We have completed discussion of nine of the ten classes of drugs. Today, we discuss the last class, that's referred to as other. This class contains things that don't quite fit in the first nine classes. And it's also intended to include new drugs that come up from time to time that also may not fit into other classes. Some of the substances that are included in this class include the anabolic steroids and natural products, such as betel nuts, kava, and khat. It also includes newer compounds and materials with valuable composition, such as bath salts. This image shows the chemical structures of two kinds of compounds that would fit into this class. The anabolic steroids are derivatives of testosterone. And mephedrone is a compound found in bath salts. Let's discuss these two examples further. Anabolic steroids include synthetic substances related to male sex hormones like testosterone. These substances promote growth of skeletal muscle, hence their use by athletes and body builders. They also promote growth of male sexual characteristics. The receptors for anabolic steroids are the testosterone receptors. Anabolic steroi, steroids are well known to have adverse health consequences. These include a wide range of effects from abnormal breast development in men, to heart attacks and liver cancer. There is sometimes an alteration of hormonal systems, causing for example, testicular shrinkage. They can also promote skin problems, like acne. The issues with anabolic steroids are recognized. For example, their use in sports is prohibited. Anabolic steroids also are abused and can cause addiction. They're somewhat unique in that they don't cause a high, but nevertheless some users continue to seek and take these substances despite physical problems and other negative effects. Users also spend a lot of money to get these drugs. As one would expect, there are withdrawal symptoms. These include mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, steroid cravings, and depression. And the withdrawal symptoms can persist for long time, up to a year. Another example for this class of drugs is the so-called bath salts. As you would guess, they have nothing to do with bathing. Rather they are an emerging group of drugs related to stimulants such as amphetamine, cathinone, and ecstasy. More specifically, bath salts may include compounds like mephedrone and pyrovalerone. These can produce stimulant and sometimes hallucinogenic effects. They are believed to have addiction liability and their safety is questionable. The compounds that are contained in bath salts were self-administered in rats, suggesting that they can easily be an addiction problem in humans. Human users report that the drugs produce an intensive craving and that they are highly addictive. Many of the substances have already been made illegal. Let me summarize what we've said about this catchall class of drugs. Even if drugs don't get you high or euphoric they can still promote seeking and using in spite of distress and negative consequences. The example of this is the anabolic steroids. From time to time new substances are found that are sometimes not illegal. However, they are often related to existing, abused, and toxic drugs. Unfortunately, the relative safety of these newer substances is often not fully known. This lack of knowledge can create treatment difficulties, especially in emergencies. The safest position to take is to avoid the use of these substances.
