Amphetamine compared to Methamphetamine

[React.On.Impulse]

I want to know how much worse meth is compared to normal amphetamine. When I say worse I mean in terms of bodily harm and addiction.

 

[Sweet P]

I don't have any scientific info, but based on personal experience, I'd say that meth is MUCH more addictive and harmful. Especially when smoked or injected. My addiction has led to all sorts of problems, physically and mentally.

 

[Lupus]

The psychological side effects of long term use of either is much more concerning than theoretical neurologic effects like permanent down regulation of dopamine. Psychosis from not sleeping or eating for a few days is a real danger.

Oral D-Amphetamine is probably the most conservative way to use the substance.

 

[sewnshut]

I don't have scientific evidence to back this up so take it with a grain of salt, but from personal experience the physical harm is probably similar from the chemicals alone. However, you are more likely to go on a longer meth run because of its additional mental reinforcing effects and greater enjoyability which will cause greater harm to your body. With amphetamine it seems to be more self-limiting

 

[sarsXdave]

The difference is generally the lifestyle of the user. Since Desoxyn is prescribed so rarely, high school and college kids are going to be more likely to abuse the amphetamine-based ADHD meds. Street drugs like illicitly produced meth have a bigger stigma among "normies" than Adderall does, so it's going to be used by a crowd that might be less concerned with image, health, and such.

Desoxyn shows that d-methamp actually has a lot less of the body load than d-amphetamine, meaning it'd be easier to eat and sleep, while also having less cardiovascular complications. Because oral d-meth last so long, it may actually be less compulsive in administration than d-amphetamine IR, which requires redosing more often and associating the act with relief from comedown and the benefit of focus, confidence, and a happy glow. Of course, pharmacologically I could see d-meth being more addictive because of that additional serotonin euphoria and getting more euphoria relative to tweaky side effects.

It's all how you use it. People usually don't abuse Adderall, Dexedrine, or Vyvanse to the extreme that they would meth, but if they did, I'm sure we'd find the same problems.

 

[Lupus]

in administration[/I] than d-amphetamine IR, which requires redosing more often and associating the act with relief from comedown and the benefit of focus, confidence, and a happy glow.

But desoxyn has exactly the same half life as dexedrine in equivalant doses. The plasma levels peak at around 2 hours after taking the pills and then fade out over a 12 hour period. Duration is dose dependant though but for the sake of this post lets say a therapeutic doseage is being used.

On top of that its really hard to tell the two apart for most people, allthough desoxyn may be more sedating for some. Neither are particularly PNS intensive at therapeutic level doses, much less so than the more popular adderal formulation. The added 5HT/SERT action in D-methamp probably accounts for its higher level of possible neurotoxicity.

Nevermind the fact that no insurance will pay for desoxyn so its somewhere between $100 - $300 for a months worth.

 

[Rio Fantastic]

I've been wondering about this. I thought that both amphetamine and methamphetamine acted on the dopamine system - so why are the effects of meth so much more pronounced?

 

[pr0d1gy]

Meth affects serotonin more then amphetamine. Its hard to compare the two because average does of amphetamine is much smaller then the average dose someone takes of methamphetamine, IE most people taking amphetamine are taking it for medical reasons but most people on meth are abusing it

 

[Lupus]

I've been wondering about this. I thought that both amphetamine and methamphetamine acted on the dopamine system - so why are the effects of meth so much more pronounced?

The methyl molecule causes the amphetamine to pass through the BBB more readily.Which makes it about twice as potent per mg than D-amphetamine. It does have a higher affinity for releasing 5ht but its not a huge contributing factor in its effects in comparison to the dopamine/NE.

I tend to think that the routes of administration (smoking, IV) of meth is what makes it so problematic. Where as D-amphetamine is typically taken orally.

 

[lukw10]

I want to know how much worse meth is compared to normal amphetamine. When I say worse I mean in terms of bodily harm and addiction.

Few thoughts ($0.02) :

1. "Worse" is a very subjective term even inside the realms of harm/addiction. I hate long tweak binges but like being up for a couple hours meaning that I would probably be more likely to fall for amphetamine while you may just have a "heart for meth". There is no real right answer.

2. This question is subjective because the topic is highly personal and what may kill one person may leave the other feeling full of life. We cannot know the specifics of your body chemistry, tolerance, etc.

3. Not only is it highly personal but also the quality of the drugs obtained really factors in quite significantly. I could cut some amphetamine with rat poison and it would be certainly more deadly than the methamphetamine. I could also make the most killer pot brownies sprinkled with some left over draino crystals thus making them more dangerous than both. We cannot know the specifics if your supply.

