A stimulant is a drug that, when taken, increases activity in the central nervous system. These drugs increase heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. They also have the potential to suppress appetite and keep the user awake. Caffeine, nicotine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine are some examples of stimulants.
Certain types of stimulants can be legally prescribed by a medical doctor to treat various medical conditions. For example, methylphenidate (also marketed as Ritalin) and dexamphetamine (also marketed as Dexedrine) are used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.
ADHD is a medical condition which results in individuals showing the following symptoms: inattention and/or hyperactivity, forgetfulness, poor impulse control or impulsivity, and distractibility. Both methylphenidate and dexamphetamine have been very effective in the treatment of ADHD. They have been shown to increase attention, concentration, learning and memory.
Narcolepsy is a medical condition involving excessive daytime sleepiness. Methylphenidate and dexamphetamine are effective in increasing wakefulness.
Both methylphenidate and dexamphetamine, along with a range of other over-the-counter and pharmaceutical stimulants, have been misused by people who were not being treated for a medical condition.
Some young people believe that because these medications are prescribed by a doctor and are manufactured by pharmaceutical laboratories they must be safe to use. Even drugs prescribed by a doctor can be dangerous if misused. There is always a risk that a person could have an adverse reaction to using the drug.
It is also important to remember that these drugs are prescribed in a very specific way for each individual patient. If the person uses them in a different way, or someone who they were not prescribed for uses them, there is the risk that something could go wrong. No-one should ever use a drug that has been prescribed for someone else.
Another pharmaceutical stimulant is pseudoephedrine, which is an ingredient in cold and flu medications like Dimetapp and Sudafed as it acts as a decongestant.
Pseudoephedrine has been used in the manufacture of illegal drugs such as methamphetamine. The use of prescription drugs in such ways is illegal and becomes drug abuse, rather than legitimate use.
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