Harm drugs. MDMA is the killer of the serotonin system of the brain!

Harm drugs-stimulants. What are the stimulants? How strong is the harm of drugs of this group? What is MDMA? Why is MDMA incredibly popular and what unique effects does this drug give? Why is MDMA considered the most neurotoxic drug, and what brain systems does it hit? What is synthesized from MDMA? What does MDMA and Prozac have in common? What drugs and drugs are often sold by rogues under the guise of MDMA? Under what diseases of the body, MDMA is absolutely contraindicated, and what drugs taken with MDMA can cause a fatal outcome? How big is the harm from MDMA on a global scale? What makes MDMA smuggling a very profitable business?

Harm drugs. What is MDMA?

While there are "hangouts" in night clubs and other night "fumes", young people will take various "fashionable" drugs, including extremely harmful stimulants of the central nervous system (CNS stimulators), while not particularly thinking about what harm drugs of this group (class) is incredibly dangerous. Forcing the body to release energy stored for extreme situations, stimulants "strain" the body, creating a great stress for all body systems, which then recover after the end of the drug. Stimulants should be used only in cases of extreme necessity and in small doses, when the benefits from their use obviously outweigh the harm, for example, night protection of important objects, military operations, etc. And not as modern young people do: in the daytime a tablet of this, a tablet of powder, here, a powder there, a cigarette with "grass", all lit up this case, poured "sanded" - and into a nightclub, frolic to the drop. Well, there, and again repeated again, and more ... And in the morning - a full "kamatoz", if, of course, the heart does not fail, and you will remain alive.

Harm drugs from the stimulant group, with their regular use (especially in large doses) methodically leads first to a violation of the mental and physical state of the body, then to its gradual decay, rapid, premature aging, and finally to death in years, edak, in the 25- 30, if you're lucky. There are several very well-known stimulant drugs. First, it is a "light" drug cocaine (and its cheaper analogue crack), an alkaloid produced from the leaves of a coca plant, distributed as hydrochloride (crack spreads in the form of a base) and in slang especially often referred to as "coke", " №1 "," coconut "," snow ". Secondly, it is chemically not related to cocaine, but "heavier" and no less famous drug amphetamine, often distributed in the form of sulphate called phenamine, in slang known as "fen", "fedor", "speed." Thirdly, it is a derivative of amphetamine itself, "very heavy" and an incredibly popular methamphetamine stimulant among drug addicts, distributed in the form of hydrochloride called pervitin, in slang known as "meth", "ice" (mainly in the US), and also distributed in the form of a freshly prepared solution (together with reaction by-products), known in slang as "screw", "ready" (mainly in Russia).

The harm of stimulant drugs, especially amphetamines, is extremely dangerous, but this does not prevent new members of this group from appearing. Currently, the most popular among the "tusovoy" youth acquired a drug, in slang called "Ecstasy." Its real chemical name is 3,4-MethylenDioxiMetAphetamine (MDMA). MDMA as well as methamphetamine is a derivative of the "father of the family" - the most amphetamine. Through complex chemical reactions, MDMA is synthesized from sofrol, which is contained in a large number of essential oils, but its greatest amount is found in sassafras oil and oil of zinc anise.

Harm drugs. Artificial happiness captures the planet!

Despite the harm that MDMA brings, the growing popularity of this drug is simply incredible! For example, more than 10 years ago in the United States at Kennedy Airport from September 1998 to August 1999, customs officers seized more than 1 million MDMA tablets! And that's when - more than a dozen years ago - the scale of the disaster was already so serious. Imagine what is going on right now and what harm the drugs from the stimulant group in general and MDMA in particular are inflicted on the younger generation of the whole planet! MDMA tablets are often produced in Holland at a cost of about $ 2 apiece, and they are sold further around the world at $ 25-40 per each. The price of a drug depends on many factors, starting from what besides MDMA itself contains a pill (often add other amphetamines and / or hallucinogens) and how many "weld" the so-called "barygi", i.e. those who directly sell MDMA in retail. All this makes the smuggling of Ecstasy a very lucrative drug business.

Usually Ecstasy is delivered to nightclubs in the form of powder or tablets. In addition to the main name - "Ecstasy" - the drug is often called "X" ("X") or "E" ("and"). "Ecstasy" is especially popular among fans of electronic music, especially such areas as Rave (rave) and Trance (trance). Although, MDMA is certainly a stimulant, some hallucinogenic effects put it apart from other drugs of the amphetamine family. The harm of drugs of this family is inherited by MDMA itself, but in addition to stimulating and hallucinogenic effects, MDMA still evokes the deepest sense of empathy for the surrounding people. There is a deep sense of peace, indescribable grace, "divine love," the desire to penetrate wholeheartedly to the interlocutor or partner. Therefore, these very unusual combinations of MDMA effects led researchers to place this drug in a separate unique category - empathogens-entactogenes. Because MDMA makes it possible to artificially cause a "state of happiness" almost at any time in the presence of the drug, it has become an incredibly fashionable and popular drug of modern times.

