Do you agree with the policy of giving X to

[JoesHO]

I was watching the local news last night and they said we are giving ecstasy to soldiers that are retunrning from Iraq, in order to help them deal with the Trauma from the war

what are your thoughts on this practice?

[Newton]

MDMA - the chemical name for Ecstacy was invented in the early 1900's by a pharmaceutical company called E.MERCK and was originally intended as a dietary supplement for people with weight problems until the drugs more "exciting" effects became apparent. Californian Professor Alexander Shulgin is generally regarded as the 'godfather' of Ecstacy following his experiments with the drug (on himself, his wife and their friends) and through the popularity of his acclaimed book 'Phenethylamines I have known and loved'.

Chemically induced happiness within and empathy and friendliness to other people. Those are some of the major positive effects that Ecstacy can have on a persons mind. For many people taking E helps to open up their mind to ideas and thoughts that they had never experienced before. To illustrate this - the drug has been used in the past (and more recently in the USA until it was banned) by psychiatrists performing controlled experiments on patients suffering from serious clinical depression. The results were impressive. Strange that!

If you want to experience a "high" on any drug then you must accept and mentally prepare yourself for the inevitable "low" or "come down" as its known in drug user terms. This"comedown" is the price you pay for having such a nice time earlier!

If you suffer from any sort of depression and/or you're having a particularily "low" time because of, for example, money or family/partner problems - TAKING ECSTACY IS NOT THE ANSWER! Consider Ecstacy as a way of ENHANCING your mood not as a way of helping to hide negative feelings. It won't!

E is (in)famous for helping users to speak to others about deeply personal or emotional issues - things they would normally find difficult to talk about - even to close friends or relatives. This "lack of inhibition" can cause problems in some cases because you realise afterwards that you have told people things you wouldn't always want them to know in normal circumstances. Some people can deal with this. Others will run away!

There are a number of PHYSICAL side-effects which it is VERY important you are aware of. None of them are, in themselves dangerous but a combination of factors can lead to illness and even death (in a small number of cases - the media hypes Ecstacy death stories to the hilt). If you take Ecstacy you can expect to SWEAT more. Your HEART-RATE will increase (Ecstacy is a STIMULANT) and your body temperature WILL RISE. A common solution to avoid the heating effects is to DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. DO NOT take this too literally - drinking TOO MUCH water can kill you too!

1: SIP WATER AT REGULAR INTERVALS (carry a bottle of mineral water with you at all times. AVOID ALCOHOL)

2: DON'T DANCE ALL NIGHT (In a club make sure you take occasional breaks to give your hot bod a chance to calm down)

3: ALWAYS TAKE ECSTACY WITH FRIENDS (they can look out for you and vice versa)

If you are suffering from colds, flu etc don't bother taking ECSTACY. The nice effects would be minimal if at all and your illness will be extended as your poor immune system is being flooded with confusing requests from all over your body! If you suffer from heart or respiratory problems then there is a higher chance of you suffering some ill effect from taking Ecstacy.

[Vick]

Don't know if I can believe this story of X being given to returning soldiers
Not saying you're BSing Joe, the story just seems way out there

Also X can fuck up your Serotonin receptors causing more long term problems that the short term benifits
http://mdma.net/serotonin/serotonin-syndrome.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/mdma.html

Effect of MDMA on serotonin neurons in the monkey brain.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/gif/mdma1.gif

Am sure Red can explain this better than I

[JoesHO]

David Adam, science correspondent
Thursday February 17, 2005
The Guardian

American soldiers traumatised by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares.
The US food and drug administration has given the go-ahead for the soldiers to be included in an experiment to see if MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, can treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

Scientists behind the trial in South Carolina think the feelings of emotional closeness reported by those taking the drug could help the soldiers talk about their experiences to therapists. Several victims of rape and sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom existing treatments are ineffective, have been given MDMA since the research began last year.

Michael Mithoefer, the psychiatrist leading the trial, said: "It's looking very promising. It's too early to draw any conclusions but in these treatment-resistant people so far the results are encouraging.

"People are able to connect more deeply on an emotional level with the fact they are safe now."

