The year 1960 became the peak of the drug’s popularity. It later became a popular recreational drug after young people found that large doses can result in a tremendous high. Unfortunately, people soon discovered the presence of amphetamines in some over-the-counter decongestant inhalers and started becoming addicted and abusing it. However, in the late 1950s, amphetamines were restricted and could only be acquired with the prescription of doctors. The Amphetamines and Other Stimulants, authored by Lawrence Clayton, noted that advertisements claimed promoted amphetamines to solve problems like alcoholism and obesity. In addition, it was also considered as a breakthrough in weight loss, and soon after media labeled amphetamine as cure-all medication. By 1950, amphetamine became increasingly in demand and doctors embraced it as psychiatric medication for distressed patients. During World War II, soldiers were using amphetamines and methamphetamines to increase alertness, boost morale, and fight fatigue.įurthermore, athletes and students also started using amphetamines to increase alertness levels and physical performance. Meanwhile, according to Nicolas Rasmussen’s On Speed: The Many Lives of Amphetamines, it was in the 1940s when amphetamine became hugely famous that it could have been included in the list of medical breakthroughs, alongside insulin and penicillin. Around the same time, amphetamine was available by prescription in tablet form. Around 1935, physicians successfully used it to treat narcolepsy, and by 1937 amphetamine was found to have a positive effect on some children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In 1932, amphetamine was marketed as Benzedrine in an over-the-counter inhaler to treat nasal congestion caused by asthma, hay fever, and colds. It wasn’t until 1887 when amphetamines were first synthesized by the drug company Smith, Kline and French.

However, in the passing of years, it was also marketed to produce euphoria and to increase sexual sensations.

Ma Huang is known to stimulate the nervous system to enhance mood, reduce fatigue, and make a person alert. Chinese physicians were among the first health care experts to explore the use of the amphetamine compound for more than 5,000 years through a native plant called Ma Huang ( Ephedra sinica ) – for treatment of common cold, coughs, asthma, headaches, and hay fever. Generally, the effects of amphetamine to its users vary according to the person’s mental state, the dosage level utilized, the relative potency of the specific form of amphetamine, and the manner in which the drug is used.Īmphetamine – also known as “speed” – is a synthetic stimulant used to suppress the appetite, control weight, and treat disorders like narcolepsy and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Several studies and book references have shown the mild and chronic effects to amphetamine-type substance abusers, but the cases of abuse and misuse continue to increase globally. Due to its euphorigenic properties and its ability to eliminate fatigue, amphetamine is capable of causing dependency in people. What is Amphetamine?Īmphetamine is a synthetic stimulant of the central nervous system (CNS) that was first synthesized in Germany in 1887. These may not all manifest to all individuals who have taken them, but it is essential that individuals who have been prescribed with such medications may be aware of its possible side effects, especially when it comes to amphetamines. While these substances have been developed to treat diseases, it has become unavoidable that some of these substances may cause some adverse effects. Researchers are continuously finding appropriate medications for each of the known diseases in the world.

Amphetamine list of drugs