MDMA interactions with pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse
Esther Papaseit, Clara Pérez‐mañá, Marta Torrens, Adriana Farré, Lourdes Poyatos, Olga Hladun, Arantza Sanvisens, Roberto Muga, Magı́ Farré
Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology March 31, 2020 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2020.1749262 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Recreational use Pharmacology Recreational drug Amphetamine Hallucinogen Drugs of abuse |
| Citations | 34 |
| Key findings | MDMA-drug interactions, particularly with CYP2D6-metabolized drugs and repeated MDMA use, increase the risk of acute and life-threatening toxicity, but documented clinically significant interactions remain scarce. |
Abstract
Introduction: MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), a synthetic ring-substituted amphetamine, has become one of the most widely used recreational psychostimulant drugs in the world. Among recreational ecstasy/MDMA users, polydrug use is a phenomenon whose common purpose is to experience the synergistic effect of the combined drugs, moderate MDMA effects, prevent potential toxicity, enhance a high or come down from a high from other drugs, or simply to treat existing medical conditions. Thus, MDMA-drug interactions (MDMA-DIs) lead to a higher risk of acute and life-threatening MDMA toxicity.Areas covered: This article provides an overview of the MDMA-DIs with pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse. In addition, available evidence is summarized along with clinical recommendations. Finally, the increasing importance of MDMA-DIs is highlighted.Expert opinion: There is a reduced number of published MDMA-DIs studies and scarce clinically significant MDMA-DIs documented in the literature. Experimental evidence points out the relevance of MDMA-DI's when MDMA is co-administered with pharmaceuticals that are metabolized by the CYP2D6 due to MDMA inhibitory action and in the case of repeated MDMA administration (MDMA-MDMAIs).
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Pharmacology of MDMA | 2004 | Review | |
| Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research | 2001 | Review | |
| 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”): pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans | 1994 | Review | |
| (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity: Studies in Animals | 2000 | Review | |
| Amphetamine toxicities | 2010 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 21
- Drug-drug interactions between psychiatric medications and MDMA or psilocybin: a systematic review Psychopharmacology March 7, 2022
- The Psychedelic Future of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Current Neuropharmacology January 5, 2024
- Classic and non‐classic psychedelics for substance use disorder: A review of their historic, past and current research Addiction Neuroscience June 22, 2022
- Hallucinogenic drugs and their potential for treating fear-related disorders: Through the lens of fear extinction. Journal of Neuroscience Research April 1, 2022
- Effects of psychedelics on neurogenesis and broader neuroplasticity: a systematic review. Mol Med December 19, 2024
and 16 more in the library
Cites 60
- Human Pharmacology of MDMA Therapeutic Drug Monitoring March 19, 2004
- Gender differences in the subjective effects of MDMA Psychopharmacology March 5, 2001
- MDMA enhances emotional empathy and prosocial behavior Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience October 4, 2013
- Human Pharmacology of 3,4-Methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine ("Ecstasy"): Psychomotor Performance and Subjective Effects Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology August 1, 2000
- The confounding problem of polydrug use in recreational ecstasy/MDMA users: a brief overview Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2006
and 55 more in the library