He is about to advertise for war veterans who fought in the last five years to join the study.

According to the US national centre for post-traumatic stress disorder, up to 30% of combat veterans suffer from the condition at some point in their lives.

Known as shell shock during the first world war and combat fatigue in the second, the condition is characterised by intrusive memories, panic attacks and the avoidance of situations which might force sufferers to relive their wartime experiences.

"It appears to act as a catalyst to help people move through whatever's been blocking their success in therapy."

The existing drug-assisted therapy sessions last up to eight hours, during music is played. The patients swallow a capsule containing a placebo or 125mg of MDMA - about the same or a little more than a typical ecstasy tablet.

Psychologists assess the patients before and after the trial to judge whether the drug has helped.

The study has provoked controversy, because significant doubts remain about the long-term risks of ecstasy.

Animal studies suggest that it lowers levels of the brain chemical serotonin, and some politicians and anti-drug campaigners have argued that research into possible medical benefits of illegal drugs presents a falsely reassuring message.

The South Carolina study marks a resurgence of interest in the use of controlled psychedelic and hallucinogenic drugs. Several studies in the US are planned or are under way to investigate whether MDMA, LSD and psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can treat conditions ranging from obsessive compulsive disorder to anxiety in terminal cancer patients.

[Vick]

Thanks for finding the straight dope on it Joe

[JoesHO]

Originally posted by Vick@Feb 20 2005, 09:49 AM
Thanks for finding the straight dope on it Joe
L:OL, yeah right on vick, I was kinda puzzled that this is actually happening, although I would be happy to test the mushrooms for them for potentcy

kinda like doing my civil service in quality control you know what I mean ?

I wouldn't want those soldiers getting a bad dose or anything. I feel it is my duty! :salute:

[Yug]

Originally posted by Vick@Feb 19 2005, 11:02 PM
Am sure Red can explain this better than I
I'd actually be really interested to hear Red's opinion of extacy in general ... where are you Red?!

[*KK*]

Definitely not a good idea. While it's great to be euphoric for a few hours, the downward drop after it's peaked is not something I'd want a person who might be inclined to depression to have exacerbated.

[Red]

Originally posted by Vick@Feb 19 2005, 11:02 PM
Don't know if I can believe this story of X being given to returning soldiers
Not saying you're BSing Joe, the story just seems way out there

Also X can fuck up your Serotonin receptors causing more long term problems that the short term benifits
http://mdma.net/serotonin/serotonin-syndrome.html
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/mdma.html

Effect of MDMA on serotonin neurons in the monkey brain.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/gif/mdma1.gif

Am sure Red can explain this better than I
Since I've never done X I can't comment from personal experience, but maybe I can explain why the long term effects could be damaging.

A neuron (nerve cell) consists of the cell body, one axon and many dendrites. The axons carry nerve impulses away from the cell body along the neural pathway towards the target cell and dendrites carry the impulses back to the cell body.

neurons do not touch one another, there is a space in between them called a synaptic gap. In order for the nerve impulses to move from one neuron to another they must jump the gap. This is done through hormones the body produces that are neuro transmitters. Serotonin is one of them. What happens when the impulse hits the axon terminals is the release of serotonin. The impulse jumps the gap and the serotonin gets pulled back into the nerve body. (re-uptake)

Extacy prevents the re-uptake which causes a depletion of serotonin levels in the nerve cells. The long term effect of this would be nerve impulses not traveling to their target cells. The effects of this could range from muscle spasms to complete loss of muscle control.


I'm not surprised the government is trying it though. There was success with LSD in the 50's for psychological and addiction problems. The only thing that worries me about it is the psychological dependence. They are giving them the drug under controlled conditions. the drugs are made in a controlled laboratory and the soldiers are being monitored. Now what happens when they are pronounced "cured?" There will be a percentage of them that will want to continue taking it, not because they feel they need it, but because they like it. (Let's face it, people continue to take extacy because they like it. ) Chances are they will be getting street quality so there is a danger in that along with the neurological repercussions.

[Almighty Colin]

I read this story too.

I think the idea is stupid.