What Is Amphetamine Addiction

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Amphetamine addiction is characterised by:

Consuming Amphetamines over a minimum of 200 days within a 1 year period, according to the DSM-IV criteria [1]
A 25% loss of dopamine transporters in the striatum and a 165% increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease [2] [3]
Rebound hunger and compulsive skin scratching within 24-72 hours of not taking amphetamines

Physical Indicators Of Amphetamine Addiction

Rapid Weight Loss

A 15kg weight loss within 10 days is a physical indicator of amphetamine addiction because [6]:

Noradrenaline levels rise by up to 400% within 45 minutes of drug-taking, increasing resting energy expenditure by over 10% due to the overstimulation of alpha and beta-adrenergic receptors [7] [8]
68.4% experience a reduction in appetite due to the inhibition of hunger signals from the hypothalamus following a 5-fold increase in serotonin within 60 minutes of drug use [8] [9]
Daily calorie intake decreases by 24 - 30% after dopamine increases by up to 700% in the striatum, remaining elevated for up to 12 hours and regulating appetite in 22% of users with binge-eating disorder [7] [10] [11]

One study found that some amphetamine addicts lose 5kg in weight after not eating for 3 – 4 days at a time, although some women report gaining between 15 – 25kg during periods of abstinence [6].

Dental Issues

Meth Mouth is a physical indicator of amphetamine addiction because amphetamines reduce the stimulation of saliva to less than 0.7ml/min (normal range = 1 – 2 ml/min) and decrease the salivary Ph to an average of 5.48 (normal range = 6.2-7.6), leading to [12]:

Tooth decay in 3 or more teeth in 78%, anterior caries in 5 or more teeth surfaces in 18.4%, Periodontitis (severe gum disease) in 21.1%, and painful aching in the mouth whilst eating in 59.5% [13]
Affected sense of taste (e.g. sensitivity to sugar and salt) in 30 - 42% of users consuming methamphetamine orally, via inhalation, or smoking [13]

60% of amphetamine addicts have one or more missing teeth (average = 5 teeth missing), and 13.3% wear dentures because [14]:

Stimulant use reduces blood glucose by 15%, often leading to cravings for sugary substances (e.g. Coca-Cola, sweets) [15]
Chronic amphetamine users (average = 12 years of drug abuse) drink around 35 sugared sodas per month, and 32% drink two or more per day (recommended intake = less than 3 cans per week) [14] [15]

Heavy amphetamine users (>10 times in 30 days) are 45% more likely to avoid certain foods compared to light users (<10 times in 30 days) due to higher rates (10 – 15%) of mouth pain caused by dental problems (e.g. gum disease, abscesses) [13].

Skin Picking

Skin picking is a physical indicator of amphetamine addiction because the extracellular concentrations of dopamine and glutamate in the striatum increase by over 50% within 2 hours of drug use, leading to [16]:

Tactile hallucinations (e.g. “meth mites”) and paranoid delusions in 25% within 1 year of drug abuse; users feel bugs crawling under the skin and repeatedly scratch/pick with the intention of removing the imagined insects [17]
Skin picking caused by amphetamine-induced hallucinations lasts around 2 – 3 hours, although some cases last up to 1 week and may be mistaken for schizophrenia [17]

Skin picking during amphetamine addiction is exacerbated by abscesses in 46% of users who smoke or inject methamphetamine daily for 6 months because:

20% pick at the abscess with fingers due to swelling, pain, redness, and heat at the wound site, taking over 3 weeks to heal in 19% of users [18]
Infections occur as 97% attempt to self-treat the wound (e.g. draining the abscess with a knife or syringe), 11% do not sterilise the area before making an incision, and only 12% seek medical care [18]

Smoking meth increases the risk of developing an abscess by 65% compared to injecting because sores develop around the mouth and nose due to burns from smoking on a pipe, typically starting as red dots or abrasions and developing into larger wounds (e.g. ulcers, pustules) [18].

Accelerated Ageing

Accelerated ageing is a physical sign of amphetamine addiction because:

Some users don’t sleep for 3 - 4 days at a time; >24 hours of prolonged wakefulness increases the brain age by 1 – 2 years, although the effect can be reversed by sleeping 8 hours over a 1-month period [19]
Regular users are 4 times more likely to have reduced skin elasticity, dry wrinkled skin, and sunken eyes due to recurring dehydration (water = less than 7% of total body weight), resulting in 35% being unable to urinate for around 3 hours after drug-taking [4] [20]
A 30 – 50% decline in muscle mass, typically occurring between ages 40 – 80, is accelerated in 27-year-olds struggling with stimulant addiction due to malnourishment after 1 – 2 years of drug-taking and 16% lower BMI values in comparison to non-users [5] [21]
Cortical grey matter declines by 6.4 - 8.5% per decade after consuming stimulant drugs 5 – 6 days per week for 5 - 10 years, compared to 0.1 - 3.5% in non-users, accelerating cognitive decline and increasing the risk of dementia by over 20-fold [22] [23]

