How long does a high on speed last for?

Answer 1

The d-isomer of amphetamine has a half life of 12 hours. This does not mean that the effects felt by the individual are "half" the intensity of the peak of the high, rather that the amount of amphetamine present in the body is roughly half that of the amount taken. The high lasts depending on the amount of amphetamine taken and the user's tolerance to amphetamine. The amount of amphetamine taken is difficult to assess because most drugs are "cut" with other substances especially when sold in pressed pill form. The effects are generally felt for approximately 5-15 hours (again, highly dependent on dosage and tolerance), although the individual may have trouble sleeping for a long period of time following the high (again, of course this is completely dependent on dosage), possibly for days which is especially true for chronic users. In my personal experience, the high on speed is much more constant than that of other amphetamine class drugs, such as MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, most commonly known as ecstasy) which is a substituted amphetamine (not a methamphetamine as the name suggests). What I mean by "more constant" is that speed does not peak as intensely as, for example, ecstasy (which peaks after forty five minutes to an hour and a half, and lasts about 15-30 minutes - but the individual will still feel the the effects hours later). Rather the individual will start feeling the effects of speed after around thirty minutes to an hour, and the high will feel relatively the same for the duration of the high. As a side note to individuals who are curious about trying amphetamine-class drugs to have a good time (by no means am I recommending doing drugs), I would recommend ecstasy over speed by far. It is less addictive (that if taken safely, meaning one dose or "roll" no more than once every 2-3 months), but if taken too often, the user will quickly develop tolerance (a higher dose will be needed for the same effect) and can suffer adverse effects (such as impaired cognitive function, memory loss, etc), for it is neurotoxic (because of a metabolization byproduct, alpha-Methyldopamine).Used in moderation, it increases the user's mood significantly and social skills. The only situations where speed would be a better choice than E would be for studying and competitive events (from which amphetamine use is usually banned from) and prolonged use (as in the treatment of ADD and ADHD or narcolepsy).