Commonly Abused Drugs
Commonly Abused Drugs
Prescription Stimulants
Medications that increase alertness, attention, energy, blood
pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate.
Street Names | Commercial Names | Common Forms | Common Ways Taken | DEA Schedule |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bennies, Black Beauties, Crosses, Hearts, LA Turnaround, Speed, Truck Drivers, Uppers | Amphetamine (Adderall®, Benzedrine®) | Tablet, capsule | Swallowed, snorted, smoked, injected | II |
JIF, MPH, R-ball, Skippy, The Smart Drug, Vitamin R | Methylphenidate (Concerta®, Ritalin®) | Liquid, tablet, chewable tablet, capsule | Swallowed, snorted, smoked, injected, chewed | II |
Possible Health Effects | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Short-term |
Increased alertness, attention, energy; increased blood pressure
and heart rate; narrowed blood vessels; increased blood sugar; opened up
breathing passages. High doses: dangerously high body temperature and irregular heartbeat; heart failure; seizures. |
|||
Long-term | Heart problems, psychosis, anger, paranoia. | |||
Other Health-related Issues | Risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles. | |||
In Combination with Alcohol | Masks the depressant action of alcohol, increasing risk of alcohol overdose; may increase blood pressure and jitters. | |||
Withdrawal Symptoms | Depression, tiredness, sleep problems. | |||
Treatment options | ||||
Medications | There are no FDA-approved medications to treat stimulant addiction. | |||
Behavioral Therapies | Behavioral therapies that have helped treat addiction to cocaine or methamphetamine may be useful in treating prescription stimulant addiction. |