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Please note: There have been very few scientific studies into the effects of combining psychoactive drugs. The information presented here is anecdotal. It is based on the subjective reports of experienced users. Different people will respond differently to different drugs and drug combination.  Know your body, use your head.

Amphetamines
The most popular dance drug around.

The Basics: What it is;
Amphetamines is the name given a group of synthetic stimulants which are chemically similar to adrenaline, the hormone used for 'fight or flight' emergencies.
There are three main types. "Speed" most commonly refers to amphetamine sulphate (also known by its trade name, Benzedrine).
But there is also dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine or "Dexy's Midnight Runners"), and the most potent, methamphetamine (Methedrine or "Meth").amphetamine 'base'

Appearance:
Of all street drugs, speed is most variable in appearance, mainly because the pure product is so rare.
Most street amphetamine comes in the form of crystal powder or paste and is usually snorted or dabbed on the gums. It is usually a distinct colour (brown, orange, reddish) thanks to impurities and 'backroom' method of synthesis.
Larger (purer) crystals are sometimes available but these are usually primarily for cooking up and injecting.
And then there's 'base', an off white / brown / pink gritty paste, usually much purer than powder (the texture makes it too difficult to mix it with anything else).
Illegally manufactured speed pills do exist but are usually sold as (fake) Ecstasy rather than as speed.

Effects:
The amphetamine effect is like an adrenaline rush, only longer and with a noticeable crash.
Swallowed, an amphetamine pill will come on within 15 to 30 minutes. Snorted, the effects are much quicker (5 to 10 minutes). Injection is almost instantaneous and can be overwhelming.

Sensations:
The sensations start as a tickling upwards from the stomach. There is often a sense of rushing forwards. The mind feels clear and focused, more powerful, but in a more calculated way than the arrogant me-me-me effect of cocaine.
Physically, the teeth start grinding. The jaws clench. Long term addicts can actually crush their teeth to powder through incessant gnawing. Appetite is also strongly suppressed and you go to the toilet less. Blood pressure, heart rate all rise.
Mentally, you start to feel confident and elated, along with an increased desire to communicate. As the whole Central Nervous System (CNS) becomes stimulated, increasing your alertness and endurance. Often users talk fast and continually. And a lot of shit.
Speed is colder, more physical, and in many ways more unforgiving than E.

Coming down:
Small doses of speed (one line, one pill) wear off within 3-8 hours later, leaving the you fatigued but not exhausted. Hence the strong temptation to top up and continue speeding. This staves off the comedown but increases its severity. Eventually you face a "crash" rather than a manageable come down.
It's fear of the crash which keeps some people on weekend- even week-long "speedruns".

Dangers/CAUTIONS:
The danger of death by overdosing on amphetamines is extremely low, with only 79 recorded OD deaths world-wide in the forty years up to 1979, almost all injecting users.
However, just as the pull of heroin is over dramatized, the pull of speed is dramatically understated. The combination of the physical rush and psychological boost is a strong draw for many users.
The danger comes from over-regular use, and over familiarity, becoming more dependent on the release of energy and more uncomfortable with the body's natural energy levels.
Paranoia and nervous tension are common after even mild recreational use. Even occasional, light users can suffer depression and lasting fatigue.
Heavy users hit severe, sometimes suicidal lows, and can slump into deep sleeps lasting well over 24 hrs.

Speed Psychosis:
Consistent heavy use or a single large dose can induce amphetamine psychosis, almost identical in symptoms to schizophrenia.
Vivid auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions are the real frighteners and, unlike hallucinogens, the "trip" cannot be turned around. This is a very real mental state caused by over-excitement of the brain's fright centers.
Its effects often start with curiosity, deep thought, and paranoia. Its slow build up makes it all the more dangerous, as it is harder to recognize the symptoms.
Some people get into obsessional activities, ironing or scrubbing floors though the night, or dismantling and reassembling electrical equipment.
While amphetamine psychosis is much more common amongst heavy regular users there are real dangers that any small amount of speed used by a person with schizophrenic tendencies could push them over the edge.

Addiction:
The body quickly builds tolerance to amphetamines with regular use, though this fades quickly with breaks. Users have to rapidly increase doses to maintain effects. In narcoleptic and hyperactive children, however, there is serious 0 tolerance.
Amphetamines are highly addictive, working like alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine on the dopamine "reward" pathways of the brain. Short term recreational use can slip unnoticed into long term systematic abuse. Some speed addicts have had habits lasting over twenty years.
If you are addicted, withdrawal will give exactly the reverse effects of the drug. Instead of the drug's euphoria and curbing the need to eat and sleep, withdrawal causes excessive hunger and fatigue, different from heroin withdrawal, but equally distressing.

Mixing with other drugs:
The greatest danger from mixing other drugs with amphetamines is additional strain on the heart and increased blood pressure. Be careful.
Please note: there have been very few scientific studies into the effects of combining psychoactive drugs. The information presented here is anecdotal. It is based on the subjective reports of experienced users. Different people will respond differently to different drugs and drug combination. Know your body.