Harm drugs. Professor of pharmacology speaks about the harm of MDMA.

The main unique effect of MDMA, also known as the "love effect", reinforces the generally positive atmosphere at night parties of electronic music, which are based on the concept of unity and harmony. But besides the positive mood, MDMA gives a lot of harmful side effects, from grinding your teeth to complete coma and death. It all depends on the dose taken and other drugs or medications taken before or after MDMA or already mixed with MDMA. For example, it is strictly contraindicated to take MDMA with the so-called MAO inhibitors, with very high probability, a fatal outcome is possible.

When it comes to MDMA, Professor of Pharmacology Wilkie Wilson is pleased to share information. He describes MDMA as "the most neurotoxic drug of all," meaning the immense power with which MDMA kills brain nerve cells. "It's a very dangerous drug that does serious harm to the brain," says Wilson, "but unfortunately, it makes people feel incredibly happy." There are many middle-class people who take this drug and they do not like it when I say that MDMA is extremely dangerous, despite the fact that there is a lot of real evidence. " The professor tells that MDMA destroys the serotonin system of the brain, acting on it in a similar neurochemical way, which is affected by antidepressants like Prozac. Wilson's description of the harm caused by the MDMA system to the serotonin system is simply dramatic. Wilson says that the drug kills her and that those who use MDMA do not notice those terrible things that happen to them, because they happen slowly and with special treachery.

But not everyone agrees with Wilson's opinion. Some researchers and consumers of MDMA argue that there are too many coincidences and vague points in the study of the neurotoxicity of this drug. What are these randomnesses that lead the experimenters into confusion? The fact is that too many drugs are sold underground under the guise of MDMA. The harm of drugs, acquired as a fake, can be fatal. Instead of MDMA, rogues can hint at anything. It can be "at best" a low-quality MDMA, made by handicraftsmen, who often do not even know the basics of biochemistry, and "in the worst case" it can be a drug altogether different from MDMA. For example, researchers have faced the fact that some rogues sell under the guise of MDMA a drug such as Rohinol, the so-called "drug of sexual assault" or "drug for rape." Рофинол is imperceptibly admixed with the victim, which soon has an irresistible sexual desire, and after a while there is a loss of consciousness, and after restoration of consciousness the victim remembers nothing. Sometimes under the guise of MDMA sell the drug Fentziklidin, which was previously used as an anesthetic, but for its toxicity and side effects was excluded from medical practice. But, nevertheless, Fentziklidin is still produced underground, and it is known as a drug RSR ("pi-pi-pi"), so named from the abbreviation of the full English name Fentziklidina - PhenylCyclohexylPiperidine, i.e. PCP.

What can be said about the effect of MDMA on cognitive, i.e. cognitive system? Is there any harm to her? Studies conducted in London in the medical college "Imperial College of Medicine" led scientists to the conclusion that in addition to the serotonin system, MDMA seriously damages memory. Thus, regularly using this drug, it becomes more difficult for you to remember quite ordinary things, namely: people with whom you seemed to have recently met, messages that you recently read, phone numbers that you have never forgotten, etc. . This will not completely kill you and turn you into a complete idiot; MDMA does not apply to the frontal lobes of the brain, which respond, for example, to verbal fluency, but the damage will be severe.

If you take MDMA, then how do you know how much harm the drug has already caused? Wilson gives a list of some of the most important behavioral clues. This is depression, irritability and anxiety between MDMA techniques, problems with appetite and sleep. The more pronounced the symptoms of these manifestations, the more harmful the drug has already managed to inflict. Wilson says that these problems are the result of a disruption in the functioning of the serotonin system of the brain. One of the manifestations of damage to the serotonin system is that MDMA users have chronic serotonin deficiency, which can cause a severe depression, which is quite capable of pushing you to suicide. By the way, a similar situation is observed in some patients suffering from depression, as a result of which they require the taking of preparations like Prozac.

In addition, the state of your health can be such that you are generally not allowed to use MDMA. If you have cardiovascular diseases (even if it's hypertension, that is, high blood pressure for a long time), any mental disorders, not to mention epilepsy, the MDMA intake is a very dangerous idea. Especially in combination with a bad atmosphere, which can be present at a poorly organized party, in some poorly ventilated basement or warehouse, especially if there are no sources of water nearby.

As for the combination of MDMA with other substances, in particular alcohol, there is almost no conclusive research on such combinations. But Wilson warns that mixing alcohol with MDMA is a very bad idea. But since alcohol is not an attribute of a rave scene, it's worth worrying about in an ordinary club or at home parties.

Source material for the article: "Controversy abounds over MDMA effects" .