Ecstasy
Ecstasy
MDMA. XTC. ADAM. DOVES. E.
Author. Leo Downer (1996)
A quick comment for 1997.
When Ecstasy first appeared there were those who belived that it was a relatively safe drug in the short and long term. After over four years of seeing problematic Ecstasy users it is difficult to say whether these claims are true. Similar things were said of diazepam (valium) and other benzodiazepines by esteemed medical colleagues when they first arrived, with the consequence that hundreds of thousands were prescribed them, only to find years later that they really are a nasty little substance.
There is insufficient evidence to give any real confident advice about any drug, however more and more of the people I trust to give accurate unbiased advice in the UK and Netherlands are starting to worry about the long term consequences of Ecstasy use, particularly on serotonin pathways that are linked with mood states. I am seeking further reports and will update this page when I get more info.
MDMA 3,4-Methylendioxymethamphetamine, is a synthetic compound modelled on a substance found in parseley, dill, nutmeg and oil of sassafras, it is derived from MDA and has the properties of both Amphetamine and LSD. Although similar to MDA /Methylendioxyamphetamine/ it is shorter acting and not as strong.
Hallucinations are rare on Ecstasy, however the composition of the tablets sold as Ecstasy can vary, between MDMA, MDA, MDEA and other hallucinogenic amphetamines. Amphetamine or LSD, alone or in combination, alternatively they can be completely inactive.
Given the inability to ascertain the dose or even what is in an Ecstasy tablet predicting the type of effect is difficult.
MDMA does not begin to take affect until after 30minutes to an hour of use. Its activity lasts between 2-4 hours. The dose required to achieve an effect, is approximately 1mg per lb of body weight. Street doses vary between 75 to 100mgs, thus one to two tablets are often required.
A common mistake made by many when they first begin experimenting with Ecstasy, is breaking the tablet in two with the idea that they will only receive half the dose in the tablet. This is not a reliable means of splitting the dose as the active constituents are not distributed evenly throughout the whole tablet. You could be receiving the full dose in your half or nothing at all.
The cost of a single dose ranges from �5 to �20 and purchases are most often made through a friend or acquired at party or dance venues.
Although described as a designer drug it is not. Designer drugs have been defined as substances wherein the psychoactive properties of a scheduled drug have been retained, but the molecule structure has been altered in order to avoid prosecution.
Given Ecstasy and all members of the 3,4 Methylendioxyamphetamine have been illegal in the UK since the 20th September 1977, Ecstasy does not fall into this class.
Effects
MDMA is a mild, mood enhancing drug which causes slight visual and auditory changes, an increased awareness of self and others and altered understanding of environmental and personal
events. Tactile stimuli is often enhanced and if the user is in the right mood highly pleasurable.
Although sometimes called the, Love Drug, this name has more to do with feelings of empathy and warmth to others rather than causing a direct increase in sexual arousal. However, feeling better about yourself, closer to others and a greater appreciation of touch will make it more likely that close physical contact will be desired. The stimulant properties of Ecstasy on the sympathetic or arousal systems of the brain and body will also increase sexual response and performance, if the personal and situational variables are favourable.
Ecstasy does not appear to be addictive and tends to lose its potency on continued use. In large doses it can cause anxiety, paranoia and LSD like sensations.
As with all psycho-active drugs the most important variables that influence the experience the user has of the drug is: the Dose, Personal Disposition and Beliefs of the user, and the Enviroment they use in.
Purity
From Jan 92 to June 95 the chemical composition of tablets being sold as Ecstasy has varied.In 1992 the greater proportion of the tablets contained MDMA, the number of tablets containing MDMA has been reducing. By June 93 the most frequent chemicals in ecstasy tablets were MDA and MDEA. Figures from the Forensic Science Service.
From these figures any write up or analysis of Ecstasy needs to include, MDA and MDEA as well as MDMA. The majority of literature has concentrated on the effects of MDMA alone.
The decline in purity and lack of availability of MDMA over the last two years is reported to have lead many to begin experimenting with other non-traditional used drugs such as Ketamine and gamma hydroxy buterate, GHB. The Brixton Drug Project saw a marked increase in GHB use in South London, UK in 1995-96
History
MDA. 3,4 Methylendioxyamphetamine. parent drug of MDMA, first synthesised in Germany in 1914 by the Pharmaceutical company E. Merk. Its properties were found by self experiments by Gordon Alles, an America researcher who discovered Amphetamine in 1927. MDA was brought to scientific attention in 1957 and its properties were investigated by the military, its
code was EA1299 at Edgewood Chemical Warfare Service (ECWS) in Maryland, America.
