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Drugs
Psychoactive drugs are chemical substances that affect the nervous system, alter perception, consciousness or mood.
Recreational drugs are drugs that are used for pleasure and not medical cause.
Drugs considered to have religious usage are called etheogens and those that claim to improve human cognitive abilities are
called nootropics.
MDMA
3,4 methylenedioxy-methamphetamine Consists of methylenedioxy group bonded to benzene ring through 3, 4 carbon
position. The rest of the molecule is methamphetamine. It causes feelings of euphoria and empathy, feeling of oneness, sense of
inner peace, enhanced sensation and sexuality and mild hallucinations. It blocks the reuptake of neurotransmitters Serotonin,
Dophamine and norepinephrine by the neurone that released them into the synapse and also causes them to release more of it,
thereby increasing concentration of these NT in the synapse which cause continuous action potentials to be fired in the
neurones. It is a monoamine transporter substrate and so it is able to enter monoamine neurones. At the sypapse, it competes
with the endogenous monoamines for reuptake.
MDMA reaches maximum concentrations in the blood between 1.5 to 3 hours after ingestion. Users report effects within 0.5 1
hour of consumption, hitting a peak at about 1.25 2 hours.
Neurotoxicity and addiction harmful effects of use
Currently no accepted medical uses
Short term health risks:
Hyperthermia
Dehydration
Fatal Hyponatremia excessively low Na+ conc. In blood): happens when MDMA users try to prevent dehydration by drinking
excessive water but not enough electrolytes so blood is diluted.
Diarrhea, Nausea and volmiting
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
After effects that can last upto a week:
Trismus (lockjaw)
Insomnia
Anxiety and paranoia
Depression
Irritability, impulsiveness and restlessness
Anhedonia inability to experience pleasure from usually enjoyable activities
Long term effects:
Brain lesions/damage in serotonergic neural pathways of humans
Neurotoxicity in serotonergic axon terminals that persist for more than two years