When 3,4-methylenedioxymetamfetamine (MDMA) is taken with alcohol, emergency department visits show higher odds of agitation, drowsiness, and vomiting compared to MDMA alone. Co-intoxication with other substances increases odds of bradycardia, psychosis, and coma. Mortality rates remain low across all groups. Female patients report less chest pain but more vomiting, headache, and hypotension than males. These variations suggest that physicians should consider both the type of co-intoxication and patient sex to optimize treatment.
Between 2000 and 2007, 505 patients (mean age 24.7 years, 68% men) were treated for GHB (liquid ecstasy) poisoning at a Barcelona emergency department. Most cases occurred on weekends (89%) and in the early morning (75%), with reduced consciousness as the primary symptom: 72% had a Glasgow Coma Score of 12 or below. 76% had also consumed other drugs, most commonly ethanol (64%). Patients who combined GHB with other substances took longer to recover consciousness (71 vs 59 minutes) and were more likely to need treatment (29% vs 16%) or mechanical ventilation (3% vs 0%) compared with those who took GHB alone. No deaths occurred.