Stimulant – Wikipedia

The caffeine contained in coffee is one of the most consumed stimulants in the world, despite the addiction that the latter causes and therefore inevitably the decline in its stimulating effect.

And stimulant is a substance that increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system facilitating or improving certain functions of the organism. Among the stimulants frequently consumed are the caffeine contained in tea and coffee, as well as nicotine present in large quantities in tobacco.

The stimulating substances increase the activity of the sympathetic system quite gradually but prolonged, distinguishing itself from those with exciting Quite fast but relatively limited in time ^{[ first ]} .

Stimulants are used for therapeutic purposes to increase vigilance but some of them are used in a diverted manner for recreational use. They are also sometimes used in a diverted way to increase resistance, productivity or remove appetite.
Some are even used for sports doping like heptaminol.

Stimulants induce a feeling of euphoria or/and a feeling of awakening. They accelerate heart rate and increase respiratory frequency and blood pressure.

List of stimulating substances and pharmacology [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Stimulants increase the activity of the central nervous system. They can be classified in several categories according to their mode of action:

• The antagonists of adenosine receptors (caffeine, theophylline, theobromine)
• The positive allosteric modulators of the AMPA receivers (Aniracetam, Piracetam, Oxiracetam and Phenylpiracétam)
• Anti-NMDAs (Mémantine)
• Cholinergics (nicotine, arecoline, rivastigmine, galantamine)
• Dopamine liberators (amphetamine, methamphetamine)
• Dopamine reuptake inhibitors (cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, Cathinone methylphenidate, certain antidepressants)
• Noradrenaline liberators (amphetamine, methamphetamine, the latter two also acting as dopaminergic)
• Noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (methylphenidate, amphetamine, methamphetamine, certain antidepressants)
• Orexine receptor agonists (Tak-925)
• Histamine reuptake inhibitor (pitolating)
• Eugeroic (Modafinil)
• The liberators of serotonin (Tramadol, MDMA (Ecstasy), MDA, Mamédrone, methylone, amphetamine, methamphetamine)
• serotonin reuptake inhibitors (amphetamine, methamphetamine, ISRS)

Most contain caffeine, the addiction of which can appear after several weeks of continuous use and withdrawal may appear quickly (a few days) and cause headache, nausea and drowsiness, it is therefore advisable to use it that ‘every other day, alternating with another stimulant of similar effect (note that Alternate in different plants containing caffeine is useless, as well as Alterner between caffeine and Théophylline).

It may be possible to reduce addiction to caffeine by taking, at the same time, magnesium or a light nmda antagonist like memantine, but this is not scientifically proven.

Some stimulants increase the concentration of certain neurotransmitters involved in the feeling of pleasure. They can therefore induce a strong feeling of euphoria and/or well-being in the consumer, and bring him to an addiction.

The best known example of an addiction to a stimulant is that of smoking, therefore from nicotine addiction, but we can also cite cocainomania and addiction to amphetamines. Likewise, withdrawal symptoms can be felt after the sudden stop of certain antidepressants, which implies a certain form of prior addiction.

The speed of the appearance of dependence and its intensity, as for any other addictive drug, depend on multiple factors:

• the nature of the stimulant;
• the frequency of consumption;
• the importance of the doses consumed;
• The way of administration of the substance: the more the stimulant effect is felt quickly, the higher the risk of addiction, because the brain associates the stimulant more directly with the feeling of pleasure. Thus, the intravenous injection of the substance is potentially more addictive than its ingestion;
• the consumer age and personality, etc.
• Genetic predisposition ^{[ 3 ]} .

The strong desire, for a dependent person to a stimulant, to continue to consume the product to which they are dependent is sometimes named craving , from English “ardent desire, insatiable appetite”.

In addition, amphetamines, nicotine, caffeine, theophylline, antidepressants, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine create addiction after some time of use (about 2 months for nicotine, at least 6 weeks for caffeine , At least 6 months for antidepressants, 10 days for pseudoephedrine and probably for ephedrine) ^{[ Ref. desired]} .