Stimulants are common substances. Many people take stimulants daily in the form of caffeinated coffee. Potent forms can be used to treat many different medical problems like narcolepsy, obesity and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Other forms are used illicitly to get high. This broad and powerful class of drugs activates the central nervous system.

What Are Stimulants?

Stimulants are drugs that speed up the brain and body. They increase the level of dopamine and norepinephrine, common neurotransmitters. Norepinephrine, or noradrenaline, is a chemical responsible for activating the body’s fight or flight system. In contrast, dopamine activates the brain’s reward pathway. As a result, stimulants can be highly addictive, and many are classified under the Controlled Substance Act.

How Are Stimulants Administered?

Stimulants can be taken in different ways depending on the drug. Legal stimulants are taken by mouth, and many are meant to be taken whole. Illicit stimulants are typically smoked, snorted or injected to cause a high.

Types of Stimulants

Some stimulants are legally available to treat medical conditions. A few are even available over the counter. However, others are illicit and are sold illegally in the United States.

Prescription Stimulants

Many different prescription stimulants are available. Most stimulants are controlled substances, meaning that they are associated with a risk of abuse, addiction, and dependence. These drugs are categorized from Schedule I to Schedule IV, with Schedule IV being the most highly addictive. Further, some prescription stimulants are not controlled substances at all, meaning that no risk of abuse, addiction or dependence has been proven. Prescription stimulants available in the United States include:

  • Armodafinil

    Also sold under the brand name Nuvigil. It is mainly used for narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness. The drug is a Schedule IV controlled substance.

  • Modafinil

    Also sold under the brand name Provigil. It is prescribed mainly for narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness. It is a Schedule IV controlled substance.

  • Ergotamine and Caffeine

    Also sold under the brand names Cafergot and Miergot. The drug is mainly used for headaches. It is not a controlled substance.

  • Amphetamine

    Also sold under the brand names Adzenys, Dyavanel, and Evekeo. This drug is mainly used for ADHD and narcolepsy. It is a Schedule II controlled substance.

  • Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine

    Also sold under the brand names Adderall and Mydayis. It is mainly prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy. It is a Schedule II controlled substance.

  • Dextroamphetamine

    Also sold under the brand names Dexedrine, ProCentra, and Zenzedi. The drug is mainly used for narcolepsy. It is a Schedule II controlled substance.

  • Dexmethylphenidate

    Also sold under the brand name Focalin. The drug is mainly used for ADHD. It is a Schedule II controlled substance.

  • Diethylpropion

    Mainly prescribed for obesity. It is a Schedule IV controlled substance.

  • Benzphetamine

    Mainly prescribed for obesity. It is a Schedule III controlled substance.

  • Phentermine

    Also sold under the brand names Adipex-P and Lomaira. It is mainly prescribed for obesity. The drug is a Schedule IV controlled substance.

  • Lisdexamfetamine

    Also sold under the brand name Vyvanse. The drug is mainly used for ADHD and binge-eating disorder. It is a Schedule II controlled substance.

  • Methamphetamine

    Also sold under the brand name Desoxyn. It is mainly used for narcolepsy and is a Schedule II controlled substance. However, much of the methamphetamine used in the United States is illegal.

  • Pitolisant

    Also sold under the brand name Wakix. It is used for narcolepsy. The drug is not a controlled substance.

  • Methylphenidate

    Mainly used for ADHD and narcolepsy. It is a Schedule II controlled substance. Methylphenidate is also sold under many brand names like:

    Aptensio XR

    Concerta

    Cotempla XR-ODT

    Daytrana

    Jornay PM

    Metadate ER

    Methylin

    QuilliChew ER

    Quillivant XR

    Relexxii

    Ritalin

    Ritalin LA

In addition, some stimulants are available without a prescription. These include:

  • Caffeine products like coffee and soda
  • Nicotine products including cigarettes and nicotine replacement therapies
  • Pseudoephedrine which is sold behind the counter at pharmacies

Illicit Stimulants

Illicit stimulants include many different drugs like:

  • Cocaine

    This includes crack cocaine. While there are legal medical uses for cocaine and it is a Schedule II substance, for this reason, most of the cocaine in the United States is illegal.

