MDMA approved for final trials to treat PTSD before possible legalization

Strangely in the news I've seen today, this is the second story I have come across indicating the medical establishment is recognising therapeutic uses of illegal chemicals.

www.theguardian.com...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to phase three trials of MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, the final phase of validation required to turn the party drug into a legal medicine. ‘My therapist gave me a pill’: can MDMA help cure trauma?

The treatment involves giving patients the drug just three times – once a month – during long talking therapy sessions, interspersed with weekly sessions without the drug. Early trials of the drug, currently listed as a schedule 1 substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration along with heroin and coc aine, have shown encouraging results for patients with treatment-resistant PTSD.

“Moving from phase two to phase three shows we have strong scientific reason to believe that MDMA is an effective treatment for PTSD in therapy.

So what is PTSD?

PTSD is common among military veterans, victims of sexual abuse and refugees with symptoms including anxiety attacks, body shakes, nightmares and insomnia. While many patients respond to established treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), a subsection battle with the disorder for decades.

I doubt there are many people who would be opposed to better methods of treatment for those suffering PTSD.

Of interest is the recognition that treatments for those suffering PTSD are only partially effective, and that the MDMA trials are showing a lot of promise. There are hurdles to be overcome, but things seem to be moving toward formally applying to the FDA for approval. They also seem to be trying to distance themselves from the illegal aspects of the substance.

The drug would not be available on prescription for patients’ use at home in the same way that marijuana is in many US states. The design of the trials means that the drug could only be administered by a trained psychotherapist in licensed centers.

“People come into a clinic and receive one MDMA pill from the doctor and take it right away for their therapy session. They don’t take it home,” said Burge.

It is very interesting to see drugs that have been restricted for so long as showing great promise in medical treatment.

Hopefully society is moving away from the mantra of prohibition, and focusing on treatment and benefits from substances that have been traditionally highly restricted.

Two other banned-in-the-USA substances have also (apparently) proven successful in treating another common affliction: Addiction.

One is a hallucinogenic popularized by Timothy Leary, and the other, less well known is a brew of vines and leaves used in traditional spiritual medicine in South America.

I find it interesting how these supposedly dangerous and demonized molecular combinations are slowly being shown to have positive or beneficial uses in certain circumstances. It wasn't too long ago that the idea of legalizing cannabis for medicinal use would have been laughed at- wasn't it supposed to be an evil gateway to deadly narcotics?

From what I understand, it is difficult for researches to procure certain banned substances for legitimate testing to the point where many don't even try. Perhaps if some restrictions were lifted for carefully chosen scientists, even more breakthroughs might be discovered in this realm of taboo chemicals.

I predict a large and sharp spike in teenagers with PTSD in the days leading up to any large dance parties

a reply to: cuckooold
I do hope there is the smiley face stamped on said pill.......
Ahh them were the days,maybe they will give glow sticks to the patients too😜

It will probably have a an yearly price tag on it which is higher than what many people make in the year. Of course the government will be paying for all the soldiers meds and that money is paid by taxpayers. The drug on the street will be less than ten percent of the cost.

a reply to: cuckooold

What is EMDR?

www.emdr.com...

I had EMDR done to me and it works. I had been in therapy for 16 years over many traumatic experiences from my childhood.

However I had one traumatic experience that I couldn't deal with and after 16 years of talking about it, I wasn't getting anywhere.

My therapist was trained to do EMDR so he asked me one day if I would be willing to try it, so I did.

After a 45 minute session of the therapist doing EMDR with me I was 100% cured and all the side effects that I use to get from my PTSD was gone.

I have not had a PTSD ever since.

EMDR has been used by the Orient for over 3,000 years, it is suggested that aliens gave them this simple cure as well.

I also learned how to do EMDR it is very easy, also when I had this done to me a week later I called the Veterans Affairs in NC and recommended it for their veterans suffering from PTSD.

I doubt if the Trump administration will be drug friendly for any type of legalization or research; If his cabinet is any indication; it's full blown corporate, Right wing Christian, conservatives.

Having used MDMA recreationally in the past, I can say it does have some very therapeutic effects. Just like anything though it should be used in moderation. I think this is a great step forward towards repealing some of the draconian laws regarding drugs. 😁

a reply to: seattlerat

a brew of vines and leaves used in traditional spiritual medicine

That breaks down to D_M_T (those leaves, psychotria viridis) and the harmala alkaloids / MAOI (the vines, banisteriopsis caapi). I'm curious which you're saying has been tested to combat addiction.

