Introduction of MDMA
MDMA is a synthetic substance that functions as a stimulant and hallucinogen. It has a stimulating impact, causes time and perception distortions, and increases enjoyment from sensory stimuli. It’s also been called an entactogen, which is a medication that increases self-awareness and empathy.
In 1912, a Chemist Dr. Anton Köllisch who worked for a German pharmaceutical company manufactured MDMA (3-4 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine). It is a synthetic, psychoactive drug. Its original name, “Methylsafrylaminc,” referred to its use as a parent molecule for the synthesis of drugs that control bleeding.
In spite of the fact that the drug had not completed proper clinical studies or been given FDA permission for human use, MDMA developed a considerable following among psychiatrists in the late 1970s and early 1980s. According to some psychiatrists, it improved patient-physician dialogue and helped patients get new perspectives on their issues. MDMA started to become more commonly accessible on the streets around this period as well. The FDA allowed the first human experiment in the early 1990s to examine if MDMA may assist reduce pain in terminally ill patients as well as serve as an aid to psychotherapy. Although the results of this study have not been published, these initial studies have contributed to the establishment of safety guidelines for delivering MDMA to volunteers in controlled clinical settings.
- Ecstasy,
- XTC,
- Pingers,
- Bikkies,
- Molly, etc.
Route of Administration
The tablet form of the drug is consumed, but if the substance is in powder form, it can be snorted or inhaled via the nose, smoked using pipes, or injected into the body using needles.
Effect of Ingestion of MDMA
● When MDMA is ingested, brain activity increases; dopamine (a neurotransmitter that carries information between nerve cells) activity increases to uplift the behavior.
● The amount of norepinephrine, which controls blood pressure and blood glucose levels, rises, causing an increase in heart rate and blood pressure that may be dangerous for some people.
● Serotonin levels are also raised, accelerating the hormones that influence sexual desire. Serotonin release in excessive amounts might lead to emotional bonding and mood elevation.
● When the medicine is used, the effects can last up to 6 hours and start to show within 20 minutes to an hour.
● Depending on a person’s weight, size, health, and drug dosage—as well as the medication’s potency and whether or not they have previously taken it—different outcomes may result.
● The effects can include a person feeling energized, having larger pupils, a faster heartbeat, feeling thirsty, loss of appetite, sweating excessively, or experiencing body or muscular discomfort.
● Hallucinations, anxiety-related nausea and a rise in body temperature are all possible side effects.
Legal Status of MDMA
The UN Convention on psychoactive drugs places legal restrictions on the manufacture of MDMA in several nations. It is prohibited to consume, sell, or manufacture these substances, and doing so is a crime. MDMA has been deemed an illicit drug in Australia and the United Kingdom. It has been shown that high school students, teens, and adults are more likely to take this drug than other groups of people. The United States and Canada have added this chemical to schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act.
Reference
- NIDA. What is the history of MDMA? National Institute on Drug Abuse website. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/mdma-ecstasy-abuse/what-is-the-history-of-mdma. April 13, 2021 Accessed November 4, 2022.
- SAMHSA. Results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Rockville (MD): SAMHSA; 2017. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DetTabs-2016/NSDUH-DetTabs-2016.pdf.
- DEA. Drug Fact Sheet: Ecstasy or MDMA. https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/ecstasy-or-mdma-also-known-molly.
- Hermle L, Spitzer M, Borchardt D, Kovar KA, Gouzoulis E. Psychological effects of MDE in normal subjects. Are entactogens a new class of psychoactive agents? Neuropsychopharmacol Off Publ Am Coll Neuropsychopharmacol. 1993;8(2):171-176. doi:10.1038/npp.1993.19.
- Vollenweider FX. Brain mechanisms of hallucinogens and entactogens. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2001;3(4):265-279.
- Schwartz RH, Miller NS. MDMA (ecstasy) and the rave: a review. Pediatrics. 1997;100(4):705-708.
