Overview of the Designer Drug Ecstasy

© One major class of designer drugs is the amphetamine analogs. Ecstasy [3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)] is an amphetamine analog. Amphetamine analogs are categorized as “designer drugs” because “street” chemists design and synthesize them to mimic the central nervous system (CNS) and hallucinogenic effects of other illicit (controlled) drugs. Changes to the chemical structure allow the newly synthesized drugs to escape regulation until the legal authorities discover their existence. Once recognized as having no medicinal purpose and a high potential for abuse, amphetamine analogs are primarily scheduled as Class I drugs in most countries. Ecstasy is taken orally in doses from 100 to 150 mg. The first patent for MDMA was in 1914 as an appetite suppressant for soldiers in World War I. Additional therapeutic purposes include psychotherapy aid, treatment of terminal cancer patients to relieve pain and emotional stress, and treatment of patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Ecstasy is abused for its psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects, the latter being less intense than LSD or mescaline. According to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, an estimated 8.1 million (3.6%) Americans age 12 or older tried MDMA at least once in their lifetimes, up from 6.5 million (2.9%) in 2000. Desired effects of MDMA are summarized in T1. Known as an entactogen, MDMA promotes enhanced sociability, affability, and a feeling of closeness. As illustrated by magnetic resonance imaging, MDMA causes longterm damage to serotonin-containing neurons in the brain, which can adversely affect emotions, memory, sleep, pain, and higher order cognitive processes.