Methylenedioxyamphetamine. Clinical description of overdose, death, and review of pharmacology
Archives of Internal Medicine October 1, 1981 DOI: 10.1001/archinte.141.11.1507 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A patient with methylenedioxyamphetamine intoxication |
| Intervention | phentolamine (Regitine) mesylate |
| Topics | Mescaline |
| Keywords | Hyperthermia Coma optics Phentolamine Drug overdose Anesthesia Anticholinergic Pharmacology Hallucinogen Medical emergency Propranolol Poison control Plant-based medicinal research |
| Citations | 55 |
| Key findings | Methylenedioxyamphetamine can cause fatal hyperthermia, coma, and hematologic abnormalities, and phentolamine may be the preferred treatment. |
Abstract
Methylenedioxyamphetamine is a commonly used "street drug", with a reputation of providing a "good trip". The drug is structurally similar to both mescaline and amphetamine. The following symptoms were found in a patient: sympathomimetic effects, coma, seizures, hyperreflexia, and hyperthermia. The patient's condition was initially stabilized and then deteriorated with uncontrollable hyperthermia, hematologic abnormalities, and coma that culminated in death. Since the hyperthermia is based on both central and peripheral mechanisms, phentolamine (Regitine) mesylate may be the preferred drug to be used in the treatment of future cases. The concept that this drug is primarily a hallucinogen with mild toxicity is erroneous.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkinsonism after Taking Ecstasy 29-year-old man | 1999 | Case study | n = 1 |
| A New Hallucinogen: 3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenyl-β-Aminopropane | 1955 | Case study | |
| Peyote and mescaline exposures: a 12-year review of a statewide poison center database Patients who used peyote or mescaline and required treatment | 2010 | Case series | |
| A Mescaline Associated Fatality A single deceased individual under the influence of mescaline | 1985 | Case study | n = 1 |
| "MODEL PSYCHOSIS" PRODUCED BY INHALATION OF GASOLINE FUMES Two teenage boys with maladjusted and impulsive personalities | 1964 | Case study | n = 2 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 20
- Hallucinogenic Amphetamine Selectively Destroys Brain Serotonin Nerve Terminals Science September 6, 1985
- 'Eve' and 'Ecstasy'. A report of five deaths associated with the use of MDEA and MDMA JAMA March 27, 1987
- Ecstasy (MDMA) Deaths in New York City: A Case Series and Review of the Literature Journal of Forensic Sciences 2002
- ECSTACY: A Review of MDMA and MDA The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine December 1, 1987
- Human Deaths and Toxic Reactions Attributed to MDMA and MDEA Ecstasy: The Clinical, Pharmacological and Neurotoxicological Effects of the Drug MDMA 1990
and 15 more in the library