4. Probably meth, ha [considering the lifestyle, half life, and popularity]

 

[Gormur]

i don't get this. the only amps that ever made me feel tweaked are d-amp and mdma. meth comes on subtly. i don't even notice it. i just feel awake, focused, and motivated..which is the opposite of the usual ADD me.

that's why i really wish i could get desoxyn instead of vyvanse. d-amp has a horrible crash while d-meth has no crash for me. once i'm down i go to sleep. d-amp keeps me up if i don't dose it just right and fucks up my sleep cycle.. oral/smoked/plugged/snorted meth doesn't put knots in my stomach like d-amp does either, cause diarrea, or anxiety. -- both meth and d-amp have the same duration of action- about 3-4 hours, in my case.

as for addiction..i never felt addicted to either. probably because i don't get any kind of kick out of it. meth provides the stimulation necessary for my brain to function on a coherent level.

last week was my bday, free drugs all in my face, so i decided i may as well see if i can actually get fucked up on tina.... nope... 3 of us made our way through a ball of pure stuff in 6 1/2 hours. the only thing noticeable was that i wasn't tired. i went home later and took a couple naps then i was fine.

meh.

cocaine was always addictive to me, but after the 2nd-3rd day on it i didn't feel high anymore and just needed it to function... -- maybe my body just easily adapts to substances, because the same applies to opiates

peace

 

[Colmes]

The difference is generally the lifestyle of the user. Since Desoxyn is prescribed so rarely, high school and college kids are going to be more likely to abuse the amphetamine-based ADHD meds. Street drugs like illicitly produced meth have a bigger stigma among "normies" than Adderall does, so it's going to be used by a crowd that might be less concerned with image, health, and such.

Desoxyn shows that d-methamp actually has a lot less of the body load than d-amphetamine, meaning it'd be easier to eat and sleep, while also having less cardiovascular complications. Because oral d-meth last so long, it may actually be less compulsive in administration than d-amphetamine IR, which requires redosing more often and associating the act with relief from comedown and the benefit of focus, confidence, and a happy glow. Of course, pharmacologically I could see d-meth being more addictive because of that additional serotonin euphoria and getting more euphoria relative to tweaky side effects.

It's all how you use it. People usually don't abuse Adderall, Dexedrine, or Vyvanse to the extreme that they would meth, but if they did, I'm sure we'd find the same problems.

This sounds like the words of someone who has used crystal meth, or wants to be prescribed desoxyn, and has tried to convince themselves methamphetamine is neither as cardiotoxic or neurotoxic as dextroamphetamine.

Alright just take this into consideration. You are basing the neurological and cardiotoxicity on how smooth they feeling of the medication is when taken? Your body obviously takes in the methamphetamine in a much more efficient manner than it does ...dextroamphetamine for instance. It is very possible that coffee, if you drink 3 or 4 cups, would produce more negative side effects than desoxyn; it, like adderall even more so than dexedrine, increases PNS activity, as does caffeine. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I suspect the majority of the euphoria and feelings of strength...or whatever as i've never personally tried it, comes from its effect on your purely psychologically. So taking desoxyn at the 5mg dose it comes in, which must be very low, is just bound to "feel" less bad than other stimulants. Some people cannot stand ritalin, they take it and have a panic attack, but they can take amphetamines, which are, in actuality, more potent overall, but they are different, so that person may be able to handle it better than any methylphenidate compound.

My point is meth is more neurotoxic than commonly prescribed ADD medications. People do abuse adderall, ritalin, vyanse etc to the same extent (dosage wise) as meth, there are people taking hundreds and hundreds of milligrams of adderall a day. Still, you dont see the same degree of psychological damage that you do consistently throughout current or former meth addicts. and desoxyn is certainly not less likely to be abused than an IR forumlation of lets say adderall, it is just so strictly regulated dosage wise / and duration wise, it cant manifest itself. There have been 60,000,000 adderall prescriptions alone in the last several years, if we saw that number with desoxyn, I think desoxyn would not let anyone down in showing that yes, it is one of the most psychologically addictive substances on earth.

 

[LivingOnValium]

I can't back this up i believe meth is 1.6 times stronger than d-amph mg per mg.

 

[fryingsquirrel]

^That sounds about right. I think the relative safety of adderal is due to dose and ROA rather than differences in the drugs themselves. Is 20 mgs oral safer and less addictive than 200 mgs IV? Of course. But back when you could buy PPA I ran into amphetamine made and sold in the same way as meth. People would use the two interchangably without even realizing it.