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Died from Stimulant Overdose

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Please add the profiles of those who have died from an overdose of a drug considered a Stimulant.


See also Related projects as the person may belong in more than one project (i.e.. suicide, accidental death, but please go with the one on the death certificate. You could put "suicide by overdose of..." or "accidental overdose of ..." in Geni's profile "cause of death" line.)

Stimulants (also referred to as psychostimulants) is an overarching term that covers many drugs including those that increase activity of the body, drugs that are pleasurable and invigorating, or drugs that have sympathomimetic effects.

  • Stimulants are widely used throughout the world as prescription medicines as well as without a prescription (either legally or illicitly) as performance-enhancing or recreational drugs.
  • Stimulants have been used in medicine for many conditions including obesity, sleep disorders, obesity, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, asthma, nasal congestion and as anesthetics.
  • Stimulants come in a variety of forms, including amphetamines, cocaine, and methamphetamines. Other drugs that are considered a Stimulant: marijuana, hallucinogens, inhalants, tranquilizers.
  • Stimulants can be addictive. Repeated high doses of some stimulants over a short period can lead to feelings of hostility or paranoia. Such doses may also result in dangerously high body temperatures and an irregular heartbeat.
    • Some Common brand names include: Ritalin, Concerta, Biphetamine, Dexedrine
    • Some Street names include: R-ball, Skippy, The smart drug, Vitamin R, JIF, Kibbles & Bits, Speed, Truck drivers, Bennies, Black beauties, Crosses, Hearts, LA turnaround, Uppers

History of Stimulants

  • In the 1930s, amphetamines were used to treat narcolepsy.
  • As the 1980s began, people started seeking treatment to help them stop using stimulants.
  • A cocaine epidemic started in the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. At first, cocaine was believed to be a cure for depression, morphine addiction, chronic tuberculosis, and many others. Physicians began prescribing cocaine so often, it became a popular ingredient in medicines, toxins, elixirs, and even the original formulation of Coca-Cola.
  • The first change was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 made it that labels had to state that cocaine or other narcotics were on medicines.
  • The Harrison Act of 1914 almost completely stopped the use of cocaine- containing patent medicines by not allowing the making and sale of cocaine.

