Brain Hyperthermia Is Induced by Methamphetamine and Exacerbated by Social Interaction

[ABX]

I had recently recalled several History channel type stories about various dictators with health problems being pepped up by their doctors with methamphetamines. Interesting series of side effects based on today's events.

Methamphetamine (METH) and related compounds [amphetamine, paramethoxyamphetamine, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (“ecstasy”)] are addictive substances that can cause serious health problems ranging from acute overdose toxicity and mortality to brain damage with chronic use (Davidson et al., 2001; Kalant, 2001; Rawson et al., 2002). Because METH induces abnormal release of various endogenous transmitters, including glutamate and catecholamines (Stephens and Yamamoto, 1994;Ohmori et al., 1996; Seiden and Sabol, 1996), these substances and some toxic products of their metabolism (i.e., nitric oxide, catechol-quinones, peroxynitrite, and arachidonic acid) are usually considered primary contributors to neural cell damage via oxidative stress (Spina and Cohen, 1989; Lipton and Rosenberg, 1994; Kuhn and Geddes, 2000; Cadet et al., 2001). METH is also known to cause hyperthermia both in humans (Kalant and Kalant, 1975) and rodents .....

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/23/9/3924.full

[Oceander]

I wonder how this might relate to people who take ritalin and other methamphetamine medications for ADD.