A review of the clinical pharmacology of methamphetamine
Cruickshank CC et al. - Repeated use may induce neurotoxicity, associated with prolonged psychiatric symptoms, cognitive impairment and an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Abrupt cessation of repeated methamphetamine use leads to a withdrawal syndrome consisting of depressed mood, anxiety and sleep disturbance. Methods- Relevant literature was identified through a PubMed search.
- Additional literature was obtained from relevant books and monographs.
Results- The mean elimination half-life for methamphetamine is approximately 10 hours, with considerable inter-individual variability in pharmacokinetics.
- Direct effects at low-to-moderate methamphetamine doses (5-30 mg) include arousal, positive mood, cardiac stimulation and acute improvement in cognitive domains such as attention and psychomotor coordination.
- At higher doses used typically by illicit users (≥50 mg), methamphetamine can produce psychosis.
- Its hypertensive effect can produce a number of acute and chronic cardiovascular complications.
- Acute withdrawal lasts typically for 7-10 days, and residual symptoms associated with neurotoxicity may persist for several months.
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