Muscle Twitching

Muscle twitching is a physical indicator of amphetamine addiction because amphetamines increase acetylcholine levels by up to 210% in the hippocampus and caudate nucleus [24]:

Muscle twitching typically occurs within 2 to 4 days of amphetamine use, followed by muscular aches, pains, and stiffness in up to 60% [4]
In a case study, a 31-year-old man experienced muscle spasms around 5 times per day after inhaling amphetamines 2 – 3 times daily for 5 consecutive years [25]

Amphetamine abuse increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 165% due to a 20 – 25% dopaminergic cell loss, resulting in involuntary shaking and twitching of mainly hands, legs, and facial (e.g. chin) muscles [26].

Psychological Indicators Of Amphetamine Addiction

Hyper Fixations On Tasks

Hyper fixations on tasks are a psychological indicator of amphetamine addiction because dopamine levels in the striatum increase by up to 700% and remain elevated for up to 12 hours after use of amphetamines [7].

Peterson et al (2015), found that 20 university students misused amphetamines typically prescribed to treat ADHD or narcolepsy (e.g. dextroamphetamine) to have ‘tunnel vision’ and ‘pull all-nighters', enabling them to study for 12 – 13 hours at a time:

“Sometimes I am really lazy, I don’t want to do my work, but with Adderall you kind of jumpstart your motor, it gets you going, it is a really good remedy, it’s the missing ingredient” - a 32-year-old PhD student
“There is an internal quieting, pushing your mood into a more positive direction, it’s something that allows you to engage in a task and feel good while it is being completed" - a 25-year-old MA Student [27].

Delusions Of Grandeur

Delusions of grandeur are a psychological indicator of amphetamine addiction because disruptions in neurotransmission within the central nervous system lead to:

Grandeur delusions in 17.7% after abusing amphetamines for 10 – 14 years, causing users to believe they are "extremely important" (e.g. a royal figure) after consuming around 1.08g per day [28]
49% of daily amphetamine users report feeling like they had special powers at least once after smoking, injecting, or snorting doses between 0.4 - 0.9g daily [29]
4% experience transient (<24 hours) grandiose delusions, whereas 23% experience ongoing (>24 hours) grandiose delusions, often lasting between 1 – 4 months [30]

Paranoid Delusions

Paranoid Delusions are a psychological indicator of amphetamine addiction because interruptions in neurotransmission within the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic pathways results in:

Persecutory delusions in 31.3% of chronic amphetamine users (daily use for 10+ years), typically lasting 2 – 3 hours with beliefs that an entity, person, or organisation is trying to harm them [28]
Delusions of a jealous or controlling nature in 24.2%; users typically believe a spouse is having an affair whilst having no objective evidence, although this is more common in women than men (50% vs 16%) [28] [29]

In a case study by Grelotti et all (2010), a 37-year-old man developed paranoid delusions 2 years after beginning to smoke methamphetamine daily, lasting 5 months after drug withdrawal with recurring beliefs about a sports car being the FBI following him [31].

Racing Thoughts And Disjointed Speech

Racing thoughts and disjointed speech are psychological indicators of amphetamine dependence because a 400% increase of noradrenaline enhances alertness and arousal within 45 minutes of drug-taking, leading to [7]:

Disorganised thinking and speech in up to 55% of daily amphetamine users, including continual loud outbursts, abrupt switching of topics, and the slurring of words [30]
Users appear alert, agitated, and ‘over-reactive’, with rapid incessant speech and unpredictable behaviour, including talking to themselves or arguing/yelling at others without an explanation [17]

Racing thoughts and disjointed speech caused by amphetamine misuse typically subside within 1 month, although 30% experience symptoms for 1 - 6 months, and 4% of cases develop into Schizophrenia [32].

Who Is Most Likely To Develop An Amphetamine Addiction?

Group More/Less Likely	Why?
Prescribed For ADHD/Narcolepsy	14.3% abuse prescription stimulants (e.g. Ritalin) after taking ADHD medication from age 6; 2.9 times more likely to become addicted due to impulsivity + emotional dysregulation [33] [34] Up to 47% of narcoleptic patients take prescribed amphetamines, and 13.3% have a previous SUD diagnosis (e.g. 20% for methamphetamine) [35]
Students	14.2% misuse Adderall/Ritalin, and 4% become addicted after initially using to help with concentration/studying (65.2%) or increase alertness (47.5%) [35] Stimulant abuse before university increases the risk of developing an addiction during university by 3-fold [36]
Athletes/Bodybuilders	13.3% misuse amphetamines alongside anabolic steroids (AS) to minimise fatigue whilst enhancing sport performance and maintaining fitness levels [37] 30% become dependent on AS and are 4.5 times more likely to become dependent on stimulants compared to non-steroid users [38] [39]
Body Dysmorphia Sufferers	6.8% develop a stimulant use disorder vs roughly 2% of the general population [40] Despite normal BMI values (18.5 - 24.9), some become addicted due to feeling ‘fat’ and claiming the drug makes them lose 15kg in 10 days: “I was 46 kg. Friends all said I was thin, but I still thought I was fat. I wanted to lose weight.” [6]
Alcoholics/Diazepam Addicts	Alcohol use increases the odds of lifetime amphetamine use by 4.22 times; for every day of binge drinking, the odds of same-day amphetamine use increase by 4.5 times [41] Up to 50% also become dependent on stimulants to increase/decrease the effects of benzodiazepines, experiment, or relax/relieve tension [42]

