Amphetamines Addiction: Signs and Side Effects of Amphetamines Abuse

Amphetamines are a class of stimulant drugs that affect the central nervous system (CNS) and can be prescribed or used illicitly. This page focuses on the nonmedical use of amphetamines and their corresponding addiction risk, not appropriate prescribed use under medical supervision.

Examples of amphetamines include:

• Mixed amphetamine salts (Adderall)
• Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse/Evekeo)
• Dextroamphetamine (Zenzedi/Dexedrine)
• Racemic amphetamine (Benzedrine)

Amphetamines also have some common street names, including speed, uppers, whiz/whizz and truck drivers. People use amphetamines in several ways, including swallowing, snorting, sniffing and injecting. This guide explores amphetamine addiction, including warning signs and potential health effects.

Amphetamines increase the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. Both substances are neurotransmitters, which means they carry messages from nerve cells to target cells. This allows the nervous system to control breathing, digestion and other important functions.

Dopamine is heavily involved in pleasure and motivation, while norepinephrine influences focus and alertness. When these chemicals flood the brain, you start to feel alert, energetic and confident.

Some people also experience euphoria, an intense state of happiness, excitement and well-being. This reinforces the sense that amphetamines can enhance performance or improve mood. Reinforcement happens quickly with high doses or fast-acting routes of administration (e.g., smoking or injecting).

Over time, the brain adapts to repeated surges in dopamine and norepinephrine, increasing the risk for amphetamine tolerance. Once you develop a stimulant tolerance, you need to take higher doses or use amphetamines more frequently to achieve the same effects. This is why amphetamines are addictive; their influence on the brain’s reward system makes you crave more.

Amphetamine cravings are often linked to stressful situations, such as interpersonal conflict, looming work deadlines or academic pressures. Some people also experience cravings related to partying, trying to lose weight or wanting to escape intense emotions.

Sleep deprivation and binge amphetamine use have also been linked to compulsive usage patterns. If you haven’t been sleeping well, you may turn to amphetamines for an energy boost, reinforcing the cycle of use. Binging causes your brain to associate amphetamine use with pleasurable feelings, leading to repeated consumption.

Amphetamine abuse is a broad term used to describe one or more of these behaviors:

• Nonmedical use of amphetamines
• Using higher doses of amphetamines than prescribed
• Taking illicit (illegal) amphetamines
• Using someone else’s prescription

This is different from amphetamine addiction, which is characterized by compulsive use with cravings, loss of control and continued use despite harmful effects. When comparing amphetamine abuse vs. addiction, one of the biggest differences is that abuse can be episodic. This means that you use amphetamines intermittently rather than using them every day.

For example, you might start out by using amphetamines to stay awake, party longer or enhance your performance. Over time, your casual misuse may escalate to compulsive stimulant use.

Amphetamines can cause physical dependence, a state in which your body is so used to drugs that it needs them to function normally. Once you adapt to stimulant exposure, you start to experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop using.

In some people, amphetamine use also leads to psychological dependence. This is when you rely on amphetamines to feel normal.

If you’re psychologically dependent, amphetamine use may make it easier to cope with stress or experience feelings of pleasure. Psychological dependence on stimulants also causes you to rely on amphetamines when you want to feel motivated, confident, emotionally steady or sociable.

Amphetamine dependence isn’t the same as addiction, but it can indicate that you have a growing problem with stimulant misuse. The risk of stimulant dependence increases with high doses, binge patterns, frequent use and sleep disruption.

When you think about stimulant addiction symptoms, you probably focus on physical signs, such as increased blood pressure or headaches. The truth is that amphetamine addiction affects every aspect of your life, from your physical health to your mood.

Behavioral Signs

Amphetamine use can change the way you behave. For example, you may continue using amphetamines even when you experience negative consequences, such as job loss or financial difficulties.

It’s also common for people who use amphetamines to engage in secretive behavior, which may cause the following:

• Giving vague answers to questions
• Disappearing from social situations without any explanation
• Acting defensively
• Guarding personal information

The purpose of secretive behavior is to protect an individual who uses amphetamine from shame, judgment or damaged relationships. Secrecy also helps satisfy a person’s need for control.

Finally, people with amphetamine addiction may spend excessive amounts of time or money to obtain stimulants. For example, an individual might take a cash advance on their credit card or borrow money from a bank to support their habit.

Physical Signs

The physical signs of amphetamine addiction occur due to each drug’s effects on the central nervous system. You may experience the following:

• Weight loss
• Insomnia
• Loss of appetite
• Sweating
• Increased body temperature
• Tremors
• Rapid heart rate
• Restlessness
• Jaw clenching

Psychological Signs

Amphetamines have a wide range of effects on your mental health. Mood swings, or sudden changes in your emotional state, are one of the most common signs of stimulant addiction. These changes are often unpredictable, so they can interfere with your ability to maintain positive relationships.

