EcstasyMDMA, also known as “Ecstasy”, is a fairly quick acting drug that has both stimulant and mood-altering properties, reaching its peak in about two to three hours and lasting for up to eight hours.MDMA was developed nearly one hundred years ago. It was intended, but never marketed as an appetite suppressant. It remained relatively unknown until the 1960’s, when it became a popular alternative to LSD. While LSD use has been on the decline, MDMA use seems to be rising. There are several reasons to be concerned about this drug. According to Dr. Alan Leshner, former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), MDMA is the only drug whose use is on the increase among high school juniors and seniors in the past two years. Because of its stimulant properties (it’s structure is similar to the methamphetamine molecule) it tends to cause some of the same effects: increases in heart rate, blood pressure and ones sense of alertness. Its hallucinogenic properties are described as less intense than LSD. Users seem to prefer what they describe as a softening and openness of mood. Some years ago, this drug was tried to determine whether it could help patients with relationship and intimacy problems, but government approval of this research has been withdrawn, due to its problematic side effects. Users have touted it as safe and fun. Large parties, called “raves” are held in remote, sometimes desert locations, where MDMA and other drugs are taken in sometimes quite large quantities and participants risk both toxicity (sudden rises in blood pressure and heart rate) and dehydration (leading to hyperthermia or stroke) both of which can and have lead to death. Research sponsored by NIDA has revealed that MDMA has powerful and long-lasting effects on the neocortex and the hippocampus, areas of the brain that are important for memory and reasoning. Even at lower, less toxic doses, over time users begin to complain of difficulties with reasoning or with their ability to pay attention, or to remember or learn new tasks. This seems to be due to MDMA’s effect on the brain’s internal communication system. For reasoning or memory to take place, several areas in the brain have to be linked together and this requires healthy wires (neurons) and junctions (chemicals between the neurons, called neurotransmitters). One neurotransmitter essential to emotional regulation, memory and higher thinking is called serotonin. MDMA damages the nerve pathways that involve serotonin, causing a depletion of this chemical and making users vulnerable to memory impairments, sleep problems and depression and anxiety. I have seen several patients in my own practice with such complaints and there’s not much that we can do about them except hope that with discontinuation and time, the brain can begin to heal itself. It is not clear to me yet whether the serotonin enhancing drugs that we use to treat depression and anxiety may assist in this process, but a number of studies suggest that if taken soon enough after MDMA exposure, the damage might be reduced. The take home message here is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Some explorations of self, of mind, and of intimacy in relationships involve taking risks – the risk of being true and knowing yourself and letting others know you by disclosing yourself to them. Perhaps one day there will be a drug that will give us the safe passage through the mysteries of life – but not today. Parents, please talk with your kids, especially if they are in high school or older. Kids, please weigh the risks of chemical damage to your brains and your futures and talk openly with each other to discover what your potentials are and how you can support each other to be the best that you can be. |