*had to underscore heh

a reply to: PorteurDeMort

I can say it does have some very therapeutic effects.

Definitely. As I understand it, it was used in therapy in the past in the States. With relationship counseling and such.

Just like anything though it should be used in moderation.

Too much, or too often, can be rather devastating. One might need therapy as a result of its abuse!

originally posted by: olaru12
I doubt if the Trump administration will be drug friendly for any type of legalization or research; If his cabinet is any indication; it's full blown corporate, Right wing Christian, conservatives.

This is something I am worried about.

I am going to be optimistic though and hope he is open minded enough to listen to the people and end the terrible stupid evil war on drugs.

He has got to be aware that the war on drugs is pointless and does far more harm then good. If he is anti establishment then he has got to be anti drug war.

It has never been about keeping people safe. It is just a tool they use to make money and stay in power.

a reply to: Lucid Lunacy

I used to love the feeling and regularly took them, I remember coming up so fast I threw up. But one day a mate and me split one and he started overheating, he was sat next to an open window, in winter, with steam coming off him like a boiling kettle, made sure he drank iced water little and often and after 2 hours he came back down, I didn't think our amateur therapy should be repeated and even though he took many since, I never took another. But aside from that, great times and I would love to feel like that again!!

Can't talk about drug use on ATS but I can say, and anyone who's used MDMA before would likely agree, you can't just show up, take a pill, have an hour therapy session and go on your way.

Can't wait to see the therapists office which has light shows and EDM in the background.

As an aside, I'd suggest Ayahuasca would likely have very good results too. It does in other places, Mexico, South America. Problem is it can't be patented.

originally posted by: IkNOwSTuff
I predict a large and sharp spike in teenagers with PTSD in the days leading up to any large dance parties

You bring up an interesting point. Our government and schools love handing out meds. What happens when it's used for depression?

I have a depressed 13 yr old, can you help? Sure, some MDMA will cheer him up!

Well no #. Not sure that's a road we should head down though. Not with all the depressed little snowflakes in society. Make 'em cope, not offer an MDMA crutch.

Having experimented, I'd be interested to see if MDMA does anything for people with parkinson's...

You feel kind of empty and depressed when you come down....hard to imagine that being good for PTSD but I'm no doctor!

a reply to: Lucid Lunacy

The leaf is named Psychotria Viridis, and provides the psychoactive component. The MAOI attribute is the vine banisteriopsis caapi. It's use as a shamanic medicine is as old as written accounts. There is some conjecture about the historic use of the chemicals contained within those plants. To say that they are not specifically related to ingestion by Latin American populations, as per your reference to the indigenous flora.

a reply to: mnemonicmania

Quite amazing that Amazon tribes stumbled across the combination on their own.

Then again, the first person to eat a lobster I salute. That guy had to either be:

1. An insanely brave man
2. An insanely hungry man

I think there's a lot of actual usefulness to some of these compounds if they're used responsibly and under the guidance of someone trained to use them therapeutically.

It only makes sense to me that a consciousness-altering drug might help with psychological disorders under the correct conditions.

a reply to: erikthegreen

You feel kind of empty and depressed when you come down....hard to imagine that being good for PTSD but I'm no doctor

That's a really good point, the comedown would be absolutely crushing for someone who is already depressed. Plus it isn't healthy in the long run to be wearing out your receptors like that. That would only lead to a deeper depression. I guess that's why they were only doing it twice a month. That is probably infrequent enough to prevent any permanent dopamine or serotonin deficiency.

It would be simple to prevent the comedown though by taking doses of benzodiazepines or opiates or both in small doses as soon as the peak effects begin to diminish.

a reply to: mnemonicmania

The leaf is named Psychotria Viridis, and provides the psychoactive component. The MAOI attribute is the vine banisteriopsis caapi.

I know, I mentioned that

To say that they are not specifically related to ingestion by Latin American populations, as per your reference to the indigenous flora.

I'm not following you. Or perhaps you're not following me.

It was mentioned that the brew has been studied and shown to fight against addiction. I'm asking if it was the brew itself, or if it was one of those specific constituents (MAOI, D_M_T, harmala, etc).

I'm not saying, i'm asking ^_^

a reply to: Kettu

My opinion on this matter? People want to expand. They yearn for something that will show them what defies an experience.

Do I believe that psychoactive chemicals can be a healthy part of an individual experience? Yes.

Do I believe that the same can lead to an inflation of self, and ultimately be destructive? Absolutely.

I do not believe research of such chemicals should be inhibited in anyway, provided that the person ingesting them is amongst friends.