Ecstasy 'makes users depressed for life'

Independent (U.K.) ^ | 16 March 2003 | Sophie Goodchild and Kat Johnson

[MrLeRoy]

The research has been received with some scepticism. Dr Jon Cole of Liverpool University, whose own research concluded that the adverse effects of ecstasy had been exaggerated, said that scientists had yet to produce conclusive evidence that the drug had a long term negative impact on users.

"Depression among ecstasy users is not unique. It is the same with people who abuse alcohol," said Dr Cole. "All the evidence so far points to the fact that all these side effects may be down to other factors."

BUMP

[jayef]

On its face, your statements are nonsense. Please people, do some research on the subject. The seratonin manufacturing, release and uptake mechanisms are not that complicated. What ecstasy does is not that complicated. Anyone claiming that "permanent damage" is done to the brain is not a scientist.

[jayef]

Not that crap again. Eats holes in the brain? Really? Like hydrochloric acid? Come on, man. GEEEZ. READ SOMETHING OTHER THAN PROPAGANDA FROM OPRAH AND THE ONDCP.

[spodbox]

LSD does changes people's lives, but not in any biochemically determinible way. LSD is one of very few drugs whose doses are measured in micrograms (one millionth of a gram), as opposed to milligrams (one thousandth of a gram).

The way LSD affects people varys so wildly, that no one has ever bothered to try to come up with a specific list of effects. It turns out that the effects do seem to depend a great deal on what the user expects the effects to be. In other words, you can actually decide on what it will do to you (to a certain degree).

As for the life-changing aspect, that is 100% psychological. An LSD trip is a very traumatic experience - meaning it is very intense. The word "traumatic" tends to have negative connotations, but here it means very intense and significant to the user. In this way, LSD can change one's life the same way a car accident, loss of a loved one, divorce, etc can change one's life. This also explains the phenomenom known as "flashbacks". They are simply psychological memory-induced "reliving" the traumatic experience. So LSD flashbacks are the same as car crash flashbacks.

[Diddle E. Squat]

That may explain some posters around here...

[ffusco]

Good point. people who use tend to be depressed or emotionally unstable in the first place.

[ffusco]

Its possible that X damages serotonin production or otherwise affects the way the brain chemistry works. However I'm no scientist and any estimate of something as subjective as mood and depression are hard to quantify.

[Petronski]

Ecstasy causes the serotonin pumps in the brain to go redline (it's the rush of serotonin that gives the buzz), and after enough abuse they could be expected to fail, in numbers small or large. A lifetime of depression would be the result.

[Timesink]

Please people, do some research on the subject.

With a sneering post like yours, the onus is on you to show why the study cannot possibly be correct.

Anyone with the most basic knowledge of chemistry or pharmacology knows that there are all sorts of compounds out there can cause immediate, permanent damage to a given body organ or part of an organ. The brain is an organ, albeit the least-understood one. QED.

When the world's leading neuroscientists can't yet come to any consensus on the topic, I somehow doubt you have the magic key to all MDMA understanding.

[jayef]

You are free to believe what you want to believe. I will stick with objective science. Anyone who says ecstasy "eats holes in the brain" is verifyably engaged in unscientific posturing.

Does down-regulation happen? Yes. Does dopamine get broken down into neurotixic metabolites? Yes. Are these effects ameliorable? Yes.

Basic knowledge of chemistry and pharmacology notwithstanding, the specific effects of ecstasy have been studied and scientific results are available. Unfortunately, human studies are almost impossible because of our silly Drugs Policy.

I merely invite you and everyone else to question statements that are clearly prejudicial and unfounded. Everyone is free to draw their own conclusions. I just ask that you consider objective and scientific sources.

The same sorts of things were said about marijuana in the 30's. Do you really think that we are somehow immune now to the same sort of propagandizing by the establishment?

[realpatriot71]

I think she is looking for the pineal gland, not neurons.

It's the "neurons" in the pineal gland that make serotonin

[realpatriot71]

Also, do you have any idea whether LSD would have the same or similar effect on serotonin? LSD certainly changed people's lives forever, even one dose.

LSD works on the serotonin system as well - most of your "hallucinogenic" drugs involve serotonin in one way or another.

[JoeSchem]

By comparison, a recent study of former cocaine users found discernible (though minor) after-effects one year after the cessation of use, while a comparable study found no meaningful effects three years after cessation.

My observation is that former pot smokers are spacey for decades after. Of course, I'm assuming that Bill, Hillary, Al, and Tipper ever stopped.

[jayef]

That's absurd.

[MrLeRoy]

My observation is that former pot smokers are spacey for decades after.

My observation is the contrary.