Non-amphetamine psychostimulants include methylphenidate, known as Ritalin. Methylphenidate is a drug banned for sale many countries of the world.
Despite serious bans, drug addicts manage to get the drug. It is usually used to treat the symptoms of withdrawal symptoms while using other drugs.
Chemical formula
There are quite a few trade names for drugs containing methylphenidate. The chemical formula of the active ingredient: C14H19NO2. Among drug addicts, methylphenidate is called smart pills, baby cocaine, diet pills.
The history of the appearance of the substance
The drug methylphenidate was synthesized in 1944, and since 1961 it began to be given in the United States to children with hyperactivity. By 2002, the abuse of methylphenidate had been raised in the EU Parliamentary Assembly. In 2006, a big scandal erupted in the USA, which was initiated by the parents of children who took the drug and committed suicide. Today methylphenidate is banned in Russia, Turkey and some other countries, but in the US it continues to be used to treat children.
Medical use
The opinions of psychiatrists from different countries about methylphenidate were very different. In Russia, Ritalin and its derivatives are clearly prohibited, but in the West, child psychiatrists treat them with all sorts of syndromes, such as attention deficit disorder in children and hyperactive behavior. A number of scandals and lawsuits forced manufacturers to note in the instructions the fact of quick addiction to the drug, but the substance is not completely prohibited.
Signs of using methylphenidate
Poor appetite.
Excessive attentiveness and focus on details.
Nausea.
A good mood.
Sometimes the mood is diametrically opposite – insomnia, anxiety.
Psychiatric symptoms appear.
With an overdose of methylphenidate, hallucinations begin, blood pressure rises, a stroke and sudden death or paralysis are possible.
Methylphenidate (Ritalin) – effect on the body
Methylphenidate is a drug similar in action to cocaine and amphetamine, but it less stimulates the peripheral adrenergic systems. The mechanism of action of Ritalin is not fully understood. The substance acts on the cerebral cortex with an additional release of dopamine. If you exceed the therapeutic dose, which all drug addicts strive for, the mood changes rapidly. Aggression, irritability appears, psychosis develops. Such addicts are suicidal.
If you use methylphenidate for a long time, serious disturbances in the work of vital organs gradually appear, the liver, kidneys, heart, blood vessels, and lungs suffer. The appearing organ damage is usually impossible to correct, it can only be suspended. If the patient does not have a stroke, epileptic seizures develop. The retina of the eye may suffer, leading to blindness.