Natural Occurence
The 3,4 Methylendioxyamphetamine family are found in the oils of naturally occurring plants including:
Nutmeg, Sassafras, Dill, Calamus, Crocus, Parsley, Saffron.
A discussion of the uses of some of these plants in history is provided in the section Witchcraft, Herbs and Flying Ointments. Many of these plant are used in Herbal remedies and in Aromatherapy. The dried plant or their aromatic oils being readily available and legal in complementary medicine shops. A reminder is provided to individuals who may wish to rush off and purchase these oils that the concentrations to achieve an effect are very close to levels producing nasty side affects, also many of them are toxic or lethal in high doses.
The Hallucinogenic Amphetamines
Other drugs which are derivatives of ring-substituted amphetamine MDA family include:
MDMA 3,4 methylendioxymethamphetamine, (True Ecstasy).
MDEA, MMDA, MEDA, the list stretches into thousands. The structure of these compounds determine whether the effects are more like amphetamine or LSD.
Other members of the hallucinogenic amphetamine class include:
PMA, STP/DOM 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine
These compounds are much stronger in their hallucinogenic effects and are entirely synthetic.
Legal status
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 included all Amphetamine like compounds as being contained in Class A, this category is used for drugs deemed the most harmful and penalties for possession
and dealing are the most stringent. Up to 7 years in prison and an unlimited fine for possession, and up to life imprisonment and an unlimited fine for dealing.
MDMA is in Schedule 1 of the regulations which prohibit doctors from prescribing it. Ecstasy is also a Designated Drug, which requires a licence from the home office for research purposes.
How Does Ecstasy Work on the Body
MDA and MDMA are thought to work on the body by influencing levels of certain chemicals within the brain and other parts of the body.
The chemicals in the brain are called; Central Nervous System (CNS), Neuro-transmitters, and are primarily responsible for the effects of drugs on the mind and body.
Many of the chemicals in the brain (neuro-transmitters) are also present in nerves serving other areas of the body, thus a drug which affects the brain may also directly effect other organs.
When a drug affects the brain it will often cause the brain to react in a way so that other organs are affected also, this is done by the use of;
Nerves connecting to other parts of the body and
Hormones which are secreted by the brain and travel through the blood vessels to other organs.
The Sympathetic Nervous System
Ecstasy is in a family of drugs which have many of the properties of Amphetamine, however whilst I will discuss the Sympathetic action of Amphetamines on the body, Ecstasy differs from Amphetamine by its greater effect on alterring brain concentrations of Serotonin rather than Dopamine, which is the neurotransmitter most linked to Amphetamine use.
Despite this, the majority of the affects of Amphetamine on the body are replicated by Ecstasy and Ecstasy influences brain concentrations of dopamine as well.
The Amphetamine class of drugs have been described as belonging to the Sympathomimetics, that is its action mimics the Sympathetic activity of the human body, commonly referred to as the arousal system. I will stress here that no drug creates an effect in itself. It can only work if there is a system already present for it to activate.
Thus the mind and body has to have the potential already existing within it for a drug to work in a particular way.
The arousal system of the body is a physical adaptation possessed by many animals which is triggered in situations which require strenuous physical and mental activity. These triggers are commonly referred to as the 3F's. Flight, Fight and Sex. Usually, external environmental stimuli such as danger or sexual events start the process and the body prepares itself to act accordingly by priming the Catabolic systems, ie. the systems in the body that burn up energy.
The heart beats faster, breathing increases, specific blood vessels serving the muscles and brain widen to allow more food and oxygen into these areas, the pupils dilate to allow as much light into the eyes as possible, sweating increases to improve heat loss and attention gets focused onto whatever external stimuli may have caused the bodies readiness for action. Hormones and neuro-chemicals are released to maintain the aroused state and will continue to do so until the arousal stimuli has been resolved and forgotten.
The systems in the body which are involved in creating and preserving energy, Anabolic systems, are dramatically slowed. With less blood going to the gut for the digestion of food and other organs involved in digestion and excretion. When the arousal state has passed another system takes over to return the body to a state of relaxation, the Parasympathetic systems.
It should be noted that the effects described above are general, different individuals react with different pattern of internal effects when they are aroused.
