# Ecstasy is just a stronger form of antidepressant



## davemason2k (Feb 11, 2005)

I was watching a show on the history channel and they were talking about Ecstasy and they said it basically does the same thing as antidepressants except in a much stronger way. Serotonin, when released, creates a good feeling in your brain. When you take a drug like paxil it forces serotonin to get through and when you take E it basically releases all your serotonin at once and causes an overwelming feeling of love towards everbody. hehe You gotta wonder though. If Ecstasy causes brain damage, there has to be some long term effects of taking Paxil. hmmmm


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

In my research paper last semester for English, I had one reference that explained the relationship between MDMA/Ecstacy and SSRI antidepressants. Ecstacy does as you say - it floods the brain with serotonin at a rapid rate. SSRI medications gradually increase the serotonin concentrations. The reference had statistics from a small study on the two medications (Prozac playing the role of the SSRI), and it showed that after months/years of continued Prozac therapy, a patient is likely not to even feel the effects of Ecstacy because their brain's serotonin concentration is already heightened from the Prozac.

(Now that I think about it, the study in that reference would have to have been really old or hypothetical being as Ecstacy is CI. It used to be CIII, I think, but that all changed in the 70s or 80s. Anyway, the "results" of it might have just been theoretical.)

SSRI medications already have that "Warning: This pill might make you kill yourself" labeling attached to them, so I don't know if the threat of brain damage would do any good. Besides, and this is just from my own speculation, I'm guessing the brain damage from Ecstacy is because of the _rate_ at which it increases the brain's serotonin levels - not the _fact_ that it increases the brain's serotonin levels. Serotonin syndrome is warned against with SSRI medications, so I guess that covers SSRI antidepressant manufacturers' butts in a legal sense.


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

davemason2k said:


> When you take a drug like paxil it forces serotonin to get through and when you take E it basically releases all your serotonin at once and causes an overwelming feeling of love towards everbody.


Yes, but the serotonin level alteration by Paxil is constant and steady. MDMA drastically raises your serotonin levels, but upon coming down from the drug, they are completely depleted (resuting in increased depression, anxiety, etc). A more natural antidepressant is probably psilocybin (main psychoactive in magic mushrooms). Shrooms are "proven" to treat OCD. However, I'm not quite sure why the rest of the world can read these legitimate researched facts and comprehend them, while the DEA remains oblivious.


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## paranoia (Mar 5, 2004)

I read the chemical structure of effexor is the cousin of X of that makes any sense.


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

Ecstacy:









Effexor:









I see a few similarities (the carbon ring, the oxygen bonded to it, and the nitrogen bond), but there are too many differences to say that the two meds are chemically related. Who knows, though. Maybe the similarities I saw are enough for modern pharmacy to classify them in the same group of chemicals :stu.


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

Cool post, Korey


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## styler5 (Oct 7, 2006)

Whoa...Ecstasy is a name of medication? That's kinda funny.


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

*Re: re: Ecstasy is just a stronger form of antidepressant*



akstylish said:


> Whoa...Ecstasy is a name of medication? That's kinda funny.


...It's not. Ecstasy is a Schedule I substance and is deemed illegal, with a "high potential for abuse, and no known medical uses" (Yeah, ok).


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

I remember seeing on a documentary that Ecstacy was originally named Empathy for its psychiatric use of allowing patients to open up and express their emotions. The original name didn't make too many hits, so they changed it to Ecstacy to increase its usage in medicine.

</factoid>


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## No Limit (Dec 6, 2005)

Yes. Just like LSD. Too bad it was banned for medicinal use and the junkies started using it for recreational use.


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## nemesis (Apr 4, 2005)

I think you'll find that ecstasy causes release of massive amounts of serotonin from the axon into the synaptic gap, in effect causing excitation of the two cells, and in turn depleting the stocks of the neurotransmitter for a number of days after the drug is consumed.

SSRIs on the other hand block the re-uptake of the serotonin back into the axon, therefore leaving more of the neurotransmitter in the synaptic gap. They do not cause a dramatic release and depletion in the same way that ecstasy does.

It's also interesting to note that the lack of an 'effect' that ecstasy takers experience whilst taking SSRIs is caused by the SSRIs effect of blocking ecstasy from entering the serotonin re-uptake channels when it tries to enter the axom. This stops the action of ecstasy opening up the re-uptake channels in it's attempts to flood the synapse with serotonin.

Neither drug raises the total amount of serotonin contained in the brain.


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

Serotonergic drugs increase the _concentration_ of serotonin (and sometimes the amount, but that can lead to serotonin syndrome), not the _amount_. There is a difference between the two terms in case my posts were misinterpreted by anyone.


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## sunnyE206 (May 17, 2006)

It's not as strong as it used to be. =(


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Keep in mind that the DEA banned MDMA because there was "a lack of studies to show any medical use". Yeah, and once they make it a Schedule I drug it's then off limits to research, so there never can be any studies to investigate potential uses. They could have made it a CII drug and left open the potential for further investigation by legitimate researchers. It's hard to see why MDMA had to be totally banned when even cocaine is a CII drug.


