Stapes Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 Ecstasy trials for combat stressDavid Adam, science correspondentThursday February 17, 2005The GuardianAmerican soldiers traumatised by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares.The US food and drug administration has given the go-ahead for the soldiers to be included in an experiment to see if MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, can treat post-traumatic stress disorder.Scientists behind the trial in South Carolina think the feelings of emotional closeness reported by those taking the drug could help the soldiers talk about their experiences to therapists. Several victims of rape and sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom existing treatments are ineffective, have been given MDMA since the research began last year.Michael Mithoefer, the psychiatrist leading the trial, said: "It's looking very promising. It's too early to draw any conclusions but in these treatment-resistant people so far the results are encouraging."People are able to connect more deeply on an emotional level with the fact they are safe now."He is about to advertise for war veterans who fought in the last five years to join the study.According to the US national centre for post-traumatic stress disorder, up to 30% of combat veterans suffer from the condition at some point in their lives.Known as shell shock during the first world war and combat fatigue in the second, the condition is characterised by intrusive memories, panic attacks and the avoidance of situations which might force sufferers to relive their wartime experiences.We have Gift-ized stock ownership providing a unique and...giveashare.comDr Mithoefer said the MDMA helped people discuss traumatic situations without triggering anxiety."It appears to act as a catalyst to help people move through whatever's been blocking their success in therapy."The existing drug-assisted therapy sessions last up to eight hours, during music is played. The patients swallow a capsule containing a placebo or 125mg of MDMA - about the same or a little more than a typical ecstasy tablet.Psychologists assess the patients before and after the trial to judge whether the drug has helped.The study has provoked controversy, because significant doubts remain about the long-term risks of ecstasy.Animal studies suggest that it lowers levels of the brain chemical serotonin, and some politicians and anti-drug campaigners have argued that research into possible medical benefits of illegal drugs presents a falsely reassuring message.The South Carolina study marks a resurgence of interest in the use of controlled psychedelic and hallucinogenic drugs. Several studies in the US are planned or are under way to investigate whether MDMA, LSD and psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can treat conditions ranging from obsessive compulsive disorder to anxiety in terminal cancer patients. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhishyK Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 Aww, how sweet and compassionate. Why can't kids use it to "deepen their emotional experience" then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisley Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 Be all you can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PassedOutGuy Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 I knew Les knew what he was talkin about... The Army's on ecstasy so they say I read all about it in USA Today They stepped up urine testing to make it go away 'Cause it's hard to kill the enemy on ol' MDMA Said the King of contradiction To the Queen of mystery The Prince of paradox, He dogs me like a flea So I'll set my troops upon him And bring him to his knees When all is said and done I'll pick a fight with the Chinese The Queen she stared at him long and hard And then she softly said I'll rub you down with linseed oil To ease your throbbing head She slipped a note in an apricot And threw it to the whores The jester read the words Something wicked this way roars The Army's on ecstasy so they say I read all about it in USAToday They stepped up urine testing to make it go away 'Cause it's hard to kill the enemy on ol' MDMA The price they put upon the heads Of folks with poignant views Would be better spent on the children Without shoes And when the King condoned The actions of the liar He forgot to weight the awesom power Of the village crier The Army's on ecstasy so they say I read all about it in USAToday They stepped up urine testing to make it go away 'Cause it's hard to kill the enemy on ol' MDMA The Army's on ecstasy so they say I read all about it in USAToday [in Japanese: The Army's on ecstasy so they say I read all about it in USAToday They stepped up urine testing to make it go away 'Cause it's hard to kill the enemy on ol' MDMA] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stapes Posted February 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 Drawings of a US military test subject on LSD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamo Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 E's good for the troops, but pot's bad for the MS & Cancer patients... Makes sense huh? Dog Bless America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 That's it, I'm joining the US Army... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 I think this is absolutley AWESOME!!! (this from the gal, who on her first E trip, knew--just KNEW -- she had to start an E lab in her basement and bring this wonder drug to the masses!) Several victims of rape and sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom existing treatments are ineffective, have been given MDMA since the research began last year. I had heard of this (unsubstantiated) and as someone who works with survivors of sexual violence, I would LOVE to be able to recommed, yea, PROVIDE E to women who would benefit from the experience. BTW, doesn't it only take 3 members to create and receive NGO/tax exempt status for a cult -- I mean, religion? The church of E, with a weekly sacrament. who's with me????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secondtube Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 my head hurts just thinking about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boochawan Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 Wow. MDMA was used briefly in the '70s as a therapeutic tool (similar to what they are trying to accomplish here) and was discontinued because of the obvious abuse potential of the drug. This is interesting that it is being brought back for a clinical trial... Though MDMA can evoke empathy, the side effets and withdrawal effects can induce possible depression and anxiety, which would, in effect, worsen their orignal diagnosis of PTSD. I wonder what the researchers plan on doing once the clinical trial is over - to prevent symptoms from re-occuring...i wonder if they will have to keep them on E? