AFP Health Reviews

Stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy, which are accompanied by increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. Historically, stimulants were used to treat asthma and other respiratory problems, obesity, neurological disorders, and a variety of other ailments. As their potential for abuse and addiction became apparent, the use of stimulants began to wane.

Now, stimulants are prescribed for treating only a few health conditions, including narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression that has not responded to other treatments. Stimulants may also be used for short-term treatment of obesity and for patients with asthma.

Stimulants such as dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) and methylphenidate (Ritalin) have chemical structures that are similar to key brain neurotransmitters called monoamines, which include norepinephrine and dopamine.Stimulants increase the levels of these chemicals in the brain and body. This, in turn, increases blood pressure and heart rate, constricts blood vessels, increases blood glucose, and opens up the pathways of the respiratory system. In addition, the increase in dopamine is associated with a sense of euphoria that can accompany the use of stimulants.Research indicates that people with ADHD do not become addicted to stimulant medications, such as Ritalin, when taken in the form and dosage prescribed. However, when misused, stimulants can be addictive.

The consequences of stimulant abuse can be extremely dangerous. Taking high doses of a stimulant can result in an irregular heartbeat, dangerously high body temperatures, and/or the potential for cardiovascular failure or seizures. Taking high doses of some stimulants repeatedly over a short period of time can lead to hostility or feelings of paranoia in some individuals.

Stimulants should not be mixed with antidepressants or OTC cold medicines containing decongestants. Antidepressants may enhance the effects of a stimulant, and stimulants in combination with decongestants may cause blood pressure to become dangerously high or lead to irregular heart rhythms.

Treatment of addiction to prescription stimulants, such as methylphenidate and amphetamines, is based on behavioral therapies proven effective for treating cocaine or methamphetamine addiction. At this time, there are no proven medications for the treatment of stimulant addiction. Antidepressants, however, may be used to manage the symptoms of depression that can accompany early abstinence from stimulants.

Depending on the patient’s situation, the first step in treating prescription stimulant addiction may be to slowly decrease the drug’s dose and attempt to treat withdrawal symptoms. This process of detoxification could then be followed with one of many behavioral therapies. Contingency management, for example, improves treatment outcomes by enabling patients to earn vouchers for drug-free urine tests; the vouchers can be exchanged for items that promote healthy living. Cognitive-behavioral therapies, which teach patients skills to recognize risky situations, avoid drug use, and cope more effectively with problems, are proving beneficial. Recovery support groups may also be effective in conjunction with a behavioral therapy. Now that you have an overview of various drugs that can become addictive, let’s see if you or a loved one might have a problem.

Being a nutritionist and Fitness Expert I often hear this question from my clients. Well, before discussing the safety and risks, advantages and disadvantages or benefits and drawbacks of weight loss products, we need to know what they really are and how they work. >

Any diet, a natural food supplement or a prescription drug based on synthetic chemicals that helps remove excessive fats from the body falls into the category of Weight Loss Products. This category of products is further divided into two sub-categories;
Prescription Medications
OTC or Over The Counter Products

Prescription Medications

Prescription Medications are FDA approved products, based on synthetic chemicals. They often work faster than OTC or available over the counter products. Most of the synthetic weight loss products are appetite suppressants. Some of the leading brands marketed in The US are as under;
Reductil Tablets
Orslim Tablets
Nobese Tablets

Controlling hunger is a proven, safe, time tested and effective way to lose weight. Unquestionably the products mentioned above are really effective to lose weight but as a matter of fact, in majority of cases they are associated with long term damages because of their adverse effects. Thats why I prefer to go for second option discussed below.

OTC or Over The Counter Weight Loss Products

As the name suggests, products that fall in this category do not require a prescription and anyone can purchase these products online or by visiting the nearest health food store. These weight loss supplements are usually based on natural ingredients. Unlike prescription drugs for weight loss, FDA does not evaluate the claims made by their manufacturers about the efficacy of supplements they offer. However, there are some natural weight loss supplements that really work.

As far as the safety of natural weight loss products are concerned, the answer is not always YES. Especially in the last few years, the launch of hundreds of natural products to lose weight has confused the end user to find a reliable brand.

The manufacturers of these weight loss supplements use different channels, e.g. TV commercials, Print ads, online advertisements etc. to market their brands. Many of them claim to use Chinese herbs or green tea extracts that help safely burn the excessive body fats. In reality most of them include substances like Ephedra in their formulation. If you have no experience of using these types of products, I would strongly recommend asking your physician before buying or starting any of the supplements. If you have some basic understanding or you have tried some but did not get satisfactory results, I have a free advice for you. Give it a try to Lipozene. It is a weight loss supplement that is really a natural product and does not contain any harmful chemical. For further information about the product please read Lipozene Review.