Serotonin
As mentioned earlier the Neuro-transmitter which is thought to be greatly affected and responsible for many of the effects of Ecstasy is Serotonin. Others neuro-transmitters involved, include; Dopamine, Adrenalin, Noradrenaline and Histamine.
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), is found in high concentrations in the Pineal Gland of the brain, specific serotonin nerve circuits in the brain are also present, which pass from the spinal column, through the mid brain to the cerebral cortex.
Serotonin has been linked to disorders affecting mood, withh low levels being associated with Depression and high levels associated with Mania. Many anti-depressant drugs, (MAO inhibitors, Tricyclic's and the new Specific Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors like Prozac are thought to work by increasing the levels of Serotonin in the brain.
As well as its affect on mood Serotonin is thought to be linked with the general arousal of animals and sleeping, our awareness to external sensory stimuli and the control of motor (moving) activity. These theories were proposed by results that indicate that serotonin's concentration in the brain is highest in awake arousal states and lowest in dream sleep. However an examination of the activity of serotonin reveals that it has both an excitory and inhibitory influence on the activity of nerve cells located in in different areas of the brain
Ecstasy, LSD and other drugs which have hallucinogenic potential are thought to increase levels of Brain serotonin levels, (Freedman and Giarman), other researchers indicate the reverse, ie. hallucinogenics decrease serotonin levels, (Aghajanian and Sheard). Despite the link between serotonin and the action of Hallucinogenic drugs it is doubtful whether changes in serotonin alone is responsible for all the effects these two drugs have on the mind and body.
It should be noted that the science of neuro-psycho-pharmacology is still in its infancy, new neurotransmitters are continually being discovered and the neuro-physiology of the brain is still an area where much is to be learnt.
The description of specific neuro-transmitters and their effects on the mental state are generalisations. The truth is that no neuro-transmitter has an effect in itself rather as with all biological mechanisms a web of interacting chemicals and structures are involved.
This writer would recommend deep scepticism towards any agency or individual who reports that they have isolated the action of a drug to a particular neuro-transmitter, part of the brain or gene.
The Use of Ecstasy
The use of MDMA began in America were it was originally employed in Military and Psychotherapeutic situations. The drug was said to enable individuals to "make contact with their own and others" feelings in counselling sessions, its military application was to promote individuals to tell the truth. Its use was restricted to Military and Psychotherapeutic use until the 1980's. However by 1985, the recreational use of MDMA was occuring throughout America and Canada, according to the American Drug Enforcement Agency, there were 30,000 units a month being distributed in one major city alone. Around this time the Face magazine reported that MDMA was being used in the UK. In 1987 a raid in West London demonstrated that the drug was being manufactured in the UK.
Ecstasy was a drug that was frequently linked to the House and Acid House dance/rave scene in the UK. The use of Ecstasy in spontaneous unlicensed venues often sited in warehouses and fields prompted a media reports of wild, drug using and frenzied activity occuring at these raves, which were in truth far more peacable than your local pub in terms of violence or harm, considering the number of young people that attended them.
While many used Cannabis, Amphetamine sulphate, LSD and Ecstasy it was and is rare that violence incidence occur, rather it was a feature of raves that an essential component was the breaking down of differences, the ability to communicate, be friendly and enjoy yourself in the company of others without trying to assert how trendy or important you were.
A number deaths have occured which have been linked to Ecstasy use, these were frequently a result of hyperthermia, large rise in internal body temperature, and dehydration. Or in a recent case in the UK, drinking to much water in an attemt to wash out the Ecstasy.
In some instances individuals have died who appeared to have an extreme sensitivity to Ecstasy.
The use of any drug including alcohol has its dangers, these dangers are multiplied considerably when a drug is illegal as neither the purity or the concentration of the drug is known by the user.
The popularity of House and Acid House music has diminished, and legislation passed that makes it more difficult to hold unlicensed dance venues, despite this every weekend thousands continue to take Ecstasy and its use has not declined, rather Ecstasy has established itself as a popular drug in use by teenagers and people in their twenties and early thirties.
Thats it for now more will be added as soon as I get the time.
Cedit should go to Harry Shapiro from the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence for the Social parts of this report on Ecstasy. I am sure he probably nicked it from others down the line. Harry if you are in cyber land and get to read this ta.
If you want more detailed information check out Nicholas Saunders site author of E is for Ecstasy.
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