Psychiatric complications of 'Ecstasy' use
Hugh Series, Sietske Boeles, Eluned Dorkins, Robert Peveler
Journal of Psychopharmacology 1994 DOI: 10.1177/026988119400800110 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2 |
| Population | Two individuals who had ingested 'Ecstasy' (MDMA) |
| Interventions | 'Ecstasy' (3 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) |
| Duration | At least one month in one case; more than 8 weeks in the other |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Citations | 44 |
| Key findings | Two case reports describe significant psychiatric disorders after 'Ecstasy' (MDMA) use: one patient developed a brief paranoid psychosis that recurred and persisted for at least a month after a second dose, and another experienced anxiety and depression lasting more than eight weeks. |
Abstract
Two case reports are presented of significant psychiatric disorders associated with ingestion of 'Ecstasy' (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), a recreational drug whose use appears to be increasing. In one case, the patient developed a brief paranoid psychosis which recurred and persisted for at least a month after he took a second dose of the drug. In the other, the patient experienced persistent symptoms of anxiety and depression for > 8 weeks after taking the drug.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'Eve' and 'Ecstasy'. A report of five deaths associated with the use of MDEA and MDMA Individuals whose deaths were associated with MDMA or MDEA use | 1987 | Case series | n = 5 |
| Pathology of deaths associated with "ecstasy" and "eve" misuse. Young white men aged 20 to 25 who died after using ring-substituted amphetamines (MDMA... | 1996 | Case series | n = 7 |
| 'Eve' and 'Ecstasy' Individuals who died after using MDMA or MDEA | 1987 | Case series | n = 5 |
| A Method of Conducting Therapeutic Sessions with MDMA Clients with clear therapeutic purpose, excluding those with serious functional... | 1998 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Diversity of Psychopathology Associated with use of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’) Psychiatric patients presenting between 1990 and 1992 whose symptoms developed in the... | 1994 | Case series | n = 13 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits Journal of Psychopharmacology 1998
- Ecstasy (MDMA) in Recreational Users: Self-Reported Psychological and Physiological Effects Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental May 1, 1997
- Psychiatric disorders in Ecstasy (MDMA) users: a literature review focusing on personal predisposition and drug history Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- An Appraisal of the Pharmacological and Toxicological Effects of a Single Oral Administration of 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in the Rat Pharmacology & Toxicology May 1, 1997
- Ecstasy (MDMA), amphetamine, and LSD: comparative mood profiles in recreational polydrug users Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental September 1, 1997
and 9 more in the library
Cites 4
- Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- Neurotoxicity of MDMA and Related Compounds: Anatomic Studiesa Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 1990
- Lasting Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of (??)Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (???Ecstasy???) in Recreational Users Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology October 1, 1991
- Chronic paranoid psychosis after misuse of MDMA ("ecstasy") BMJ March 23, 1991