Stimulants, or more specifically, prescription stimulants, can treat many disorders that people suffer from like ADHD, obesity, and narcolepsy.
They’re called stimulants because they increase activity in the body.
Also known as “uppers,” these drugs are commonly abused because of their performance-enhancing and euphoric effects.
Stimulants speed up a person’s physical and mental processes, which can be done in the short-term because they increase dopamine in the brain.
While it’s true that they can increase a person’s capabilities in a short time, constant and long-term use of them can result in significant consequences.
Hence, medical health professionals and the government have banned these drugs from being used for substance abuse.
Image by Michael Longmire
They also hold programs that extend help to those suffering from the consequences of substance abuse and those who still have a chance to stop before it’s too late.
What are stimulants, and how do they work?
Stimulants, specifically prescription stimulants, help patients by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine present in the brain.
Dopamine is strongly associated with the brain’s pleasure and reward system, which is why people often misuse it.
Norepinephrine, on the other hand, has a significant impact on a person’s blood pressure and heart rate.
When taken as a doctor’s prescription, it is often for a concentration boost and alertness, which greatly helps people who have ADHD.
However, as mentioned earlier, people often misuse them because of their performance-enhancing effects and pleasure.
If done regularly, it can prove to be a habit-forming addiction.
This means that your body will eventually be more tolerant over time, leading to a person taking more and more stimulants.
Types of Stimulants
There are three main types of stimulants, namely amphetamines, methylphenidate, and methamphetamine.
Amphetamines are great for boosting a person’s concentration, especially for people with ADHD. T
hey can also be beneficial for people who suffer from narcolepsy as they can stay awake during the day by taking amphetamines.
Amphetamines medication includes the following:
- Adderall
- Vyvanse
- ProCentra
- Evekeo
- Dexedrine
- Dyanavel XR
On the other hand, there’s methylphenidate. Methylphenidate ensures that norepinephrine and dopamine are regularly present and flowing inside the brain.
This also helps prevent the reuptake of these hormones, which improves focus a lot.
Methylphenidate medication includes the following:
- Concerta
- Ritalin
- Daytrana
- Ritalin LA
- Aptensio Xr
And lastly, there’s methamphetamine.
Although it’s often associated with drug abuse because of its reputation and how people are misusing it, scientists believe it can help people with ADHD, albeit they’re still working on it currently.
However, they know that they are quite similar in effect with amphetamine and ephedrine, as it can also increase blood pressure and suppress a person’s appetite.
As of now, there’s only a single named brand of medication for methamphetamine, and it’s Desoxyn.
How Stimulants are Incorporated in Medicine
Stimulants are often prescribed to people who suffer from ADHD, narcolepsy, and depression.
With the help of a stimulant, low concentration and memory issues can be avoided, albeit in a short time only.
Medical professionals can also prescribe stimulants to people who deal with hyperactivity or very easily distracted people, leading them to have difficulty doing everyday tasks.
Stimulant Overdose
Drug overdose is quite common when it comes to stimulants.
And yes, a person could also overdose using prescription stimulants if misused.
Drug overdose happens when a person takes enough drugs to incur a life-threatening effect in the body.
Fortunately, drug overdose is easy to spot once you know what you’re looking for or have a mild suspicion that somebody has overdosed.
When people overdose while explicitly using a prescription stimulant, they often show symptoms like tremors, restlessness, confusion, aggression, rapid and heavy breathing, panic attacks, hallucinations, fever, and muscle fatigue.
Not only that, but they can also have heart problems like irregular heartbeats, which can lead to a severe heart attack or cardiac arrest.
Other serious symptoms can also be found, like nerve attacks, that can lead to seizure or seizure and circulation failure.
Some symptoms are way less severe, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
If you see a person suffering from multiple symptoms at once, it’s better to call 911 immediately to avoid any more problems down the line.
Also, if they don’t show any heart problems or nerve problems just yet, they might show up soon, so time is of the essence.
When the ambulance arrives, healthcare professionals will try to restore blood flow to the heart and attempt to stop any seizure chances to the patient.
Takeaway
Stimulants are a great way to help people live their everyday lives, generally for certain people.
They can be a functioning citizen again and be with their loved ones to spend a good time.
However, the need to constantly take it, together with the other medication for some existing medical condition, could be straining to the pocket.
It’s best to relieve ourselves from additional financial stress by getting a hold of some readily accessible RX coupons.
In addition, we have to bear in mind the dangers of the misuse of stimulants or other medications as it can lead to addiction and death. Always talk with your physician for proper guidance.