[Music] amphetamines are cns stimulants most commonly used to treat adhd in children in this visual mnemonic video i'll teach you an easy way to recognize the amphetamine drugs remember their clinical uses and what side effects you should look out for let's get started in this video we're at the local outdoor amphitheater with this boy and his mom this amphitheater is our symbol for today's topic amphetamines amphitheater for amphetamines get it most of the amphetamine drugs are easy to recognize because they actually end in amphetamine you know take the drugs methamphetamine and dextroamphetamine however there is one exception to this rule so let's talk about that next like most amphitheaters this one can seat a lot of people and this metal fence here helps control the crowd by the way the metal fence here is our symbol for the drug methylphenidate get it metal fence for methylphenidate technically methylphenidate is an amphetamine-like drug it has a very similar mechanism to amphetamines but it has a lower potential for abuse intolerance than normal amphetamines because of this it is a preferred treatment over most other amphetamines with the drug names out of the way let's move on to their clinical uses most kids at the theater this kid here is pretty excited for the show and has a lot of energy he just can't stay still as he excitedly points to the balloons you can use this hyperactive kid to help you remember that amphetamines are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder also known as adhd adhd is commonly diagnosed in childhood and has the main characteristics of hyperactivity and difficulty with attention amphetamines are cns stimulants meaning they alter chemicals in the brain to increase alertness attention and activity it may seem counterintuitive that a stimulant would help someone who is hyperactive but these drugs have been proven to help the attention span and focus of people with adhd it's important to note that amphetamines do not cure adhd rather amphetamines help to treat the symptoms of adhd only the kid's mother is clearly exhausted from trying to keep up with her hyperactive son it looks like she's been up all night and could not off at any second just like this mom looks like she could fall asleep at any second amphetamines are used to treat narcolepsy you know the condition that makes you fall asleep suddenly during the day this should make sense knowing that amphetamines are cns stimulants increasing your energy and attention spans related to this treatment of narcolepsy is the ability of these drugs to cause insomnia since these are cns stimulant drugs they work similar to caffeine and should not be taken at night time to reduce the chance of experiencing insomnia the last dose of amphetamines should be administered before six o'clock at night by administering the dose with plenty of time before bed sleep is less likely to be disturbed make sense next let's talk about some other side effects of amphetamines the amphitheater employee is using a pump to inflate balloons and hand them out to the children no wonder the boy is so excited inflating the balloons is kind of like increasing the pressure inside the balloons which should remind you of how amphetamines can increase blood pressure inside the body get it as stimulants amphetamines can cause hypertension you will want to monitor the patient's blood pressure closely let's go let's go let's go the boy is pulling on his mom's arm and jumping around so much that his heart rate is really climbing look at it there on his fitness watch amphetamines can cause a high heart rate also called tachycardia which is a common side effect of stimulants heart rate should be monitored in patients taking amphetamines this boy's mom had packed in some snacks to munch on during the show here at the amphitheater but the boy doesn't want to sit and eat he wants to move he's thrown the food in the trash just like this boy doesn't feel like eating amphetamines can suppress appetite making the patient feel like they're not hungry if the patient isn't eating enough this can lead to weight loss and growth suppression as the nurse you should monitor the patient's height and weight especially if the patient is a child this isn't the family's first time to the amphitheater nor will it be their last the mom here is holding a season punch pass suggesting that she brings her boy to the amphitheater often anyways this season pass is our symbol for dependence since it keeps you coming back for more right amphetamines can cause tolerance and dependence and therefore have a high abuse potential people who become addicted to amphetamines will need a higher and higher dose to achieve the same effect and avoid withdrawal like i mentioned earlier methylphenidate has a lower abuse potential than the traditional amphetamine drugs making it the better and safer choice that being said all of the amphetamines can cause some degree of tolerance and dependence so just remember the season pass here to peg this fact i think the show is about to start let's quickly summarize what we've talked about amphetamines are a class of mental health drugs that include all drugs ending in amphetamine like methamphetamine and dextroamphetamine the exception to this rule is methylphenidate which is an amphetamine-like drug that works similarly but has a lower abuse potential amphetamines are cns stimulants clinically used to treat adhd and narcolepsy amphetamines can cause insomnia so be sure to give the last dose before 6 pm to avoid interfering with nighttime sleep amphetamines can also cause hypertension and tachycardia so the patient's vital signs should be monitored closely other side effects of amphetamines include appetite suppression leading to weight loss and growth suppression as the nurse be sure to closely monitor the patient's height and weight especially in children and lastly keep in mind that amphetamines can cause tolerance and dependence leading to a high abuse potential well let's go take our seats and let's hope this boy can calm down a little during the performance for his mom's sake i'll catch you in the next thanks for watching for more videos like this one subscribe to our channel and check out our newest lessons for more resources on this topic including fact lists and interactive review images click the image next to the more here arrow i'll see you next time