Reinforcing subjective effects of (+/-) 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("ecstasy") may be separable from its neurotoxic actions: clinical evidence.
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology June 1, 1993 DOI: 10.1097/00004714-199306000-00011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4 |
| Population | Four individuals who ingested fluoxetine before MDMA |
| Interventions | Fluoxetine MDMA |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | The authors report that four individuals who took fluoxetine before MDMA still experienced MDMA's reinforcing subjective effects, indicating fluoxetine did not block them. They suggest MDMA's psychoactive effects may be separable from its neurotoxic actions, though this is based on four self-reports rather than controlled study. |
Abstract
(+/-)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), a synthetic amphetamine derivative used recreationally by humans, damages brain serotonin neurons in experimental animals. In preclinical studies, serotonin reuptake inhibitors block MDMA-induced serotonin release; they also block MDMA neurotoxicity. Whether serotonin reuptake inhibitors also block MDMA's psychoactive effects in humans has not been established. Reported herein are four individuals who describe their experiences after ingesting fluoxetine, a potent and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, before MDMA ingestion. Their reports indicate that fluoxetine does not block MDMA's reinforcing subjective effects and raise the possibility that MDMA's psychoactive effects may be separable from its neurotoxic actions.
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 25
- Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”): pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans Addiction May 1, 1994
- Which neuroreceptors mediate the subjective effects of MDMA in humans? A summary of mechanistic studies Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- The serotonin uptake inhibitor citalopram reduces acute cardiovascular and vegetative effects of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’) in healthy volunteers Journal of Psychopharmacology May 1, 2000
- Is MDMA (‘Ecstasy’) Neurotoxic in Humans? An Overview of Evidence and of Methodological Problems in Research Neuropsychobiology 2000
and 20 more in the library