Decreased Appetite |
33% |
34% |
37% |
32% |
34% |
Insomnia |
27% |
14% |
26% |
39% |
26.5 % |
Dry Mouth |
35 % |
5 % |
-- |
30 % |
23.3 % |
Headache |
26 % |
13 % |
27 % |
-- |
22 % |
Weight Loss |
11 % |
9 % |
17 % |
18 % |
13.75 % |
Anxiety / Nervousness |
8 % |
11 % |
17 % |
13 % |
12.25 % |
Somewhat Common: Amphetamine use also produces several side effects that are less common than the first category. These side effects range in frequency of occurrence, but appear often enough to be statistically significant.[27,28,29,30]
- Increased heart rate / blood pressure
- Increased body temperature / sweating
- Increased breathing rate
- Agitation / irritability
- Abdominal pain
- Emotional lability / mood swings
- Depression
- Nausea
- Tachycardia
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Twitching
- Abnormal thought patterns
- Pupil dilation
- Palpitations
- Constipation
- Impotence / sexual side effects
- Increased aggressiveness
- Increase in risk taking behavior
- Rash
- Confusion
Rare or Resulting from Heavy / Chronic Doses: Some of the side effects that amphetamine can cause do not often appear under normal circumstances. Usually, heavy and/or chronic doses of amphetamine are required to produce these side effects.[27,28,29,30]
- Acne, sores or skin conditions
- Exasperation or worsening of symptoms of Tourette Syndrome, Schizophrenia or other conditions
- Panic attacks
- Convulsions
- Psychotic episodes
Combinations with Amphetamine
Combining amphetamine with other substances can affect one or both drugs in different ways. Potentiation, enhancing of effects, changes in side effects or other synergistic effects can result from combining amphetamine with other drugs. Usage statistics have shown that a high percentage of amphetamine users are poly drug users, which increases the likelihood of amphetamine being combined with other substances. While this practice is common, care must be taken when combining amphetamine with other drugs. There is often a fine line between a safe combination and a dangerous interaction. This can often be hard to determine due to the presence of limited or nonexistent clinical and scientific data examining specific combinations. One should review all known dangerous interactions and information before attempting to combine amphetamine with another drug. See:
Dangerous Interactions.
Alcohol
This combination can allow one to engage in extended binge drinking, which poses additional dangers. This combination can possibly increase the likelihood of aggressive and/or irresponsible behavior. It is likely that this combination will increase the heart rate and blood pressure of the person using this combination. There have been Medical reports of myocardial infarction when mixing
alcohol and
amphetamines.
It may be possible that this combination may not be good for liver and kidneys. In addition, it may increase the risk of a terrible hangover, if proper fluid and electrolyte levels are not maintained. The body's natural de-toxifying action by the liver to acetylaldehide may have an influence on this as does fluid clearance, and other factors.
Nicotine
Nicotine, may enhance the effects of Amphetamines and
stimulants, due to a possible synergistic effect on Dopamine and Serotonin. Pure Nicotine alone may have a weaker effect than
tobacco products, due to the possible lack of
β-Carbolines*. However, Tobacco and Tobacco products may have a stronger synergistic effect with Amphetamine, due to the β-Carbolines* present in Tobacco.
*[
β-Carbolines- may act as RIMA's]
a RIMA is a
Reversible Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor. Wikipedia does not contain much information on β-Carbolines*.
So one may find it difficult to fully study β-Carbolines* and their exact mode of action, level of effectiveness of MAO-A and MAO-B inhibition and selectivity are not well studied or are tedious to research through scholarly articles, especially if the full articles are not freely accessible.
Cannabis
Benzodiazepines and Other Downers
Other Uses for Amphetamine