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MDMA can affect the brain by altering the activity of chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, which enable nerve cells in the brain to communicate with one another. Research in animals has shown that MDMA in moderate to high doses can be toxic to nerve cells that contain serotonin and can cause long-lasting damage to them.Furthermore, MDMA raises body temperature. On rare but largely unpredictable occasions, this has led to severe medical consequences, including death. Also, MDMA causes the release of another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, which is likely the cause of the increase in heart rate and blood pressure that often accompanies MDMA use.

Abstract

MDMA is an illegal drug that acts as both a stimulant and psychedelic, producing an energizing effect, as well as distortions in time and perception and enhanced enjoyment from tactile experiences.Typically, MDMA (an acronym for its chemical name 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is taken orally, usually in a tablet or capsule, and its effects last approximately 3 to 6 hours. The average reported dose is one to two tablets, with each tablet typically containing between 60 and 120 milligrams of MDMA.1 It is not uncommon for users to take a second dose of the drug as the effects of the first dose begin to fade.

MDMA can affect the brain by altering the activity of chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, which enable nerve cells in the brain to communicate with one another. Research in animals has shown that MDMA in moderate to high doses can be toxic to nerve cells that contain serotonin and can cause long-lasting damage to them.Furthermore, MDMA raises body temperature. On rare but largely unpredictable occasions, this has led to severe medical consequences, including death. Also, MDMA causes the release of another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, which is likely the cause of the increase in heart rate and blood pressure that often accompanies MDMA use.

[3]

Street Names          

 Molly, Rolls, X

[1]

Brand Names         

Mercedes, Mitsubishis, Ferraris, Volkswagons, Red Devils, Blue Nikes, 007s,

Playboys, Batmans, Supermans, Rolexes, Pokemons, Red Stop Signs, Buddhas,

Butterflies, X-Files, White Diamonds, Yin Yangs, Armanis

[2]

History         

MDMA was developed in Germany in the early 1900s as a parent compound to be used to synthesize other pharmaceuticals. During the 1970s, in the United States, some psychiatrists began using MDMA as a psychotherapeutic tool, despite the fact that the drug had never undergone formal clinical trials nor received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in humans. In fact, it was only in late 2000 that the FDA approved the first small clinical trial for MDMA that will determine if the drug can be used safely with 2 sessions of ongoing psychotherapy under carefully monitored conditions to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Nevertheless, the drug gained a small following among psychiatrists in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some even calling it "penicillin for the soul" because it was perceived to enhance communication in patient sessions and reportedly allowed users to achieve insights about their problems. It was also during this time that MDMA first started becoming available on the street. In 1985, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) banned the drug, placing it on its list of Schedule I drugs, corresponding to those substances with no proven therapeutic value.

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Pharmacology       

MDMA's chemical formula is: C11H15NO2

MDMA acts as a releasing agent of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine (DA). It enters neurons via carriage by the monoamine transporters. Once inside, MDMA inhibits the vesicular monoamine transporter, which results in increased concentrations of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the cytoplasm, and induces their release by reversing their respective transporters through a process known as phosphorylation.

MDMA's unusual entactogenic effects have been hypothesized to be, at least partly, the result of indirect oxytocin secretion via activation of the serotonin system. Oxytocin is a hormone released following events like hugging, orgasm, and childbirth, and is thought to facilitate bonding and the establishment of trust.

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Uses 

There is not much research to suggest that MDMA could have some clinical uses. However, there have long been suggestions that MDMA might be useful in psychotherapy, facilitating self-examination with reduced fear. Today, it is a banned substance and is predominantly used for recreational use.

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Scheduling 

MDMA is a Schedule I drug in the US, which means it is a banned substance.

Psychological and physical addiction liability          

Physical effects of MDMA consumption include hyperthermia and hyponatremia. Continuous activity without sufficient rest or rehydration may cause body temperature to rise to dangerous levels, and loss of fluid via excessive perspiration puts the body at further risk as the stimulatory and euphoric qualities of the drug may render the user oblivious to their energy expenditure for quite some time.