Amphetamines Addiction Vs Other Drugs

	Amphetamines	LSD	Barbiturates
Potency	Lethal dose in adults = around 20-25 mg/kg	Lethal dose = around 14 milligrams (active from 0.02 mg)	Lethal dose = roughly 2–3 g for amobarbital and pentobarbital
Length Of Action	Effects start within 30 - 60 minutes, lasting 4 - 12 hours	Effects start within 20 - 90 minutes, lasting 6 - 15 hours	2 - 6 hours for short-acting (e.g. pentobarbital) Impaired motor skills (e.g. driving) for up to 22 hours
Unique Physical Effects Of Chronic Addiction	Meth mouth (tooth decay, abcesses, gum disease) Sores, blisters, ulcers from skin-picking + pipe-smoking	‘Bad Trips’ with psychosis lasting 3–4 days	Slurred speech, loss of balance/ coordination Irregular menstrual cycles
Specific Health Complications	13.3% require dentures due to 4 - 5 missing teeth [12] 1- 2 year increased brain age due to sleep deprivation [19]	Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder Ongoing psychotic episodes for up to 5 years	Bronchitis or pneumonia from respiratory depression Hemodynamic Instability

	Alcohol	Cannabis	Cocaine
Potency	A BAC of 0.40 can result in coma or death	Lethal half dose = about 15 grams	Estimated minimal lethal dose = 1.2g, some tolerate up to 5g
Length Of Action	Effects begin within 10 minutes and last around 2 hrs Stays in the blood for 12 hours	Smoking/vaping = up to 8 hours Eating = up to 24 hours	Effects begin within 5 minutes and last 15 - 30 minutes
Unique Physical Effects Of Chronic Addiction	Yellow, puffy, dry, and wrinkled skin Unexplained cuts and bruises	Constant, mucus-filled cough Acid reflux, red, blurry, bloodshot eyes	Losing sense of smell, nosebleeds, blocked nose
Specific Health Complications	Fatty liver, Hepatitis, and Cirrhosis Spider veins, Erosive Gastritis	Large airway inflammation Lung hyperinflation Peptic ulcer disease	Septal perforation Cardiac arrhythmias + Aortic dissection

How Do Different Forms Of Amphetamines Change Amphetamine Addiction?

	Dextroamphetamine	Methamphetamine	Lisdexamfetamine
Form	Oral Tablets or solution Modified-release capsules	Off-white powder or translucent - white crystalline substance White, yellow or brown ‘paste’ or ‘wax’ with damp, oily texture	Oral capsules 20 - 70mg
Prescribed Use?	Yes	No	Yes
Onset/Duration Of Action	30 - 60 mins, lasting 4 - 6 hrs or 12 hours (extended release)	5 - 30 mins, lasting 6 - 12 hrs, causes arrhythmia within 15 mins	60 minutes, lasting up to 14 hours
Side Effects/Risks	6% of prescribed users become addicted [43]	Eye movements up to 10x faster than normal + 15kg weight loss within 10 days [4] Fatal overdoses have increased by 5-fold within 6 years [44]	Increases heart rate by 3 to 6 BPM and blood pressure by 2-4 mmHg Anxiety/ Irritability in around 10%

	Ephedrine	Cathinones
Form	Oral suspension or solution Solution for injection or nasal drops	White/brown powder or chunky crystals Occasionally capsules/tablets
Prescribed Use?	Yes	No
Onset/Duration Of Action	15 - 60 minutes, lasting 1 - 4 hours	5–20 minutes, lasting 2– 5 hours
Side Effects/Risks	Two patients experienced fatal intracranial hemorrhages [45]	Involved in 29% of fatal poisonings [46]

References

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About the author

Mischa Ezekpo

Mischa Ezekpo has a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Northumbria
University, and a Masters degree in Childhood Development and
Wellbeing, from Manchester Metropolitan University. Since 2018, Mischa
has written and published work on Addiction, Mental Health, Depression, and Eating Disorders. Content reviewed by Laura Morris (Clinical Lead).

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Last Updated: September 26, 2025