  • Methamphetamine

    Like cocaine, meth is a Schedule II drug with some valid medical uses. However, most meth is illicit.

  • Khat

    This drug contains the Schedule I substance cathinone.

  • Bath Salts

    They contain man-made cathinone drugs of which some are Schedule I.

  • Kratom

    It is not illegal at the federal level but has been banned by some states.

What Do Stimulants Look Like?

Stimulants can come in many different forms. Prescription stimulants are generally pills taken by mouth. However, illicit stimulants can come in more forms, like:

Stimulant Forms

  • Leaves and Twigs

    These can be chewed. Khat is often sold as the leaves, shoots, and twigs of the shrub it comes from.

  • Powders

    These can be snorted or swallowed. Cocaine and bath salts often come as a white powder and are snorted. Conversely, kratom often comes as a green powder and is swallowed.

  • Crystals

    These are snorted or smoked. Meth often comes as clear or bluish crystals that look like ice or glass.

  • Rocks

    These can be smoked. Crack cocaine looks like small chunky rocks. The color of crack rocks ranges from yellowish-white to yellow. The rocks are usually small and weigh only a few tenths of a gram each.

  • Liquids

    These can be injected. Many liquids are originally other dosage forms, like crystals, which are dissolved in a liquid base and then injected.

Street Names for Stimulants

Because so many stimulants are available, there are a wide variety of street names. While some refer to stimulants as a whole, others are drug-specific. Street names for stimulants include:

  • Stimulant Street Names

    Bennies

    Black Beauties

    Cat

    Coke

    Crank

    Crystal

    Flake

    Ice

    Pellets

    R-Ball

    Skippy

    Snow

    Speed

    Uppers

    Vitamin R

Stimulant Side Effects

Stimulant side effects include:

  • Stimulant Side Effects

    Dizziness

    Tremors

    Headache

    Flushed skin

    Chest pain

    Palpitations

    Sweating

    Vomiting

    Stomach cramps

    Agitation

    Hostile behavior

    Panic

    Aggression

    Psychosis

How Long Do Stimulants Stay in Your System

Because so many different stimulants are available, the amount of time they stay in one’s system varies. Among illicit stimulants:

Prescription stimulants often last much longer than illicit stimulants because many of them are formulated to be long-acting. Because they start to work slowly, they also wear off very slowly, making them less likely to cause a high.  For example, Ritalin LA takes about 2 hours to reach its greatest effect. It takes 3.5 3.5 hours for half of Ritalin LA to wear off, and it can take about 17.5 hours for Ritalin LA to completely leave the body.

Are Stimulants Addictive?

Stimulants can be highly addictive. For this reason, some stimulants like khat are Schedule I controlled substances and are illegal. Even among legal stimulants like ADHD drugs, the majority are Schedule II controlled substances, meaning that they have a high risk of abuse and dependence despite their medical use. By triggering the release of brain chemicals like dopamine in the brain’s reward pathway, stimulants can lead to both addiction and physical dependence. This can make them not only prone to misuse but very difficult to stop taking without help.

If you or a loved one struggle with stimulant use, contact our experts at The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health. Our team is experienced in working with people to overcome stimulant misuse. Don’t wait; contact us today.

  • Sources

    U.S. Department of Justice; Drug Enforcement Administration. “Drugs of Abuse.” 2017. Accessed October 26, 2019.

    Center for Substance Abuse Research. “Crack Cocaine.” October 29, 2013. Accessed October 26, 2019.

    Sink or Swim. “Meth.” Accessed October 26, 2019.

    Drug Enforcement Administration. “3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV).” July 2019. Accessed October 26, 2019.

    Bellum, Sara. “Let’s Talk About Khat.” National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens, April 23, 2014. Accessed October 26, 2019.

    National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Cocaine.” July 2018. Accessed October 26, 2019.

    Huestis, Marilyn A; Cone, Edward J. “Methamphetamine Disposition in Oral Fluid, Plasma, and Urine.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, March 1, 2007. Accessed October 26, 2019.

    U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Ritalin LA.” January 31, 2019. Accessed October 26, 2019.

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