Notable stimulants

  • See also: Drugs.com - CNS stimulants. Includes a list of CNS stimulants & Medical conditions associated with CNS stimulants.
  • There are many classed as stimulants, but most are not causes of death, however that is always a possibility if abused or overdosed.
  • The most commonly used street drugs that fall into this category are cocaine and amphetamines.
  • Prescription stimulants come in tablets or capsules. When abused, they are swallowed, injected in liquid form or crushed and snorted.
  • Amphetamine:
    • It is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the phenethylamine class that is approved for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.
    • Amphetamine was discovered in 1887 and exists as two enantiomers: levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine.
    • Amphetamine is also used as a performance and cognitive enhancer, and recreationally as an aphrodisiac and euphoriant.
    • Although it is a prescription medication in many countries, unauthorized possession and distribution of amphetamine is often tightly controlled due to the significant health risks associated with uncontrolled or heavy use. As a consequence, amphetamine is illegally synthesized by clandestine chemists, trafficked, and sold.
    • The first pharmaceutical amphetamine was Benzedrine, a brand of inhalers used to treat a variety of conditions. Because the dextro isomer has greater stimulant properties, Benzedrine was gradually discontinued in favor of formulations containing all or mostly dextroamphetamine.
    • Substance dependence (i.e., addiction) is a serious risk of amphetamine abuse, but only rarely arises from proper medical use. Very high doses can result in a psychosis (e.g., delusions and paranoia), which very rarely occurs at therapeutic doses even during long-term use. As recreational doses are generally much larger than prescribed therapeutic doses, recreational use carries a far greater risk of serious side effects.
    • Due to their availability and fast-acting effects, substituted amphetamines are prime candidates for abuse.
    • Examples of substituted amphetamines are amphetamine (itself), methamphetamine, ephedrine, cathinone, phentermine, mephentermine, bupropion, methoxyphenamine, selegiline, amfepramone, pyrovalerone, MDMA (ecstasy), DOM (STP)Adderall, dextroamphetamine (e.g., Dexedrine), and lisdexamfetamine (e.g., Vyvanse)
  • Cocaine:
    • (See also: About Addiction -Crack Cocaine Statistics)
    • Cocaine is an SNDRI. Cocaine is made from the leaves of the coca shrub, which grows in the mountain regions of South American countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru. In Europe, North America, and some parts of Asia, the most common form of cocaine is a white crystalline powder.
    • Most cocaine use is recreational and its abuse potential is high (higher than amphetamine), and so its sale and possession are strictly controlled in most jurisdictions.
    • Cocaine can be snorted while in the powered form, injected into the veins after dissolving in water, or smoked. It is also used to produce crack, which is smoked, producing a short, intense high.
    • People often mix cocaine with other drugs, such as heroin, marijuana, tranquilizers, and amphetamines.
  • Ephedrine:
    • Ephedrine is commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, and decongestant, and to treat hypotension associated with anesthesia.
  • MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine):
    • MDMA, ecstasy, or molly -- is a euphoriant, empathogen, and stimulant of the amphetamine class.
    • Briefly used by some psychotherapists as an adjunct to therapy, the drug became popular recreationally and the DEA listed MDMA as a Schedule I controlled substance, prohibiting most medical studies and applications.
    • The stimulant effects of MDMA include hypertension, anorexia (appetite loss), euphoria, social disinhibition, insomnia (enhanced wakefulness/inability to sleep), improved energy, increased arousal, and increased perspiration, among others.
  • Pseudoephedrine:
    • is a sympathomimetic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes. It may be used as a nasal/sinus decongestant, as a stimulant, or as a wakefulness-promoting agent.
    • The salts pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine sulfate are found in many over-the-counter preparations, either as a single ingredient or (more commonly) in combination with antihistamines, guaifenesin, dextromethorphan, and/or paracetamol (acetaminophen) or another NSAID (such as aspirin or ibuprofen).
    • It is also used as a precursor chemical in the illegal production of methamphetamine.
  • Propylhexedrine:
    • is a stimulant medication, sold over-the-counter in the United States as the cold medication Benzedrex.
    • The drug has also been used as an appetite suppressant in Europe. Propylhexedrine is not an amphetamine, though it is structurally similar; it is instead a cycloalkylamine, and thus has stimulant effects that are less potent than similarly structured amphetamines, such as methamphetamine.
    • The abuse potential of propylhexedrine is fairly limited, due its limited routes of administration: in the United States, Benzedrex is only available as an inhalant, mixed with lavender oil and menthol. These ingredients cause unpleasant tastes, and abusers of the drug have reported unpleasant "menthol burps." Injection of the drug has been found to cause transient diplopia and brain stem dysfunction.
  • Catha edulis (Khat)
    • It is said to cause excitement, loss of appetite, and euphoria. In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified it as a drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate psychological dependence (less than tobacco or alcohol), although the WHO does not consider khat to be seriously addictive.
    • It is a controlled substance in some countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Germany, while its production, sale, and consumption are legal in other nations, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Yemen.

Notables dying from Drug Overdose & Intoxication

Mortality/morbidity:

  • Almost 5,500 people died from cocaine overdose in 2014.
  • Nearly 8.2% of all drug-related emergency department visits in 2011 involved the use of meth.
  • The number of people reporting current nonmedical use of stimulants, including meth, was higher in 2014 than almost every year between 2005 and 2012.
  • Stimulant abuse by teens largely involves the nonmedical use of prescription stimulant medications. In fact, among adolescents aged 12 to 17, 169,000 reported current prescription stimulant use outside of a prescription, compared to only 39,000 who reported current cocaine use.
  • See the following also:
  1. National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 65, No. 10, Dec 20, 2016. Drugs Most Frequently Involved in Drug Overdose Deaths: United States, 2010--2014
  2. DrugAbuse.com Stimulant Drug Abuse

Additional Reading:

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