In part because it is amphetamine derived, ecstasy has inherited some of its parent compound's reputation for being neurotoxic. However, whereas amphetamine and methamphetamine undoubtedly cause irreversible brain damage with long-term use, the jury is still out on the party drug ecstasy. The deadly reputation of ecstasy has been fuelled by the tragic fates of healthy young clubbers who have di...

This chapter summarizes the literature on medical emergencies and adverse events related to MDMA/ecstasy. Published analyses suggest that most ecstasy pills contain MDMA. However, many other drugs have been detected in these pills, and some pills sold as ecstasy do not contain any MDMA. This chapter does not discuss cases involving drugs sold as ecstasy that were determined to contain no MDMA. ...

Previous studies have suggested toxic effects of recreational ecstasy use on the serotonin system of the brain. However, it cannot be excluded that observed differences between users and non-users are the cause rather than the consequence of ecstasy use. As part of the Netherlands XTC Toxicity (NeXT) study, we prospectively assessed sustained effects of ecstasy use on the brain in novel ecstasy...

Previous research has suggested that the separate aspects of executive functioning are differentially affected by ecstasy use. Although the inhibition process appears to be unaffected by ecstasy use, it is unclear whether this is true of heavy users under conditions of high demand. Tasks loading on the updating process have been shown to be adversely affected by ecstasy use. However, it remains...

We explored the frequency of commencing opiate use by "chasing the dragon" to "come down" off Ecstasy and the stability of heroin smoking in young opiate takers by assessing 102 subjects in Dublin using a semistructured interview. Ninety-two subjects had used Ecstasy. Of these, 68 reported "chasing" to "come down" off Ecstasy at some point in their history and were found to have used Ecstasy mo...

Using a self-reported questionnaire, 130 Yazd Medical University students were surveyed about their knowledge towards ecstasy and their use of ecstasy based on Health Belief Model. The age range was 18-31 years. Approximately, 23% of students had seen an ecstasy tablet, 6 (4.6%) had used ecstasy (2 female and 4 male), 4 of them lived in a dormitory and 2 were tenants. The levels of knowledge, p...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Although use of 'ecstasy' (drugs sold as containing 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is prevalent, it is typically infrequent, and treatment presentations involving ecstasy as a principal problem drug are relatively rare. Human case reports and animal literature suggest dependence potential, although there may be some unique aspects to this syndrome for ecstasy in comparison t...

BACKGROUND The use of ecstasy is a public health problem and is associated with a range of social costs and harms. In recent years, there has been growing concern about the availability and misuse of new and emerging drugs designed to mimic the effects of illicit drugs, including ecstasy. This, coupled with the fact that the age of use and the risk factors for using ecstasy and emerging drugs a...

Ecstasy (MDMA; 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a derivative of amphetamine used widely by young adults for its reported ability to induce a state of heightened empathy and introspection and to cause an increase in energy.1 In our neuropsychiatric studies of Ecstasy users, for example, we find that the typical user of this illicit recreational substance takes the drug in a group/social set...