Usage of Pervitin

[ChristianK]

Hi there - some years ago I wrote an article on that topic and also interviewed medicine historian Peter Steinkamp about it.
He likened the effects of Pervitin to "driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. It does work somehow, but you not necessarily mind the rules that much." Otto Ranke, one of Germany's leading military physicians emphasized the use of Pervitin for staying awake while performing "long-lasting duties that are not physically demanding". Recorded negative effects were double-vision and seeing colors ("after the fourth pill" - officer of the 3rd Panzer Division), errors in judgement, circulatory problems and apathy when on deprivation.
Given all that, I think it's very possible that interrogation officers might not have been able to differentiate the behavior of a Pervitin-using POW from that of one who was drunk or simply disoriented/confused because of what has just happened to him.
Just my two cents.


Cheers,
Christian

[John Vasco]

Karl-Fritz Schröder, a Bordfunker with 13.(Z)/JG 5, told me that when he was shot down behind Russian lines, he spent three days heading back to the German lines. All he had to exist on was chocolate and pervitin. He hid during the day, and travelled stealthily at night. No sleep whatsoever during the whole time.

[ChristianK]

Originally Posted by John Vasco

Karl-Fritz Schröder, a Bordfunker with 13.(Z)/JG 5, told me that when he was shot down behind Russian lines, he spent three days heading back to the German lines. All he had to exist on was chocolate and pervitin. He hid during the day, and travelled stealthily at night. No sleep whatsoever during the whole time.

The usual German "flyer's chocolate" Scho-Ka-Kola was also caffeinated.

BTW: Beginning in 1944 the German army also ran a number of tests with cocaine, sometimes even mixed with methamphetamines or other stimulants. There were cocaine chewing gums and cocaine pills in operational use, at least with the midget submarine flottillas of the Kriegsmarine. So Pervitin was by far not the worst drug used by the Wehrmacht.

[edwest2]

Perhaps the following will be of some use.

https://www.amazon.com/British-Inter.../dp/0752462717

[BrianC]

Again my thanks for all contributions

John: what date was Karl-Fritz Schroder shot down, and who was his pilot?

Ed: book ordered. Thanks.

Larry: I take your point.

General: having personally not indulged in such drugs (alcohol, yes!) , how long would it have taken for the effects to have worn off?

Cheers
Brian

[MW Giles]

As a powerful stimulant, methamphetamine, even in small doses, can increase wakefulness and physical activity and decrease appetite. Methamphetamine can also cause a variety of cardiovascular problems, including rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, and increased blood pressure. Hyperthermia (elevated body temperature) and convulsions may occur with methamphetamine overdose, and if not treated immediately, can result in death.

The exact mechanisms whereby drugs like methamphetamine produce euphoria (the pleasurable high) are still poorly understood. But along with euphoria, methamphetamine use releases very high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the reward circuit, which "teaches" the brain to repeat the pleasurable activity of taking the drug. Dopamine is involved in motivation and motor function and its release in the reward circuit is a defining feature of addictive drugs. The elevated release of dopamine produced by methamphetamine is also thought to contribute to the drug's deleterious effects on nerve terminals in the brain.


How long the effects last depends on so many things:
- what dose you take
- how soon you repeat the dose (has the first one worn off before you take the second)
- total intake before you stop
- have you taken it regularly before
- what other things you take with it
- general fitness
- body mass
- activity levels while affected
etc etc

If you were tired and took a reasonable dose, say towards midnight, then you would probably still be getting the benefit six or perhaps eight hours later. Some sources say you can see effects 12-14 hours after taking and even 24 hours later, but that does not account for taking several hits in a day

None of that was personal experience

Martin

[BrianC]

Thanks for the latest, Martin

Ed: the recommended book is interesting but not really helpful, but thanks all the same.

Cheers
Brian