Psychological effects of MDMA consumption may include:

A general and subjective alteration in consciousness

A strong sense of inner peace and self-acceptance

Diminished aggression, hostility, and jealousy

Diminished fear, anxiety, and insecurity

Extreme mood lift with accompanying euphoria

Feelings of empathy, compassion, and forgiveness toward others

Feelings of intimacy and even love for others

Improved self-confidence

The ability to discuss normally anxiety-provoking topics with marked ease

An intensification of all of the bodily senses

Substantial enhancement of the appreciation of music quality

Mild psychedelia, consisting of mental imagery and auditory and visual distortions

Stimulation, arousal, and hyperactivity

Increased energy and endurance

Increased alertness, awareness, and wakefulness

Increased desire, drive, and motivation

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Withdrawal Effects

MDMA appears not to have a high propensity for dependence or withdrawal reactions, although a number of users seek help through treatment services. MDMA appears to have little acute or enduring effect on the mental health of the average user, and, unlike amphetamines and cocaine, it is seldom implicated in significant episodes of paranoia. There is at the present time little evidence of longer-term harms to the brain in terms of either its structure or its function. However, there is evidence for some small decline in a variety of domains, including verbal memory, even at low cumulative dose. The magnitude of such deficits appears to be small and their clinical relevance is unclear.

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Long term effects  

Long-Term Effects may include:

Dramatic increase in heart rate, leading to serious complications for people with cardiovascular disease.

Dehydration can lead to liver and kidney failure.

Disturbing emotional reactions, confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, severe anxiety, and heart palpitations. Symptoms last a long time after taking the drug.

Depletes the amount of serotonin in the brain and blocks uptake of serotonin.

Toxic to the brain.

Impairs memory.

Brain damage is directly related to amount and frequency of usage.

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Physical effects     

Physical effects of MDMA consumption include hyperthermia and hyponatremia. Continuous activity without sufficient rest or rehydration may cause body temperature to rise to dangerous levels, and loss of fluid via excessive perspiration puts the body at further risk as the stimulatory and euphoric qualities of the drug may render the user oblivious to their energy expenditure for quite some time.

[5]

Medical Treatment options         

Currently there are no medicines available to overcome MDMA addiction. The most effective treatments for drug abuse and addiction are cognitive behavioral interventions that are designed to help modify the patient's thinking, expectancies, and behaviors, and to increase skills in coping with life's stressors. Drug abuse recovery support groups may be effective in combination with behavioral interventions to support long-term, drug-free recovery. There are currently no pharmacological treatments for dependence on MDMA.

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Psychological Treatment

There are no specific treatments for MDMA abuse. The most effective treatments for drug abuse and addiction are cognitive behavioral interventions that are designed to help modify the patient's thinking, expectancies, and behaviors, and to increase skills in coping with life's stressors. Drug abuse recovery support groups may be effective in combination with behavioral interventions to support long-term, drug-free recovery. There are currently no pharmacological treatments for dependence on MDMA.

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Related drugs   

The related drugs to MDMA are:

Methamphetamine,

6-APB,

Mescaline

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Related Synthetics

The related synthetic drugs to MDMA are:

Phenethlymines

tryptamines

synthetic cannabinoids

cathinones

piperazines

[6]

References

[1] http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_xtc1.php

[2] http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/ecstasy.asp

[3] http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/mdma-ecstasy-abuse/what-mdma

[4] http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/mdma-ecstasy-abuse/brief-history-mdma

[5] http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/mdma-ecstasy-abuse/are-there-effective-treatments-mdma-abuse

[6] http://mdma.net/kobie/index.html

[7] http://www2.courtinfo.ca.gov/stopteendui/teens/resources/substances/ecstasy/short-and-long-term-effects.cfm

[8] http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/mdma-ecstasy