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February 18, 2005
MDMA for US soldiers
This is fantastic news. It means that the scientific truth about MDMA is finally getting to see the light of day. I'm hopeful that over the next 5-7 years MDMA will be re-classified as Schedule 2 or 3, and be licensed for use in clinical and therapeutic settings.
From The Guardian:
American soldiers traumatised by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares.Posted by paul at February 18, 2005 01:22 PMThe US food and drug administration has given the go-ahead for the soldiers to be included in an experiment to see if MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, can treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Scientists behind the trial in South Carolina think the feelings of emotional closeness reported by those taking the drug could help the soldiers talk about their experiences to therapists. Several victims of rape and sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom existing treatments are ineffective, have been given MDMA since the research began last year.
Michael Mithoefer, the psychiatrist leading the trial, said: "It's looking very promising. It's too early to draw any conclusions but in these treatment-resistant people so far the results are encouraging.
"People are able to connect more deeply on an emotional level with the fact they are safe now."
He is about to advertise for war veterans who fought in the last five years to join the study.
According to the US national centre for post-traumatic stress disorder, up to 30% of combat veterans suffer from the condition at some point in their lives.
Known as shell shock during the first world war and combat fatigue in the second, the condition is characterised by intrusive memories, panic attacks and the avoidance of situations which might force sufferers to relive their wartime experiences.
Should probably reference the Spiders... ;)
Posted by: Lion Kimbro at February 18, 2005 10:58 PMAs a former soldier myself, I think the fact that they're looking into treating PTSD in any fashion is long over due. However, I have concerns about synthetically treating the horrors of war. Even more so, I have problems with war itself but that's another discussion.
What if we just chemically lobotomize soldiers in the first place, then we don't have to worry about treatment after?
I don't disparage anyone's use of consciousness altering chemicals, but I have a bit of an issue with traumatized soldiers being the guinea pigs. We really need to focus on not damaging them in the first place.
Paul you spelled The Gaurdian wrong. Looks bad on the home page (I would want you to tell me).
b
Posted by: bruce eisner at February 20, 2005 12:59 AMi doubt "they" give a rat`s ass about the mental health of soldiers or anyone else.society is a conveyor belt of consumer products.a hundred years of psychiatry does nothing but produce mental patients and drug addicts.we all have our productive life-span and after that we are expendable.most likely a synthesised mdma product will be delivered to the marketplace and like most patent medicines will have really nice side effects.
i can hear terence laughing now.
The people doing this study are part of the psychedelic community and being funded in part by MAPS. There is nothing but the best of intentions for those doing the study. I'm quite certain that those participating in this study are doing so voluntarily, as those conducting it have an extremely high ethical standards and would accept nothing less.
Posted by: Paul at February 21, 2005 02:29 PMI hope you are right, but I have severe doubts. To begin with, any chemical that inhibits a soldiers desire or ability to kill (or the average person's desire to mindlessly consume) is going to be nixed right off the bat.
Posted by: Jesus at February 21, 2005 04:44 PMYes, MAPS is 100% AOK. They're not giving this to soldiers who are currently relied upon to kill, they're giving this to post-combat vets who are relied upon to suppoprt their families and themselves. It's not the drug that is the fix, it's the psychological insights gained from the experience. The drug is just a catalyst.
And there is no secret monolithic government "they" - like any collection of hairless apes, there are good ones and bad ones and ones that don't think about any of it very much.
Posted by: lvx23 at February 22, 2005 10:42 AMThis seems to be good news as recognising potential for therapuetic use should lead to further studies and funding. Will this affect the scheduling of the drug?
Posted by: sean at February 28, 2005 06:48 AMwhenever there is a discussion of the government and drugs i am reminded of the fact that the police need drug sheduling so that they can hire more cops to stop people doing and selling the drugs on the list.
Posted by: alistair at March 1, 2005 12:35 PMSean, this could very well affect scheduling of MDMA, but that will probably not mean much. Schedule I, where MDMA current is, is reserved for drugs with "no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." It would likely be moved to schedule II along with cocaine and the anesthetic narcotics.
Posted by: MrNeutron at March 1, 2005 04:52 PMDoes anyone actually know what dose of MDMA they wil be administering to the vets? I'm doing a research study into the opinions of people on drug issues and one component is the possible therapeutic uses of currently banned drugs. Could we end up with another ketamine situation? i.e. it looks like the drug is working wonderfully, but actually it just gets the patients high and covers up the original symptoms! And then there is the possibility of addiction on long term treatment...
Posted by: medstudent#1 at March 8, 2005 06:56 AM