Amphetamine is a synthetically produced stimulant that belongs to the phenethylamine group of substances. Amphetamine causes a release of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain and thus has a euphoric and stimulating effect. A mixture of caffeine and amphetamine is usually sold under the name speed or pep. Medical amphetamines are used, among other things, in the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Release of the body's neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine. Increase in self-esteem, increase in body temperature, suppression of hunger and need for sleep, feeling of increased performance, increased willingness to take risks, suppressed feeling of pain, euphoria and increased urge to talk (babble flash).
The perceived effect and duration of action is very individual for each person. Important factors in how amphetamine affects a person are dosage, frequency of use, experience of use, set and setting.
Onset of effect
Snorted: after 2 - 10 minutes
Swallowed: after 15 - 120 minutes (much faster on an empty stomach than on a full one)
Injected: after just a few seconds
Duration of action
Snorted 3 - 6 hours
Swallowed: 4 - 12 hours (amphetamine is poorly broken down in the body)
Injected: 4 - 6 hours. Amphetamine is poorly broken down in the body.
Cache effects
Up to 24 hours (snorted and swallowed).
Due to the varying purity (the amphetamine content of street amphetamine can vary greatly!), dosing is difficult and the risk of unintentional overdose is high. Dosages of more than 25 mg of pure amphetamine increase the negative effects; a dose of 50 mg within 12 hours should not be exceeded.
Snuffed
light: 10-25 mg
medium: 25-40 mg
strong: 40-75 mg
Swallowed
light: 10-20 mg
medium: 20-50 mg
strong: 50-70 mg
Appearance
White, beige, yellowish or pinkish powder or paste, rarely filled in capsules or in pill form.
Amphetamine pastes have long been considered a particularly concentrated form of amphetamine, as they were believed to be purer as well as caffeine-free and to come directly from the manufacturing lab. In fact, however, these "pastes" are relatively chemically impure because they are not purified or are insufficiently purified in the manufacturing laboratory or, as suspected in most samples, consist of moistened amphetamine salt-caffeine mixtures. It is suspected that the sale in paste form in Switzerland is mainly used to pretend a better quality to the consumers and also serves as an extender. The solvents or the liquids used as extender are highly volatile - the substance dries relatively quickly in air. Thus, the paste can be snorted despite moisture. It is not yet clear which liquid extender is involved. A single substance or a mixture consisting of water, ethanol, acetone and potentially harmful methyl alcohol would be possible. Due to the toxicity of these solvents, amphetamine pastes should always be well dried before consumption. However, the substance may still contain potentially harmful solvent residues.
Real amphetamine paste is amphetamine base that has not been converted, or has been incompletely converted, to a salt such as hydrochloride or sulfate. It smells like decaying fish (amine-like), is rather waxy and difficult to consume nasally, since real paste is sticky and can be poorly absorbed through the mucous membranes. It is moistened with, for example, phenylacetone or isopropyl alcohol (phenylacetone or isopropyl alcohol are possible starting materials in amphetamine synthesis).
Tremors, restlessness, nausea, palpitations and cardiac arrhythmias, sleep disturbances, headaches, nervousness, irritability and loss of appetite and aggressive behavior (especially in combination with alcohol) are possible. At high doses: hallucinations, uncontrolled movements (tics), circulatory failure, strokes as well as kidney, liver, heart failure and states of deep unconsciousness. An often underestimated danger is the rise of body temperature up to 41 ºC with life-threatening overheating and dehydration of the body as a consequence.
After coming down: extreme need for sleep, strong feeling of hunger, depressed mood, anxiety, irritability, etc. There is also a risk of unintentionally consuming synthetic impurities. Synthesis impurities occur when the production in the laboratory is not clean. To what extent these impurities and their interaction with amphetamine are harmful to health is not known.
Long-term risks
Anamphetamine dependence with psychological symptoms can develop rapidly with regular use. Frequent amphetamine use can lead to deficiency symptoms (calcium deficiency, causes bone and dental problems) and psychological problems such as depression. Intensive use can lead to constant restlessness (but also persistent fatigue), sleep and circulatory disorders, anxiety and paranoia, and even amphetamine psychosis. In addition, high blood pressure, motor disorders, weight loss, skin inflammation ("speed pimples"), stomach problems, abdominal cramps, as well as liver and kidney damage and epileptic seizures are possible. Snorting damages the nasal mucous membranes and nasal septum, and swallowing damages the stomach mucous membranes. Chronic consumption favors cerebral hemorrhages and strokes with sudden paralysis. Chronic consumption may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's dementia later in life.
In both powders and pastes, the amphetamine is chemically present as sulphate. Pastes were not sufficiently dried after production or were subsequently brought into paste form with a liquid extender. These liquid extenders are solvents (e.g. isopropyl alcohol or phenylacetone) which are toxic. Therefore, amphetamine pastes should always be well dried before consumption!
LSD analogues are substances that are chemically very similar to LSD and can have comparable effects. Some of them have been known for a long time (e.g. ALD52, ETH-LAD, AL-LAD, PRO-LAD etc.) and have been studied pharmacologically as well as psychopharmacologically, at least in part. Others are newer "creations" (e.g. the derivatives 1P-LSD,1B-LSD, 1cP-LSD, 1V-LSDetc.), for which only few or no data are available. Certain LSD analogues can (still) be legally produced, traded and consumed in some countries, which is the main reason for their distribution.
Most LSD analogues are naturally different from LSD in their effect and/or potency (e.g. ETH-LAD, AL-LAD, LSZ etc.). In contrast, the so-called 1-acylated LSD compounds (e.g. 1P-LSD, 1V-LSD, 1B-LSD, ALD-52, etc.) are presumed, on the basis of pharmacological studies, to convert into LSD in the body (they function as so-called prodrugs) and thus have a comparable psychoactive effect to LSD.
In the case of prodrugs of LSD and LSD analogues, it has not been conclusively clarified whether, in addition to their psychoactive effect, they can produce other pharmacological effects. How potent these prodrugs are compared to the resulting substance (e.g., 1P-LSD to LSD), and to what extent a delay in onset of action occurs in each case, may be substance-dependent and cannot be generalized. Therefore, it is important to approach the dose/effect carefully to avoid overdoses.
Amphetamine samples may contain a variety of substances that originate in the manufacturing process. They are referred to as synthesis impurities or synthesis by-products. Their presence depends on the manufacturing process as well as on the effort made to purify the manufactured amphetamine at the end.
Each synthesis impurity represents an unknown health risk: the properties hazardous to health have never been scientifically studied and are therefore difficult to estimate. The more different synthesis impurities are contained in a sample, the greater the probability that an impurity with a high adverse health effect is among them. Even a small amount of such an impurity can be harmful. In addition, synthetic impurities are an indication of improper manufacturing/purification. It is also important to add that regular use of amphetamine with synthetic impurities poses a higher health risk than one-time use.
If you or someone else needs urgent help after taking drugs or alcohol, call an ambulance on 144. Tell the emergency responders everything you know.
It could save lives.