Stimulants

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Stimulants
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Caffeine

• It is a natural mild stimulant present in
• Coffee
• Tea
• Chocolate
• Cola drinks.

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• Caffeine
• It isnt abused but can lead to serious health
  problems
• It increases mental alertness
• It provides a great feeling of energy.

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• Studies conducted on this topic usually conclude
  that the effects of caffeine are dependent on the
  person
• Caffeine is a stimulant and it works by
  interfering with the brain chemical adenosine.
  Adenosine usually slows down activity and has a
  calming effect. Higher consumption of caffeine
  results in lower levels of adenosine and this is
  why caffeine puts off sleep and raises
  concentration levels

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• The peak levels of caffeine in the blood are
  reached about 30 minutes after ingestion, and the
  half-life in the blood stream is about 4 hours
• Caffeine improves performance in things requiring
  speed, it is meant that tasks such as simple
  arithmetic and visual-choice reaction time
• Caffeine, then, would be ideal for a student
  preparing for a test that might require the use
  of these tasks.

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• However, there is no solid evidence whether
  caffeine is or is not helpful in performing
  intellectual tasks. It has been shown that
  caffeine may worsen performance for more
  complicated tasks such as long word problems that
  are quite complex

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• When caffeine intake becomes high intakes of
  200 milligrams (mg) and more
• nervousness,
• irritability,
• Irrigular heartbeat,
• and digestive system problems.
• Users tend to take longer to fall asleep, sleep
  less soundly, and wake more often than non-users.
• Caffeine can also be harmful to your bones by
  increasing calcium losses in the urine.

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Are Some People More Affected byCaffeine Than
Others?

• The effect of caffeine is dependent in part, on
  body weight.
• For example, only 12 ounces of cola (one can) may
  have the same effect on a young child as four
  cups of coffee would on an adult.

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• In pregnant women, caffeine enters the
  bloodstream of the fetus. Caffeine intake equal
  to 5-6 cups of coffee a day has been shown to
  increase the number of birth defects in animals.
  Although this has not yet been documented in
  humans, it is wise for pregnant women to watch
  their caffeine intake.
• Studies are showing an increased risk of
  delivering an underweight baby for pregnant women
  with a caffeine intake of 150 mg. or more per day

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Do People Have "WithdrawalSymptoms" When They
Reduce or StopCaffeine Use?

• The main symptom a person may experience is
  headaches. Other symptoms include fatigue and
  depression. These should go away within one week.

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Caffeine Withdrawal (12-14 hours after last
intake)

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Sleepiness
• Drowsiness
• Difficulty concentrating
• ? motivation for work/tasks

• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Flu-like symptoms
• Impairment in psychomotor, vigilance and
  cognitive performances

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Caffeine Withdrawal Headache

• Caffeine is very similar in structure to another
  chemical in our body called adenosine. One of
  adenosine's jobs is to dilate blood vessels in
  the head. Caffeine blocks this dilation. Your
  body then has to become more sensitive to
  adenosine to compensate. The only problem being
  that when caffeine is withdrawn, your body is
  overly sensitive to adenosine and blood vessels
  will dilate , creating a pounding headache .

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Amphetamine

• Amphetamine is a psychostimulant drug that is
  known to produce
• increased wakefulness in association with
• decreased fatigue and
• decreased appetite.
• Amphetamine is related to drugs that act by
  increasing levels of dopamine and norepinephrine
  in the brain,

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• The group includes prescription CNS drugs
  commonly used to treat
• attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  in children. It is also used to treat symptoms of
  
• traumatic brain injury and
• the daytime drowsiness symptoms of narcolepsy.
• Initially, amphetamine was more popularly used to
  diminish the appetite and to control weight.

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• The drug is also used illegally as
• a recreational drug and as
• a performance enhancer.
• Recreational users of amphetamine have coined
  numerous nicknames for amphetamine, some of the
  more common street names for amphetamine include
  
• speed and
• crank. The name amphetamine is derived from its
  chemical name alpha-methylphenethylamine..

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• Methamphetamines Sometimes Called
• speed,
• uppers,
• chalk,
• ice,
• glass,
• Christmas tree,
• crank (when injected).

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• Methamphetamine is
• a white,
• odorless,
• bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily
  dissolves in
• water or
• alcohol
• and is taken
• orally,
• intranasally
• by needle injection,
• or by smoking.

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What Adverse Effects Does Methamphetamine Have
on Health?

• Taking even small amounts of methamphetamine can
  result in many of the same physical effects of
  other stimulants, such as cocaine or
  amphetamines, including
• increased wakefulness,
• increased physical activity,
• decreased appetite,
• increased respiration,
• rapid heart rate,
• irregular heartbeat,
• increased blood pressure, and
• hyperthermia.

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• Long-term methamphetamine abuse has many negative
  health consequences, including
• extreme weight loss,
• severe dental problems (meth mouth),
• anxiety,
• confusion,
• insomnia,
• mood disturbances, and
• violent behavior.

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Thank You