Brief History of Amphetamine Use
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Methamphetamine is a powerful central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It was first discovered in 1893 from two chemical subgroups: dextromethamphetamine and levomethamphetamine (Yasaei & Saadabadi 2023). Methamphetamine is sometimes used as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity; however, methamphetamine is better known as a recreational drug (Yasaei & Saadabadi 2023).
Controlled substance
Methamphetamine is relatively simple to synthesize and can be produced illicitly in meth-labs worlwide. Due to illicit trafficking and recreational use of racemic methamphetamine, levomethamphetamine, and dextromethamphetamine, the agent is a schedule II controlled substance in the United States and the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
Mechanism of action
Methamphetamine affects the central nervous system (CNS) by enhancing the release of monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine (Der-Ghazarian et al. 2019). The illicit use of methamphetamine can result in many pathophysiologic effects because it is a highly active sympathomimetic drug and a strong psychostimulant.
The effects of methamphetamine can resemble the fight or flight response, i.e., tachycardia, hypertension, vasoconstriction, bronchodilation, and hyperglycemia. Other effects include an increase in focus, alertness, as well as suppression of fatigue and appetite (Drugbank 2023).
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