Comment · Sat, November 10, 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
Holulu · 2 points
Why does the effect lesson when you drop later? I rolled not too long ago, and the experience wasn't so good actually. We took a refill that must have at least as Big as the first one, maybe bigger. And only measured on eye. I was good of course in the start, but when i was coming down, I could't sleep, while not having any euphoria. And all my friends were sleeping like Stones, so I began to freak out a bit, because I was all alone. I was afraid of closing my eyes because I didn't want to hallucinate.
Also my friend, after the refill, began to breathe very heavily, and it was difficult to have contact with him. He Said that if he got worse we had to drop him off on the emergency. At the same time, when I asked how he was feeling he said he was feeling good. After a while he got better, but his clothes was soaking were from sweat.
All in all I have thaught a lot about it, because all in all, it wasn't so chill. And the first time was a so good experience. But I guess the setting wasn't right either? We dropped it really late, maybe 4 am, and while not drunk, we had been drinking the whole night, and had taken some cocaine. While the first time it was really prepared, Nice relaxed setting, earlier in the day, rested and clear. I hope that was the reason, because I really enjoy the possibilities and warmth of mdma.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb
Sounds like mild serotonin syndrome. There are a few different mechanisms at play that cause re-dosing to be less effective. Receptor down-reulation is the main one. In response to elevated levels of serotonin, your 5-HT receptors down-regulate, or retract out of the synapse. This is your body's natural way of trying to maintain homeostasis. Take more MDMA later in the night, and your serotonin levels will rise again. However, the receptors that serotonin binds to will no longer be in the snyapse. So you think you need to take more MDMA, but there is no turning back at this point. Your brain is done for the night. Taking more MDMA just elevates your serotonin levels, which can cause serotonin syndrome with sweats and inability to sleep. In extreme cases, it can kill you. So you have to be careful!