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 That's it, I'm joining the US Army... no, no Del, join my "movement". Too bad The Simpsons already took the name "Movementarians" and we wouldn't be taken seriously. So, I'm open to suggestions for the name of our cult, damn -- I mean "religion" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazlo Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 That's it, I'm joining the US Army... no, no Del, join my "movement". Too bad The Simpsons already took the name "Movementarians" and we wouldn't be taken seriously. So, I'm open to suggestions for the name of our cult, damn -- I mean "religion" How 'bout the E-tards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorgnor Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 In Scotland it's used for martital counselling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisley Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 In Scotland it's used for martital counselling. and late night dance parties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 In Scotland it's used for martital counselling. and late night dance parties sounds like the perfect recipe to me for 'saving' a marriage. Just don't forget the after-party sex and they're all good for another 15 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 Members of Deb's "movement": Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 to prevent symptoms from re-occuring...i wonder if they will have to keep them on E? Boochawan, what's your definition of "keeping them on E"? Is once or twice a month "ON" a drug? curious..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 Just don't forget the after-party sex and they're all good for another 15 years! MDMA hinders sexual performance in most males... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boochawan Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 Boochawan, what's your definition of "keeping them on E"? Is once or twice a month "ON" a drug? curious..... Deb, When a subject in an experiment is put on protocol, there are risks and benefits that are evaluated prior to the implementation of that protocol. When a drug trial is taking place, part of this risk/benefit analysis takes the pharmacodynamic nature of the drug being studied. Just like most substances (caffeine, nicotine, etc), one can develop tolerance (in this case an acute tolerance) if taken over a short period of time on a regular basis. The abuse liability (the likelyhood of the drug being abused due to its positive rewarding effect) of MDMA is extremely high, because of the increased amount of Serotonin (the 'happy' chemical) in the synapses. MDMA encourages this infusion, and once drugs half life (amount of time drug is in the body) expires, one goes through withdrawal. For instance, if one does half a tab of E and comes down faster, one may take more E to eliminate the withdrawal. If these subjects in this experiment are given E on a regular basis to help with their emotional expression, what do the researchers plan on doing once the study is over? If the researchers stopped giving them the drug right after the study (cold turkey) the withdrawal effects of MDMA (anxiety, depression, increased heart rate and blood pressure, etc) can be detrimental, let alone cause a re-currence of their symptoms of PTSD...and due to the pharmacokinetic nature of MDMA (which i'll spare at this moment) their symptoms could be even worse. I don't know what the researchers will do (whether it'll be once or twice a month, it depends on the dose) but they will have to keep the subjects on, or at least attempt to ween them off the drug, with various amounts of drug in their system because they would have reached a steady-state of the drug in their blood at this point. It's more a matter of ethics then anything else. However, another ethical concern is the fact that there is such a high abuse liability. Is it ethical to potentially get someone addicted to the drug? That's what I'm interested in and on what grounds the ethical review board approved this study. I know it's a long response, but i hope it answers your question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 I've done more "e" than most people I know combined... It's not addictive, at least not on a physical level. I can see how some people might become psycologically addicted, although I have yet to meet many people who are able to do enough "e" to become that way... Also, while some people get depressed after coming down off of it, I and quite a few other people I know have no serious after effects. I think that there's a lot of misinformation regarding this drug, and that if proper research was done on it, it would be deemed a lot less harmful than many people believe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 agreed, Del. Lotsa misinformation on this drug. In fact, when I finally got around to trying E, it was the drug not "living up" to the "horrors" of wanton orgy-sex in public music venues that had me wondering just why/how E had gotten such a bad rap in the media. I've since reads scads of stuff on-line with personal anecdotes of E "curing" everything from stuttering to late-stage shaky Parkinson's-- at least while the drug is in the person's system. Personally, I've had way worse after-mornings from LSD, than E. I find the "adam" (I love the world and all beings in it) effects of E last long past the drug leaving my system, so I wonder about this "depression" thing. I know everyone has individual reactions/side-effects, but I can't see once-twice monthly therapeutic use of E as something potentially dangerous, causing potential re-lapse of original symptoms. Now on to more practical matters -- apparently the lab is a really intensive investment and the simpler solution is to marry into the mob. Any one have mob connections? Del, you're single, right? Would ya do it for the "movement"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokonon Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 it's all a matter of serotonin levels. you take e and get a rush of serotonin in your system. then there's all this loose serotonin floating about and your brain won't absorb anymore of it so you feel like crap until you take e again. but this time you need just a little more. and then you take it once a week instead of once every two weeks. and by now you're doing two pills a night. then there's more loose serotonin with no where to go. so you take more e............ but anyways, i just finished watching fahrenheit 9/11 and i could use a serotonin rush right now. i balled all the way through. the only other movie that ever made me feel that way was welcome to sarejevo. i saw it in grade nine just after my friend millica's dad went missing in sarajevo. and by missing they mean kidnapped from his house one night. war is bullsh!t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 it's all a matter of serotonin levels. you take e and get a rush of serotonin in your system. then there's all this loose serotonin floating about and your brain won't absorb anymore of it so you feel like crap until you take e again. but this time you need just a little more. and then you take it once a week instead of once every two weeks. and by now you're doing two pills a night. then there's more loose serotonin with no where to go. so you take more e............ I like your posts bokonon, but that is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen posted about ecstasy... Totally wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokonon Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 that's what i've heard how does it work then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elemeno Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 MDMA has very little effect on me. but E is another story. its dirty, speedy and full of fun thats why i like it. " Also, while some people get depressed after coming down off of it, I and quite a few other people I know have no serious after effects." del are you saying here you dont think YOU get depressed or suffer serious after effects after eating E. me and you both know thats bullsh!t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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