Methylenedioxymethamphetamine

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine also known as ecstasy or MDMA is an illegal drug that has become increasingly popular. It is a stimulant and mild hallucinogenic drug. It can be extremely dangerous especially when users don’t know the harms of it. It is seen used greatly among teen-agers and young adults in an attempt to promote euphoria, hence the name ecstasy. It was always used in the techno rave scene as it was a party drug, although it has become increasingly popular on college campuses as well (1). I will discuss how Methylenedioxymethamphetamine was originally used, how it is used today, and the harms that come from using this drug.

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine currently has no approved medical use. It is produced through chemical synthesis mostly in underground laboratories. “Ecstasy was first produced in 1913 by a German company possibly to be used as an appetite suppressant” (3). US Psychotherapists in the 1970’s also began to use MDMA as a supplement to their treatments. “Ecstasy is usually sold in tablet or gelatin capsule form, and taken orally in doses of 50 to 200 MG. It may also be sold in powder form, or the tablets may be crushed and then snorted” (2).The cost of the drug is relatively cheap since it is made by the users and distributed from there. This makes it easy to obtain for the young users, which is even more dangerous. Ecstasy has been seen to be used in college athletes but not significantly in professionals.

This drug’s effects usually begin within one hour of use, and may last for four to six hours (2). The effects include increases motor activity, alertness, heart rate, and blood pressure (1). The drug produces a rush of serotonin and a smaller amount of dopamine to the brain. Serotonin is the brain chemical that many antidepressants regulate. It is known that ecstasy can produce brain damage or memory loss.

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine has the most relevance to human biology in the fact that it greatly affects the neuron’s working methods in the nervous system, like many other drugs. Communication between the neurotransmitter’s reuptake sites are interfered with and this causes the increase in Serotonin levels (4). An overdose is distinguished by high blood pressure, rise in body temperature, faintness, panic attacks, and, in more severe cases, loss of consciousness, and even seizures. These overdoses can even lead