You may also experience these psychological signs of addiction:

• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations (with heavy use)

Cognitive and Functional Signs

You’re right to be concerned about physical and mental health problems, but they’re not the only possible effects of drug use. If you have a substance use disorder involving amphetamines, you may also experience cognitive and functional changes.

For example, you may engage in risky behavior or experience poor concentration when you’re “crashing” from your last dose. Common functional signs of amphetamine use include:

• Relationship conflict
• Declining school performance
• Employment problems (e.g., job loss)

Use Pattern Signs

Addiction can even change the way you use amphetamines. Instead of using small amounts intermittently, you may consume large amounts of amphetamines in a short amount of time. This is known as binging.

Taking amphetamines may also cause you to stay awake for long periods or experience frequent crashes. A crash occurs when the pleasant effects of amphetamines wear off, leaving you feeling tired and irritable.

Amphetamine withdrawal sometimes occurs after prolonged use, making it one of the most common warning signs that you’ve developed a physical dependence. Withdrawal happens when your dopamine and norepinephrine levels return to normal.

Common symptoms of amphetamine withdrawal include:

• Increased sleep
• Extreme fatigue
• Low mood
• Slowed thinking
• Irritability
• Strong cravings for methamphetamines

Some people experience additional symptoms when stopping stimulant drug abuse. For example, you might have vivid dreams, notice an increase in anxiety and/or have more of an appetite than you did while you were taking amphetamines.

The severity of your stimulant withdrawal symptoms depends on these factors:

• Type of amphetamines used
• Dose
• Duration of use (short-term vs. long-term)
• Route of use
• Combination of amphetamines with other substances (e.g., opioid medications or alcohol)

Amphetamine misuse has short-term and long-term effects. Shortly after taking amphetamines, you may experience the following:

• High blood pressure
• Fast heart rate
• Decreased appetite
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Insomnia

Taking amphetamines also affects your cognitive function and emotions. You may experience anxiety, panic, increased irritability and agitation. Cognitively, it’s possible to make poor decisions or engage in aggressive behavior.

Serious amphetamine health risks are also possible. For example, some people get overheated or dehydrated. With high doses, you may even have a stroke, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythm or seizure.

Amphetamine misuse may also have these effects:

• Mental health risks. Heavy or prolonged amphetamine use may cause hallucinations, paranoia or stimulant-induced psychosis.
• Long-term concerns. Over time, you may develop a physical and/or psychological dependence on amphetamines. Stimulant misuse may also cause malnourishment, dental problems or sleep disturbances.
• Dangers of mixing amphetamines with other substances. Amphetamine use is riskier when you combine it with other substances. For example, the risk of complications is higher when amphetamines are combined with alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines or other stimulants.

Some factors make it more likely that you’ll develop an amphetamine addiction at some point in your life. Mental health plays an important role, as poor sleep patterns, chronic stress and a history of trauma can all contribute to substance use disorders. You also have an increased risk of addiction if you have anxiety, depression or another mental health condition.

Your environment also affects your likelihood of developing a substance use disorder. Common social and environmental risk factors for amphetamine addiction include high-pressure work or school settings, easy access to stimulants and relationships with people who promote a “party culture.”

Some causes of stimulant addiction relate to your behavior or substance use history. Here are some of the most common risk factors in these categories:

• Behavioral. You’re more likely to develop an amphetamine addiction if you use stimulants for weight loss, emotional escape or performance enhancement.
• Substance use history. One of the most common risk factors for amphetamine addiction is a history of misusing stimulants. Early exposure to drugs and polysubstance abuse (the use of multiple substances at the same time) also heighten the risk of developing a stimulant addiction.

Using amphetamines once or twice doesn’t mean you have a substance use disorder. When diagnosing amphetamine addiction, clinicians look at your usage patterns over time. They compare those patterns to established diagnostic criteria.

For example, a clinician may ask questions about:

• Cravings
• Tolerance
• Loss of control
• Risky use
• Withdrawal symptoms
• Continued use despite harmful effects

A clinical evaluation usually includes a mental health screening with an assessment to determine if amphetamine use is affecting your heart, sleep quality or ability to function.

Although drug testing helps confirm recent amphetamine use, it doesn’t necessarily capture your usage patterns. Standard drug tests don’t pick up every substance, so it’s important to answer honestly if a clinician asks if you’ve been combining amphetamines with alcohol or other drugs.

Stimulant addiction isn’t a personal failure; it’s something that can happen to anyone. If using amphetamines is causing heart symptoms, severe insomnia, paranoia or risky behavior, reach out for professional amphetamine abuse support.

You may also benefit from professional support if you’ve been mixing amphetamines with alcohol or other substances. Help.org is a free and confidential treatment finder designed to help you find treatment programs based on your needs, preferences and location.