Download Benzedrine

Benzedrine
Prepared by Nora Almeshari
A brief history
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Benzedrine is the trade name of the racemic
variant of amphetamine (dl-amphetamine). It was
marketed under this brandname in the USA by
Smith, Kline and French in the form of inhalers,
starting in 1928. Benzedrine was used to enlarge
nasal and bronchial passages and it is closely
related to other stimulants produced later, such as
Dexedrine (d-amphetamine) and
methamphetamine.
Early users of the Benzedrine inhaler discovered
that it had a euphoric stimulant effect, resulting in
it being one of the earliest synthetic stimulants to
be widely used for recreational (i.e., non-medical)
purposes. Even though this drug was intended for
inhalation, many people abused it by cracking the
container open and swallowing the paper strip
inside, which was covered in Benzedrine. The
strips were often rolled into small balls and
swallowed, or taken with coffee or alcohol. The
drug was often referred to as "Bennies" by users
and in literature.
Cont.
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Because of the stimulant side effect, physicians discovered that
amphetamine could also be used to treat narcolepsy. This led to the
production of Benzedrine in tablet form.
In the 1940s and 1950s reports began to emerge about the abuse of
Benzedrine inhalers, and in 1949, doctors began to move away from
prescribing Benzedrine as a bronchodilator and appetite suppressant.
In 1959, the FDA made it a prescription drug in the United States.
Benzedrine and derived amphetamines were used as a stimulant for
armed forces in World War II and Vietnam.
When Benzedrine became a controlled substance, it was replaced by a
less potent stimulant drug, Propylhexedrine (also known as
Hexahydromethamphetamine). Propylhexedrine was also
manufactured by Smith, Kline and French and was marketed under the
name Benzedrex. Although Benzedrex is not as potent as Benzedrine,
it still has the potential for abuse and has been the cause of death by
intravenous use. The Benzedrex inhaler is still available today, but is
no longer manufactured by Smith, Kline and French.
Benzedrine should not be confused with the fundamentally different
substance Benzphetamine.
Amphetamines
• amphetamine , any one of a group of drugs that are powerful central
nervous system stimulants . Amphetamines have stimulating effects
opposite to the effects of depressants such as alcohol, narcotics ,
and barbiturates .
• They raise the blood pressure by causing the body to release
epinephrine , postpone the need for sleep, and can reverse, partially
and temporarily, the effects of fatigue.
• Amphetamines enhance mental alertness and the ability to
concentrate, and also cause wakefulness, euphoria, and
talkativeness.
• Benzedrine is the trade name for the drug amphetamine;
dextroamphetamine is marketed as Dexedrine.
Uses
• Prescription amphetamines have been used for short periods of time
in weight-control programs to suppress appetite and to treat
narcolepsy.
• They were used as vasoconstrictors in inhalant therapy to shrink
nasal mucous membranes in such conditions as nasal allergies and
asthma; now such inhalants have been banned because of their
toxicity.
• For unknown reasons, amphetamines have a paradoxically calming
effect on some hyperactive children, but the use of these drugs to
treat such children has been controversial.
Side Effects
• an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat;
swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
• an irregular heartbeat or very high blood pressure (severe
headache, blurred vision)
• hallucinations, abnormal behavior, or confusion.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur.
Continue to take amphetamine and talk to your doctor if you
experience
• restlessness or tremor;
• anxiety or nervousness;
• headache or dizziness;
• insomnia;
• dry mouth or an unpleasant taste in the mouth;
• diarrhea or constipation; or
• impotence or changes in sex drive.
Amphetamine abuse
• Popularly known as bennies, crank, speed, pep pills, wakeups, or
uppers, amphetamines are addictive and easily abused: users can
become psychologically dependent on the drugs and, developing a
tolerance for them, can require increasingly large doses.
• When the drugs wear off, a long period of sleep ensues, often
followed by hunger and depression, which can lead to further use of
amphetamines.
• Amphetamine addiction has been common among such diverse
groups as truck drivers, students, and athletes, who have used the
drugs for increased energy, alertness, or endurance
• Amphetamines are inhaled, taken orally, or injected; as with other
injected drugs, needle sharing increases the risk of contracting the
AIDS virus. One form of methamphetamine, "ice," is smoked.
Cont.
• Chronic use often results in insomnia, hyperactivity, irritability, and
aggressive behavior.
• Addiction can result in psychosis or death from overexhaustion or
cardiac arrest.
• Amphetamine-induced psychosis often mimics schizophrenia, with
paranoia and hallucinations.
Analysis of Amphetamines
• There are several methods:
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Determination of amphetamine, methamphetamine and
desmethyldeprenyl in human plasma by gas chromatography/negative
ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry.
Determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine in abusers'
plasma and hair samples with HPLC-FL.
Gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometric method for
determination of methamphetamine and its major metabolite
amphetamine in human hair.
Amphetamines in hair by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Analysis of methamphetamine in hair, nail, sweat, and saliva by mass
fragmentography.
Detection of stimulants in hair by laser microscopy.
Determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine
in abusers' plasma and hair samples with HPLC-FL
• AP and MP were derivatized with the fluorescent reagent, DIB-Cl, to
yield a highly fluorescent DIB-derivatives of AP and MP, which were
then analyzed by HPLC with fluorescence detection at excitation
and emission wavelengths of 325 and 430 nm, respectively.
• The separation was achieved on an ODS column with isocratic
mobile phases composed of acetoniltrile and citrate buffer (55:45,
v/v) for plasma samples and of acetonitrile-methanol-citrate buffer
(45:20:37.5, v/v/v) for hair samples.
• The limits of detection were less than 0.87 ng/mL and 0.12 ng/mg in
plasma and hair samples, respectively, for both AP and MP. The
methods were then applied to the determination of MP and its
metabolite AP in plasma
Analysis of methamphetamine in hair, nail,
sweat, and saliva by mass fragmentography.
• Hair and nail samples were washed with water and
methanol to remove the external contamination,
processed with 0.6M HCl, alkalinized, and extracted with
CHCl3/isopropanol (3:1 v/v). Sweat and saliva samples
were extracted with methanol.
• After trifluoroacetyl derivatization, the samples were
analyzed by mass fragmentography.
• Methamphetamine and its major metabolite,
amphetamine, were detected in hair, nail, and sweat
samples, but methamphetamine alone was detected in
saliva samples.
Detection of stimulants in hair by laser microscopy.
• In order to detect methamphetamine, a common stimulant, laser
microscopy and immuno-histochemical staining, which uses antimethamphetamine labeled with colloidal gold, were employed.
• The intensity of reflection of colloidal gold at a 488- and 514-nm line
of Ar laser was measured with a laser microscope equipped with a
computerized image processing system.
• The proposed method needs no melanin bleaching and is simple
and sensitive enough to estimate the drug concentration using only
a segment of hair.
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