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What Are The Long Term Adverse Effects Of Dextroamphetamine?
Question: I take 60 mg of dextroamphetamine daily. What are the long term effects? I would prefer a neurologist answer my question.
Brief Answer:
Possible effects listed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
The dose of dextroamphetamine of 60 mg/day is considered as the maximum dose to be used for narcolepsy and is achieved by increasing the dose every week until side effects such appetite loss, insomnia, abdominal pain, vomitng, emotional lability, diarrhea, etc. appear.
In such case, a moderate lowering of the dosage is necessary to avoid such short term adverse effects.
So, by now you should experience a good control of your condition and some of the adverse effects.
Pay attention to the possibility of drug dependence if you use it for a long time, so, avoid long term use.
Don't increase the dose further.
Discuss with your Doctor about these issues.
Hope I have answered your query.
If you have additional questions or follow up questions then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your questions.
Regards,
Dr. Erion Spaho, Neurologist, Surgical
Possible effects listed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
The dose of dextroamphetamine of 60 mg/day is considered as the maximum dose to be used for narcolepsy and is achieved by increasing the dose every week until side effects such appetite loss, insomnia, abdominal pain, vomitng, emotional lability, diarrhea, etc. appear.
In such case, a moderate lowering of the dosage is necessary to avoid such short term adverse effects.
So, by now you should experience a good control of your condition and some of the adverse effects.
Pay attention to the possibility of drug dependence if you use it for a long time, so, avoid long term use.
Don't increase the dose further.
Discuss with your Doctor about these issues.
Hope I have answered your query.
If you have additional questions or follow up questions then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your questions.
Regards,
Dr. Erion Spaho, Neurologist, Surgical
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Doctor Spaho
I think your advice is well taken regarding short term effects. Thank you.
However my question concerned long term effects. I am 86 yrs old and have been on dextroamphetamine as long as my failing memory can recall. Moreover "the possibility of drug dependence" has long since become an actuality as I am a narcoleptic and have no real choice but to take amphetamine as it is much to late for cylert. What is bothering me is this: What, if anything, is the difference
between taking amphetamine as a prescription medicine and using it as a so called "recreation drug" so far as my body is concerned. In other words how do the biological consequences differ between use and abuse if the dosage is the same?? XXXXXXX
I think your advice is well taken regarding short term effects. Thank you.
However my question concerned long term effects. I am 86 yrs old and have been on dextroamphetamine as long as my failing memory can recall. Moreover "the possibility of drug dependence" has long since become an actuality as I am a narcoleptic and have no real choice but to take amphetamine as it is much to late for cylert. What is bothering me is this: What, if anything, is the difference
between taking amphetamine as a prescription medicine and using it as a so called "recreation drug" so far as my body is concerned. In other words how do the biological consequences differ between use and abuse if the dosage is the same?? XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Biologically there should be no difference.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Abuse means use outside the medical indications and/or higher doses.
If the dose is the same, the biological response should be the same, regardless of the aim of use.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Erion Spaho, Neurologist, Surgical
Biologically there should be no difference.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Abuse means use outside the medical indications and/or higher doses.
If the dose is the same, the biological response should be the same, regardless of the aim of use.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Erion Spaho, Neurologist, Surgical
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
If biologically there is no difference then should I consider myself an amphetamine addict and enter a drug rehab program?? Will that cure my narcolepsy? If so that is good news for thousands narcoleptics. Or can it be that narcoleptics do not respond to amphetamine in quite the same way normal people do? Dr. Spaho, I don't believe I behave in the bizarre manner "hop heads" (street jargon for amphetamine addicts) observably do. Or have I been in denial most of these 86 years??
Yours truly,
Confussed
Yours truly,
Confussed
Brief Answer:
If dependence or not, this should be a decision of a certified Doctor.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I think there is a misunderstanding of concepts in our discussion.
Prolonged use of amphetamine in most cases leads to addiction.
If you need rehab or not, this is a decision that should be taken by a competent Doctor, not by you.
Furthermore, drug rehab program is directed towards negative effects of the drug dependency, not the condition that needed to be treated by that drug, in your case narcolepsy, so, there is no point to say that drug rehab program should cure narcolepsy.
If you are not dependent on amphetamine and you don't manifest such symptoms, that's fine, probably there is no dependency, however, it is the opinion of the Doctor that matters most in such cases.
I personally, since I can't examine you, can't say if you developed dependence or not.
If in doubt about dependency or other adverse effects, get evaluated by an experienced and certified Doctor (Toxicologist, Neurologist).
Hope I helped you so far.
In good health.
Regards,
Dr. Erion Spaho, Neurologist, Surgical
If dependence or not, this should be a decision of a certified Doctor.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I think there is a misunderstanding of concepts in our discussion.
Prolonged use of amphetamine in most cases leads to addiction.
If you need rehab or not, this is a decision that should be taken by a competent Doctor, not by you.
Furthermore, drug rehab program is directed towards negative effects of the drug dependency, not the condition that needed to be treated by that drug, in your case narcolepsy, so, there is no point to say that drug rehab program should cure narcolepsy.
If you are not dependent on amphetamine and you don't manifest such symptoms, that's fine, probably there is no dependency, however, it is the opinion of the Doctor that matters most in such cases.
I personally, since I can't examine you, can't say if you developed dependence or not.
If in doubt about dependency or other adverse effects, get evaluated by an experienced and certified Doctor (Toxicologist, Neurologist).
Hope I helped you so far.
In good health.
Regards,
Dr. Erion Spaho, Neurologist, Surgical
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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