3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA),[note 1] commonly known as ecstasy (E), is a psychoactive drug used primarily as a recreational drug. Desired effects include increased empathy, euphoria, and heightened sensations.[10][11][12] When taken by mouth, effects begin after 30–45 minutes and last 3–6 hours.[6][13] It is also sometimes snorted or smoked.[12] As of 2016, MDMA has no accepted medical uses.[3]
Adverse effects of MDMA use include addiction, memory problems, paranoia, difficulty sleeping, teeth grinding, blurred vision, sweating, and a rapid heartbeat. Use may also lead to depression and fatigue. Deaths have been reported due to increased body temperature and dehydration.[12] MDMA increases the release and slows the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in parts of the brain. It has stimulant and psychedeliceffects.[1][14] The initial increase is followed by a short-term decrease in the neurotransmitters.[12][13] MDMA belongs to the substituted methylenedioxyphenethylamine and substituted amphetamine classes of drugs.
MDMA was first made in 1912.[12] It was used to improve psychotherapy beginning in the 1970s and became popular as a street drug in the 1980s.[12][13][15] MDMA is commonly associated with dance parties, raves, and electronic dance music.[16] It is often sold mixed with other substances such as ephedrine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine.[12] In 2014, between 9 and 29 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 used ecstasy (0.2% to 0.6% of the world population). This was broadly similar to the percentage of people who use cocaine, amphetamines, and opioids, but fewer than for cannabis.[17] In the United States, about 0.9 million people used ecstasy in 2010.[12]
MDMA is generally illegal in most countries.[12][18] Limited exceptions are sometimes made for research.[13]Researchers are investigating whether a few low doses of MDMA may assist in treating severe, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[10][19] More research is needed to determine if its usefulness outweighs the risk of harm.
Could MDMA, the powerful and illegal drug that often shows up in the nightclub scene and is known by the street name “ecstasy,” help people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder?
The FDA apparently thinks it’s at least a possibility.
After successfully testing the drug in preliminary trials, the FDA has decided to move forward on large-scale trials with PTSD patients who will take the strong drug to combat their PTSD symptoms, according to the New York Times.
It looks like it might be time for the fight over marijuana legalization, which has made major progress in the last couple years, to take the back seat. If these trials are successful, ecstasy could be available for medicinal use as early as 2021.
The upcoming trials, which reportedly include 230 patients, will be sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. The organization has previously studied the drug’s impact on veterans, sexual assault victims and first responders suffering from PTSD.
“We can sometimes see this kind of remarkable improvement in traditional psychotherapy, but it can take years, if it happens at all,” researcher Michael Mithoefer told the Times. “We think it works as a catalyst that speeds the natural healing process.”
Rachel Hope, a PTSD patient who has taken MDMA, participated in a 2012 study and said the ecstasy helped her recall and confront the sexual abuse she experienced as a child.
“It allowed me to rewire my brain,” she said.
But according to the Times, some medical professionals have major concerns about adding the drug to doctors’ arsenal of tools to deal with PTSD. Charles Marmar, head of psychiatry at New York University’s Langone School of Medicine, said ecstasy is a “feel-good drug” that could cause addiction problems and could ultimately “lead to serious damage to the brain.”
“High doses of MDMA can affect the body’s ability to regulate temperature. This can lead to a spike in body temperature that can occasionally result in liver, kidney, or heart failure or even death,” a statement from the National Institute on Drug Abuse concluded.