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## foxtrot (Feb 17, 2007)

*Re: re: Ecstasy is just a stronger form of antidepressant*



UltraShy said:


> Keep in mind that the DEA banned MDMA because there was "a lack of studies to show any medical use". *Yeah, and once they make it a Schedule I drug it's then off limits to research, so there never can be any studies to investigate potential uses.* They could have made it a CII drug and left open the potential for further investigation by legitimate researchers. It's hard to see why MDMA had to be totally banned when even cocaine is a CII drug.


well, isn't that just the lamest system ever?! i'm often reading about research going on into the potential health benefits of drugs that are on the on the US schedule I list. i guess this means none of this research is going on in the US?


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## Razorblade Kiss (Oct 29, 2006)

I saw that commercial with the girl who took ecstasy once and died. That would be my luck. At least I know I'm not risking that with Prozac.


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## nemesis (Apr 4, 2005)

> If Ecstasy causes brain damage, there has to be some long term effects of taking Paxil.


The two drugs work in totally different ways. Paxil and all other SSRIs have been around for over 20 years now so you'd assume that any possible long term damage caused by the drugs would have surely shown up by now.

Ecstasy on the other hand will damage the brain through a interesting process which is explained on the dancesafe.org site. To summarize, the serotonin re-uptake transporters are left open once your supply of serotonin has been depleted, allowing dopamine to enter the axom. Once the dopamine has entered, it is then broken down by MAO into hydrogen peroxide. Yep, the same stuff you use to bleach your hair. The hydrogen peroxide oxidises parts of the brain cell which don't normally get oxidised, and the cell is harmed and possibly killed.


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## foxtrot (Feb 17, 2007)

this is obviously a ridiculous and extreme case but interesting non the less on the effects of continual abuse. take home message: dont pop 25 ecstasy pills a day for four years.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0 ... 33,00.html


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## ago2180 (Jan 8, 2013)

*I think...*

My experience has take me through have antidepressants more than half of my life, is true I guess is not immidiatly the same, but I remember since way long time ago, I would scream in the shower or get hiper (I don't know how to say it, English is not my mother language, well), stone, high, excited, "extaciado" in spanish that means completely **** face, so my, most of time I took them at night and then go with my cousin and smoke W and well, I think I tried once, but I had breaks in my mind, like wtf happened? I didn't like it, but if like well said in this forum the anti... are longer to get into your brain, well if you take 40 mg of citalopram (Citox) why not taking 160mg, the worst can happen is you are happy, but this is clear, no weed or alcohol the first tries, actually no alcohol like with E???


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## deadgirlrunning (Jul 7, 2012)

Alprazolam said:


> and Ecstasy is just a stronger form of anti depressant? lol biggest joke i've heard in my life. You cannot even compare the two.


I completely agree, but anti-depressants effect people in different ways depending on their life situation and innate personality (obviously). It's weird that ecstasy is stimulating considering how sedating most anti-depressants are. Is that only when the ecstasy is cut with speed?


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

deadgirlrunning said:


> I completely agree, but anti-depressants effect people in different ways depending on their life situation and innate personality (obviously). It's weird that ecstasy is stimulating considering how sedating most anti-depressants are. Is that only when the ecstasy is cut with speed?


No, MDMA Belongs to the phenethylamine and amphetamine classes of drugs. So MDMA on it's own is stimulating.

MDMA and SSRI's are completely different drugs, one must only look at the chemical structures.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Alprazolam said:


> I wouldn't say it's not as strong as it used to be it just feels different because of either A. You are used to it and the effects and know what to expect or the most likely reason why is B. Different synths are being used now to make it...T*hanks to the government burning down the sassafras trees* resulting in "cooks" looking for alternative ways to make it which then results in **** product or idiots making Adulterated crap because there's alot of research chemicals now available that are similiar in effects to MDMA & even test up positive on a regular tester.
> 
> *Well, that's what someone told me anyway *


Someone told you wrong, no government is burning down Sassafras trees. In fact it is the drug manufacturer's that destroy the tree's, the government tries to protect the trees yo.


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## vancouver (Apr 7, 2012)

Here in Canada, the gov is opening up to the idea of legal MDMA use in conjunction with therapy. I definetly think doing M and going through a long therapy session would be beneficial. 

But it's definitely not something I would recommend as a daily use, or for when you get 'stressed out'. It strongly depletes your serotonin and other mood chemicals in your brain. 

I've noticed ever since using Zoloft for a period of 1.5-2yrs, I tried MDMA twice, I do not react the same to MDMA, like as if my brain has been depleted already by the SSRI and it doesn't produce the same amount of serotonin. The 'high' isn't as 'high', but damn is the comedown ever bad. I don't 'recover' like I use to prior to using Zoloft. (tried E and M about 5-6 times, throughout many years)


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