Comment · Thu, November 8, 2012
Research Suggests no Neurotoxicity in MDMA
Original post in this thread
PuffyCheek · 194 points
In partial response to what I've been reading in the bestof'd thread here at /drugs, I think it would be good to start a discussion about the neurotoxicity in MDMA.
I feel as if the harmful effects discussed in the thread were overblown. According to a research done by the Harvard Medical School last year in 2011, users who were asked to use MDMA under a controlled setting over a certain period of time showed no signs of cognitive impairment nor decreased mental ability.
So the question remains, why do we have so much evidence from past research studies that show otherwise? The researchers at Harvard Medical School responded by saying that past research studies lacked a proper control environment. What that means is that past research studies did not control their test group to make sure they didn't engage in unhealthy activities after ingesting MDMA (i.e. going to a rave and dancing for 8 hours straight).
No research since 2011 has proved Harvard Medical School's conclusion wrong, that MDMA is actually harmful to your brain. No other research studies that I could personally find had settings as controlled as the one conducted by HMS.
That being said, research was done…
What they were answering
AlFitna · 8 points
I want to say about the melatonin, it's definitely a good idea to take some, but not a "large dose." Melatonin is naturally produced in the body, and if you ingest too much artificially, your body may stop producing it naturally. That's why the warnings are so emphatic on taking only one dose in 24 hours.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb
By large dose I mean 5-10mg. Also, after MDMA use, your serotonin levels are low and your tryptophan hydroxylase levels fall. This means that your body can't produce the necessary melatonin immediately following MDMA use. Not to mention melatonin is a very good antioxidant, and will help with additional scavenging of reactive oxygen species while you sleep. You are only supposed to take 1 dose in a 24 hours time period because it will throw off your circadian rhythm otherwise. Melatonin is safe.
EDIT: Here are some links on melatonin and oxidative stress:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16337883