Amphetamine or sympathomimetic intoxication
Definition
Amphetamine or sympathomimetic intoxication describes the state that occurs with the use of amphetamines or sympathomimetic drugs. Intoxication can easily lead to overdose with severe or deadly toxicity (poisonous effects).
Symptoms include: high blood pressure, rapid heart rate (tachycardia), increased body temperature, agitation, stroke, seizures, irregular heart beats (cardiac arrhythmias), coma, and death.
See also: amphetamines in the poison section.
Alternative Names
Sympathomimetic intoxication; Intoxication - amphetamines or sympathomimetics; Intoxication - uppers
Review Date:
11/4/2005
Reviewed By:
William D. Whetstone, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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