Ecstasy has made a well-known name for itself. It is also known as "E," "the hug drug," and “X,” methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) has recently been the subject of countless news stories.
Americans are familiar with the images of raves, all night parties where the Ecstasy subculture is known to thrive. News stories have taken the viewer inside the rave, where young Ecstasy users are shown sucking on pacifiers, playing with glow-sticks and blowing on each other’s skin to the backdrop of flashing lights and electronic music.
Ecstasy use is rising among young people at a time when use of other drugs has leveled off or begun to decline. Because raves are alcohol-free, people of all ages may attend. As a result, studies show the drug becoming increasingly popular among high school students even down to eighth grade.
Ecstasy use is also increasing on college campuses. According to one study, Ecstasy users were more likely to spend a lot of time socializing, attend a residential college and belong to a sorority or fraternity. However, according to the researchers, Ecstasy users did not differ from other students in grade point average or commitment to community service and the arts. The reputation and novelty of the drug is thought to be responsible for its rise in use.
Dangers Widely Reported
The potential deadliness of the drug is widely stressed by the news media and anti-drug awareness groups. All too often, however, anti-Ecstasy messages are centered around a "just say no" phrase which provides little objective information about the drug. As a result, these prevention messages are not taken seriously, and Ecstasy, widely believed to be a "safe" drug, continues to gain popularity among high school and college students.
At a recent conference of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a panel of Ecstasy experts criticized the NIDA’s campaign of scare tactics, urging instead a realistic message that reflects both the drug’s attractions and the potential dangers of abuse. Experts have advocated measures to reduce the harm of ecstasy on current users, including making certain plenty of water is provided at raves to prevent dehydration and offering purity tests to detect other harmful substances often present in Ecstasy tablets.
Ecstasy was discovered in Germany by Merck Pharmaceutical Company in 1912. Originally tested as an appetite suppressant, it was soon rejected due to its side effects and long remained forgotten. In the 1970s, the drug was rediscovered and used in combination with psychotherapy. Because it enhanced emotional warmth and feelings of closeness, MDMA was believed to be helpful in establishing patient/therapist communication. In the early 1980s, however, MDMA became popular as a recreational drug and in 1985 was made illegal and classified a Schedule 1 drug, the most restricted type.
Ecstasy can be smoked, snorted or injected but is almost always taken in the form of a tablet. At normal doses of 100 to 125 milligrams, effects begin after 20 to 40 minutes and can last up to six hours.
The drug produces a relaxed, high state in which users feel at peace and accepting of both themselves and others. Although Ecstasy can enhance sensory experience, like hallucinogens, users are rarely subject to visual distortions, sudden mood swings or psychotic reactions. Ecstasy users also feel a boost of energy and are able to dance for hours without desire for food, drink or rest. Without rest and water intake, the body temperature can rise to dangerously high levels, which can cause heat stroke, collapse and even death. Other immediate effects of the drug include increased heart rate and blood pressure, dry mouth, nausea and sometimes teeth grinding. Teeth grinding is a common side effect and can completely erode surfaces of the teeth, triggering many users to suck on infant pacifiers.
Feelings of depression and exhaustion are common in the days following Ecstasy use. A recent study was performed to assess the mid-week effects of the drug on the mood of weekend Ecstasy users and to determine whether the effects differed for males and females. The researchers found that women were more susceptible than men to feelings of depression a half week after Ecstasy use; both male and female users showed increased self-rated aggression mid-week compared to their counterparts in a control group.
These changes in mood may be connected with neurotoxicity, or degeneration of brain serotonin (5-HT). Serotonin plays an important role in regulating mood, and low levels of serotonin are associated with clinical depression. One of the ways Ecstasy makes the user feel so good is by flooding the brain with serotonin, something that if done repeatedly could cause long-term damage to the serotonin in the brain.
Although little is known about the long-term neurotoxic effects of Ecstasy use, studies suggest long-lastingeffects on memory, mood, impulsivity, logical reasoning and calculation may occur, however, these effects may be reversible.
Whatever its potential therapeutic benefits, MDMA has its share of negative effects. A lack of information has led many to believe that the good outweighs the bad and that Ecstasy is a “safe” drug. As more studies each year bring light to the damage done by Ecstasy abuse, it is important to spread this new information in a balanced and rational manner.
By: Kerri Musselman, Pharm.D.
