Amphetamines

[Cami]

Amphetamines are stimulant drugs that are used to treat certain medical conditions, but are also subject to abuse.

Amphetamines increase alertness, enhance physical performance, and produce euphoria and a sense of well-being.
Amphetamines suppress appetite and some people misuse amphetamines to lose weight.
An overdose can cause extreme agitation, delirium, and a life-threatening high body temperature, heart attack, or stroke.
Urine tests can detect most amphetamines.
For an overdose, treatment involves sedatives, blood pressure–lowering drugs and sometimes cooling treatments.

(See also Drug Use and Abuse.)
Amphetamines include the drug amphetamine and its many variants such as methamphetamine (speed or crystal meth) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy, or Adam). Methamphetamine is the most commonly used amphetamine in the United States. Use of MDMA is growing in popularity. Amphetamines are usually taken by mouth but can be snorted, smoked, or injected.
Because some amphetamines are widely used as treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obesity, and narcolepsy, there is a ready supply that can be diverted to illegal use. Some amphetamines are not approved for medical use and are manufactured and used illegally.
Some amphetamine users are depressed and seek the mood-elevating effects of these stimulants to temporarily relieve the depression. Others use them during high-energy activities. Amphetamines cause more dopamine to be released in the brain. ( Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a substance that helps nerve cells communicate.) This effect is the likely cause of mood elevation. MDMA differs from other amphetamines in that it also interferes with the reuptake of serotonin (another neurotransmitter) in the brain. Amphetamine users frequently develop dependence, often referred to as a substance use disorder.

[Greta]

any of several types of drug used as a stimulant (= a substance that makes the mind or body more active) :