An "accidental" acute psychosis with ecstasy use.
G Vaiva, V Boss, D Bailly, P Thomas, P Lestavel, M Goudemand
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2001 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2001.10400473 (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 man with no previous psychotic disorder, but with moderate anxiety disorder and social phobia, who unknowingly took ecstasy |
| Intervention | alcohol |
| Duration | 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | The authors report a case of acute psychotic episode with residual symptoms at six months after unknowingly taking alcohol and ecstasy (MDMA) in a man with no prior psychosis. They argue the psychosis probably arose de novo from direct toxicity of MDMA or its metabolites on serotonin neurons, noting that previous mental state had not been precisely examined in the twelve similar published cases. |
Abstract
Over the last 10 years, Europe has witnessed the development of the ecstasy phenomenon; this term is used to describe several products sharing more or less the same effects. The most widely used and hence the most well known is 3,4 MDMA, but MDA, MDEA, MBDB and even 2CB or nexus are available. The psychopathological consequences of MDMA use in man are relatively poorly understood. The case reported here involves an acute psychotic episode with residual symptoms after six months, with a sudden onset at least 12 hours after taking alcohol and ecstasy without realising it, in an individual with no previous psychopathology other than a moderate anxiety disorder. Twelve cases of acute psychotic episodes after taking ecstasy have been reported in the literature; two after taking the drug on two occasions and one after a single use. No authors have examined the previous mental state or possible previous psychopathology with any precision. The present subject had not displayed any previous psychotic behavior when tested with a proven standardized interview technique; this was confirmed by his peers and his family. He did, however, show signs of social phobia. Although the personality of an individual is a factor in taking a drug, and probably in the quality of the psychotropic effects experienced, a host of arguments favor the appearance of psychotic symptoms de novo, which were probably related to direct toxicity by MDMA and/or its metabolites on the serotoninergic neurons.
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 13
- Psychiatric disorders in Ecstasy (MDMA) users: a literature review focusing on personal predisposition and drug history Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- Problematic versus non-problematic ecstasy/MDMA use: the influence of drug usage patterns and pre-existing psychiatric factors Journal of Psychopharmacology March 30, 2006
- Deaths related to MDMA (ecstasy/molly): Prevalence, root causes, and harm reduction interventions Journal of Substance Use February 20, 2018
- The Neuropsychopharmacology and Toxicology of 3,4‐methylenedioxy‐N‐ethyl‐amphetamine (MDEA) CNS Drug Reviews June 1, 2004
- Comparative potencies of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) analogues as inhibitors of [3H]noradrenaline and [3H]5‐HT transport in mammalian cell lines British Journal of Pharmacology September 24, 2007
and 8 more in the library
Cites 8
- Diversity of Psychopathology Associated with use of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’) The British Journal of Psychiatry September 1, 1994
- Chronic paranoid psychosis after misuse of MDMA ("ecstasy") BMJ March 23, 1991
- Ecstasy Intoxication: An Overlap Between Serotonin Syndrome and Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Clinical Neuropharmacology April 1, 1996
- The Complications of 'Ecstasy' (MDMA) JAMA March 18, 1988
- Psychiatric complications of 'Ecstasy' use Journal of Psychopharmacology 1994
and 3 more in the library