Alcohol Allows extended binge drinking. Increase likelihood of aggressive / irresponsible behavior. Not good for liver and kidneys. Terrible hangover
Cannabis Can take the edge of the buzz
Cocaine Unlikely combination as the effects are so similar, danger of increased toxicity and strain on heart
Ecstasy Extends E experience, increased energy and euphoria, but also strain on heart and risk of over-heating. Moderation/CAUTION recommended.
Heroin Surprisingly common amongst heavy speed users as heroin provides physical grounding to speed's more psychotic tendencies
Ketamine Fast and slow, leading to intense Matrix-like perception of time changes - no increased health risks
LSD Has its own speedy effect
Mushrooms Increased weirdness; energizing; paranoia usually increased; comedown can be rocky
Tobacco Speeding smokers usually smoke more cigarettes, usual perils of tobacco applyDrugtests: detection times
Amphetamines Can be detected in the urine up to 48-72 hours after use. Methamphetamine 48-96 hours.
Amphetamines are tested for in standard drug tests, although they can be confused with a variety of everyday medicines. See here for a complete list

Legality: In the UK and US;
Amphetamines are class B prescription only drugs under the UK Medicines Act and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Therefore, doctors can prescribe them to patients legally, but any other unauthorized production, supply or possession is an offence.
In the US, amphetamines are categorized under Schedule II along with cocaine

FAQ: Frequently asked  Amphetamine questions;

» Is 'Ice' or 'Glass' amphetamine?
» Why is fake Ecstasy often speed - why isn't it just sold as Speed?
» If most street amphetamine is only 5%-10& pure, isn't that very weak?
» What about the impurities speed is cut with? Aren't they dangerous?
» People call it "poorman's coke" - is that accurate?
» If it's so easy to make, why don't more people make it themselves?
» Is speed used outside the dance scene?
» Are there any incompatible medical conditions?
» How long do amphetamines stay in your urine?
» What causes amphetamine psychosis?
» It is safe to take amphetamines during pregnancy?
» What is amphetamine 'base'? I heard it was the same stuff they use to line and clean waste disposal pipes with?

» Is 'ice' or 'glass' amphetamine?
Yes. 'Ice' and 'glass' are the same thing, a pure recrystallised form of methamphetamine common in America and the Far East. Like crack-cocaine, it comes in larger crystals or rocks. When smoked its effects are comparable to crack in intensity but much longer lasting. This intensity has actually slowed its spread as a recreational drug. The high is just too hardcore for most casual drug users. (The effects are described like being hit with a sledgehammer).
You can see a picture here

» Why is fake ecstasy often speed - why isn't it just sold as speed?
Speed is sold cut to very low purity, 5%-10%. Ecstasy is more expensive than Speed so dealers can charge more for an ecstasy pill than they could for Speed.

» If most street amphetamine is only 5%-10% pure, isn't that very weak?
Yes and no. Amphetamines are very strong. If pure speed was sold, it would be overwhelming, and induce AmpPsychosis if used in the way most clubbers do, i.e. one to two grams per night between a small group of say 3-5 people. A medical dose of 5 mg dexedrine, is comparable to one average line of speed. One gram at 5%-10% purity gives you 50 -100mg of amphetamine sulphate, or 5-10 Dexedrines.

» What about the impurities speed is cut with? Aren't they dangerous?
It depends, most common is pill filler, which is the biggest ingredient in Ecstasy and Paracetamol and every other type of pill. Otherwise caffeine, glucose powder, baby milk or talcum powder are most common. None of the above are harmful if swallowed, but they are less safe - and more painful - to snort. Baby milk and talcum powder are very dangerous if speed is injected as they clot easily in the blood.

» People call it "poorman's coke" - is that accurate?
Speed is a lot cheaper but more longer lasting. A lot of cocaine's appeal is based on status, almost like champagne compared to sparkling white wine when many people can't tell the difference. The physical effects of both are very similar, but cocaine is very much ego centred, whereas speed is a more physical rush. Historically the use of speed has dipped as the cocaine use increases and vice versa.

» If it is so easy to make, why don't people make it themselves?
It is chemically very easy to produce, and recipes are readily available on the Internet. Some of the chemicals however are hard to get hold of - in the UK at least. Small scale production still flourishes though. Ecstasy, by contrast, requires professional / degree level chemistry and lots more equipment.

» Is speed used outside the dance scene?
Yes, truck drivers are well known as a user group, particularly long haul drivers and especially across America and Australia. Also athletes and footballers have been known to use it to improve performance, as have dancers and actors.

» Are there any incompatible medical conditions?
Yes, many, including hypertension, hyperthyroidism, urinary retention, glaucoma, arteriosclerosis.top

» How long do amphetamines stay in your urine?
Amphetamines can be detected for between 24-72 hours. Methamphetamine slightly longer at 24-96 hours.

» What is amphetamine psychosis and what causes it?
Amp psychosis is a state of mind characterized by hyperactivity, feelings of paranoia and persecution, hallucinations and other not very nice things. The exact mechanism is unknown. Speed, like alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine, works directly on the dopamine "reward" pathways in the brain, used for modulating pleasure and mood. A single large dose or - more commonly - consistent hard abuse can induce psychosis. The symptoms are very similar to schizophrenia but it is short-lived, measured in hours and days.

» Is it safe to take during pregancy?
Big no no. Speed and pregnancy do not mix. While medically supervised low dose amphetamines do not cause birth defects, there is an increased risk of low birth weight and premature delivery.

» What is amphetamine 'base'? I heard it was the same stuff they use to line and clean waste disposal pipes with.
Amphetamine base is a purer form of powdered street amphetamine and is not used to line and clean waste pipes.

Please note: There have been very few scientific studies into the effects of combining psychoactive drugs. The information presented here is anecdotal. It is based on the subjective reports of experienced users. Different people will respond differently to different drugs and drug combination. Know your body.

Some Links to resources that may be useful:
http://www.lindesmith.org
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/

University of Amsterdam Center For Drug Research  http://www.cedro-uva.org

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