'Ecstasy' Use Studied to Ease Fear in Terminally Ill

Washington Post ^ | 27 December 2004 | Rick Weiss

[shrinkermd]

For some, the diagnosis comes out of the blue. For others, it arrives after a long battle. Either way, the news that death is just a few months away poses a daunting challenge for both doctor and patient.

Drugs can ease pain and reduce anxiety, but what about the more profound issues that come with impending death? The wish to resolve lingering conflicts with family members. The longing to know, before it's too late, what it means to love, or what it meant to live. There is no medicine to address such dis-ease.

Or is there?

This month, in a little-noted administrative decision, the Food and Drug Administration gave the green light to a Harvard proposal to test the benefits of the illegal street drug known as "ecstasy" in patients diagnosed with severe anxiety related to advanced cancer.

The drug, also known as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, has been referred to by psychiatrists as an "empathogen," a drug especially good at putting people in touch with their emotions. Some believe it could help patients come to terms with the biggest emotional challenge of all: the end of life.

[coloradan]

Do you have anything else to go on other than straw man arguments?

[BrooklynGOP]

you would rather have destroyed her brain's ability to realize what is going on?

That's pretty ignorant. How familiar are you with ecstasy? This article is killing me because you can switch MDMA with just about every harmful drug.

MDMA *might* be harmful in the long run. A moot point when it comes to terminally ill cancer patients.

[BrooklynGOP]

Last time I had some kind of happiness state related to medicine it was VERY unhappy - I barfed the Tylenol w/ Codeine all over the wall.

You're contradicting yourself. Were you, or were you not happy?

[tfecw]

well my knowledge is based on 3 years of pyscopharmacology research. Saying MDMA *might* be harmful in the long run is ignorant. People said the the same thing about smoking causing cancer for years (and still do) MDMA IS harmful in the long run, and WILL cause PERMINANT brain damage after 2-3 doses. I'd say thats pretty short term chief.

[Ken H]

Well keeper of rules of debate, throw up some links. Inform me on the rules of debate.

If you don't understand what a strawman is and why it is dishonest, links will not help. It's a character issue.

hows that for an unfair statement. See you've taken someone else's point and then put your own spin on it.

The poster clearly meant MYOB:

"Rather than pronouncing what you do or don't believe other people should or would feel. Why not allow them the option?"

Exactly what i did.

You falsely assigned a position that the poster did not claim and argued against it.

[GOP_Raider]

Not sure that I want to spend the last months of my life going to all night "rave" parties.

You don't. Trust me on this.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Reread it: "I had some kind of happiness state related to medicine it was VERY unhappy." So, my "happiness state" was that of "VERY unhappy." There is no contradiction.

Much like one's state of anger can be not angry, angry, very angry, postal angry, etc. None of these contradict a state of anger. They are states of anger.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Would the "LEGALIZE MARIJUANA NOW!!!" Freepers please step in and clear this little mess up...

(All drugs legal and available?)

[thombo]

Good point.Dosages can be adjusted accordingly. I may be a wimp, but if i was terminal, and in pain , i would consider xtasy + maybe even a painkiiller.

[Ken H]

MDMA IS harmful in the long run, and WILL cause PERMINANT brain damage after 2-3 doses.

What is your source for that? Is it from a Johns Hopkins study?

[tfecw]

Well keeper of rules of debate, throw up some links. Inform me on the rules of debate.

If you don't understand what a strawman is and why it is dishonest, links will not help. It's a character issue.

Way to show Character and teach the uneducated and ignorant

hows that for an unfair statement. See you've taken someone else's point and then put your own spin on it.

The poster clearly meant MYOB:

I missed the part about the big fat meddlesome nose. I think my point stands

"Rather than pronouncing what you do or don't believe other people should or would feel. Why not allow them the option?"
Exactly what i did.
you took this statement and took it out of context in a Mooreish fashion. "Exactly what i did" is referencing the point above about you taking another persons opinion and twisting it around to suite your own needs. I equated me jumping to euthanasia and you using the big fat nose comment as the same thing. We both took something someone else said and twisted it to suit our own needs

But being a man lacking character I don't have the time to hang out or converse with elitist like your self. I've also noticed a lacking amount of starman tactic decrying in your posts. So you've targeted someone who doesn't agree with you and attacked them in the name of other people. I would think a man of character would be able to say their position then make necessary comments about it.
But what do i know about character, Good day sir

[BrooklynGOP]

MDMA IS harmful in the long run, and WILL cause PERMINANT brain damage after 2-3 doses. I'd say thats pretty short term chief.

Cite?

[Ken H]

We both took something someone else said and twisted it to suit our own needs

The poster was clearly saying MYOB. He did not say a thing about euthanasia. So, no, we did not do the same thing.

But being a man lacking character I don't have the time to hang out or converse with elitist like your self.

If that is how you wish to characterize yourself, fine by me.

I've also noticed a lacking amount of starman tactic decrying in your posts.

I must say, you lost me there.

[Centrist]

Here is a link to a website advocating the therapeautic use of MDMA:

http://www.maps.org/mdma/protocol/index.html

[Centrist]

Here is a website advocating the therapeautic effects of MDMA:

http://www.maps.org/mdma/protocol/index.html

[Centrist]

I apologize for the double post. The network is quite slow today.

[BrooklynGOP]

Thanks, but that's not what I was asking for.

[expatguy]

Thanks for pointing that out.

[Ken H]

Was this the study?

Research on Ecstasy Is Clouded by Errors

[begin excerpt] Scientists at Johns Hopkins University reported in September 2002 that key neurons in the brains of squirrel monkeys and baboons were damaged when the animals were given doses of Ecstasy that mimicked those often taken by users of the drug during all-night dance parties.

In retracting the story, the journal Science said yesterday that the researchers discovered that labels on drugs supplied to them by an outside company were incorrect and the animals had actually been given a different drug, methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine would be expected to produce the brain damage seen in the animals, the researchers said in their retraction. [end excerpt]

[mlmr]

Empathy? I work with Estacy users who have lost most of their cognitive capacity. They become, essentially, empty shell cared for at government expense