What are stimulants' effects on the body?

Causes

The most frequently ingested stimulant is caffeine, which is used by over 90 percent of the adult population of the United States. Caffeine, a member of a class of chemicals known as xanthines, is found not only in coffee, tea, and soda beverages but also in a number of foods. Caffeine affects the nervous system by inhibiting the neurotransmitter substance adenosine.

Adenosine is an inhibitory brain chemical that brings on sleepiness, slows the heart rate, and lowers blood pressure and body temperature. Because caffeine interferes with the inhibitory action of adenosine, the resulting effect is an increase in brain activity, which leads to heightened alertness and a lack of fatigue. Consuming too much caffeine can lead to caffeinism, which is a temporary condition characterized by insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, and anxiety.

Two other stimulants, cocaine and amphetamine, exert their effects by increasing the availability of three primary neurotransmitters: dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Although the mechanisms through which each drug alters the presence of these brain chemicals differ, the end product—having an abundance of a particular neurotransmitter in the synapse—is responsible for the behavioral and physiological changes that occur. Although the connection between cocaine and excessive amounts of dopamine is believed to be responsible for the rapid and strong dependency that can form, the latest research reveals a more complex picture that implicates interactions among several additional neurotransmitters.

Risk Factors

Stimulant overuse and abuse is more likely to occur in adults younger than age forty years, with the majority being males. Most persons who experiment with cocaine do so to experience a euphoric high; however, competitive athletes and college students are more likely to use stimulants to enhance physical or cognitive performance. Of all the stimulants, cocaine and methamphetamine pose the greatest risk of dependency.

Symptoms

Physiological and psychological symptoms associated with the ingestion of stimulants are determined by several factors. These factors include the method of drug delivery (snorting, taking a pill), the specific dosage, and the length of time that the drug has been used.

Low-dosage, short-term side effects associated with stimulant usage include such changes as appetite suppression; increased alertness, particularly for persons diagnosed with attention deficit disorder; euphoria; an increased confidence in task performance; hypertension; pupil dilation; and delayed onset of sleep. With acute use of cocaine and methamphetamine, even at low dosages, initial feelings of euphoria and elation will dissipate and frequently result in depression, anxiety, and a desire or craving to ingest more of the drug.

Higher dosages of stimulants used for a long time can lead to tolerance. Essentially, increased amounts of the drug are needed to produce the same psychoactive effects. This condition sets the stage for chronic abuse. Long-term effects of stimulants can result in anxiety, depression, paranoia, seizure, pulmonary edema, stroke, gastrointestinal complications, and sudden death from cardiac complications.

Cocaine abuse and amphetamine abuse can lead to a psychosis characterized by visual and auditory hallucinations, incoherent speech, paranoia, and abnormal sleeping patterns. In addition, chronic usage of stimulants can lead to dependence, which results in drug craving. This intense craving can lead to behavioral changes, in which a drug user may forego social, family, and work responsibilities to acquire the drug.

Screening and Diagnosis

A licensed clinical psychologist or medical doctor will ask a battery of questions that assess previous drug history, family history, and the degree to which current use of stimulants is affecting the person’s physical, social, and psychological health.

Treatment and Therapy

For stimulants that produce dependency, no pharmacological treatment exists that directly targets the mechanisms that brought on the addiction. Antidepressant drugs are used in persons who experience depression during detoxification. Cognitive-behavioral therapies are used to help persons acquire new coping strategies to refrain from going back to using a stimulant.

Prevention

In terms of caffeinism, adverse symptoms can be resolved by simply reducing the amount of caffeine one normally consumes. For prescribed medications such as amphetamines, it is important to monitor any potential adverse side effects. If these emerge, one should contact the medical doctor who authorized the prescription. Cocaine use should be avoided because of its potential for harmful side effects.

Bibliography

Iversen, Leslie. Speed, Ecstasy, Ritalin: The Science of Amphetamines. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Print.

Levinthall, Charles F. Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society. 7th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print.

Maisto, Stephen A., Mark Galizio, and Gerard J. Connors. Drug Use and Abuse. 6th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2010. Print.

Meyer, Jerrold S., and Linda F. Quenzer. Psychopharmacology: Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior. Sunderland: Sinauer, 2005. Print.

Rasmussen, Nicolas. On Speed: The Many Lives of Amphetamine. New York: New York UP, 2008. Print.