E/X/Ecstasy goes Medical

[SagansHeroes]

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/07/ecstasy-may-help-trauma-victim.html

It's nice to hear people actually do this kind of research with drugs that get banned. So many drugs have been banned and for so long, we don't get a proper chance to see what possible benefits it/they have.

Marijuana, LSD and Ecstasy have been typically illegal for as long as I've been around, but they have also been touted for their positive/alternative uses (other than recreational) and are three of the least harmful and addictive drugs, all less than Alcohol and Tobacco. Plus I love any happy news for suffers of anxiety/depression/PTSD, they don't get the same recognition/sympathy as people sporting more obvious injuries as broken bones/bruising etc.

Interesting stuff anyway.

 

[IBSpify]

I'm not sure I'd consider ecstasy as a harmless drug, the long term side effects are still being researched, but it's been shown to destroy the cells that produce serotonin in the brain. These cells play a direct roll in regulating aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain.

Ecstasy not only makes the brain's nerve branches and endings degenerate, but also makes them re-grow, but abnormally - failing to reconnect with some brain areas and connecting elsewhere with the wrong areas. These reconnections may be permanent, resulting in cognitive impairments, changes in emotion, learning, memory, or hormone-like chemical abnormalities.

if it can be used to help people with PTSD I'm all for that, but don't be saying that it's harmless because it isn't.

 

[Case]

I'm not sure I'd consider ecstasy as a harmless drug, the long term side effects are still being researched (source?), but it's been shown to destroy the cells that produce serotonin in the brain (source?). These cells play a direct roll in regulating aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain (source?).

Ecstasy not only makes the brain's nerve branches and endings degenerate (source?), but also makes them re-grow, but abnormally - failing to reconnect with some brain areas and connecting elsewhere with the wrong areas (source?). These reconnections may be permanent, resulting in cognitive impairments, changes in emotion, learning, memory, or hormone-like chemical abnormalities (source?).

if it can be used to help people with PTSD I'm all for that, but don't be saying that it's harmless because it isn't.

There's always the gap between medicine/drug utility and the law, likely because lawmakers think outlawing things was better than educating people about it.

 

[IBSpify]

I'm not sure I'd consider ecstasy as a harmless drug, the long term side effects are still being researched (source?), but it's been shown to destroy the cells that produce serotonin in the brain (source?) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2471824. These cells play a direct roll in regulating aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain (source?)Do you really need me to source what serotonin does for your brain chemistry?.

Ecstasy not only makes the brain's nerve branches and endings degenerate (source?)Same as above, but also makes them re-grow, but abnormally - failing to reconnect with some brain areas and connecting elsewhere with the wrong areas (source?)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15741482. These reconnections may be permanent, resulting in cognitive impairments, changes in emotion, learning, memory, or hormone-like chemical abnormalities (source?).http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/pubmed search ecstasy brain damage you'll get a nice list of studies

if it can be used to help people with PTSD I'm all for that, but don't be saying that it's harmless because it isn't.

There's always the gap between medicine/drug utility and the law, likely because lawmakers think outlawing things was better than educating people about it.

hope that helps answer your questions, but ask a medical doctor what the adverse side effects of ecstasy are, most of them have had to spend time dealing with people who used it as a recreational drug and they will be able to tell you what it does to you better then I can.

 

[Case]

Just saying you should back up things with evidence if you present them as facts. I could say "serotonin deficit has been known to cause depression" and because many people have heard something to that extent, I might even get away with it. If I have to give the sources to those 'facts', others can check whether I interpreted the findings correctly.

 

[SagansHeroes]

but don't be saying that it's harmless because it isn't.

Dude relax. I never said it was harmless >.< I said it wasn't as harmful as other drugs... If I say "this snake has strong enough poison to kill you, but it's the weakest of all the poisonous snakes that can kill you"... I didn't just say "this snake can't kill you"

http://jop.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/23/1/3

 

[IBSpify]

but don't be saying that it's harmless because it isn't.

Dude relax. I never said it was harmless >.< I said it wasn't as harmful as other drugs... If I say "this snake has strong enough poison to kill you, but it's the weakest of all the poisonous snakes that can kill you"... I didn't just say "this snake can't kill you"

http://jop.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/23/1/3

I disagree that it's one of the least harmful drugs, I think that any drug that permanently alters your brain chemistry is extremely harmful and to compare it to marijuana is extremely misleading