In England it is estimated that over a million people take ecstasy every weekend. Imagine that. Pounds of the stuff on that tiny, little island nation.
Under supervised tests done on ecstasy and its effects on the brain, doctors noticed that taking more than two tablets in a limited window of time, say 6 to 10 hours, caused detectable changes in the brain similar to those seen with people who go on to develop Parkinson’s disease.
Tests done on monkeys and baboons showed that weeks after they were given ecstasy, the animals brains were damaged in parts that produced dopamine, which is a chemical responsible for body movement. Dopamine levels were only 20% of what they were normally. When dopamine levels drop to as low as 10% Parkinson’s occurs in the individual. Parkinson’s disease produces a loss of coordination in the body. Immobility and uncontrollable shaking occur.
In less than 50 years the amount of people using ecstasy or MDMA in the United States has gone from literally 0 to roughly 3 million annually. That’s a lot of people. But not a lot is known about the man who discovered it.
The Founder of Ecstasy
The german scientist accredited with the discovery of MDMA was named Anton Kollisch(1888-1916) and he obtained a patent for his discovery on December 25th, 1912. Merck, his employer, gave the molecule the name “methylsafrylamin” and it was one in a series of attempts to get around patents held by it’s rival Bayer. Both Bayer and Merck were engaged in a race to make a drug that would “promote surgical homeostasis.” Bayer had a patent for “Hydrastinin,” which was later discontinued, but in its heyday was regarded as the world’s best pro-coagulant.
Years later the bastardization of it’s intended use began around the early 1980’s and spread like wildfire! In an article from The New York Magazine from May 20th, 1985 ecstasy was described by users as “a drug that takes away all your neuroses. It takes away the fear response. There is an overwhelming feeling of peace…you feel open, clear, loving…I can’t imagine anyone being angry under it’s influences…it is an easy drug to fall in love on…you feel close to whomever you’re with, and more at one with the world. It is the opposite of paranoia.”
Coming to the United States at a time when cocaine use was just starting to get really accelerated, this new “love drug” emerged that was seemingly the opposite of its counterpart. No paranoia? Sounds ideal to mix in with cocaine to lessen the effects of paranoia then, right? Not so much. After doing research on many websites where users have documented their experiments with the mixing of cocaine and MDMA, most say that there can be a minimization of the effects of MDMA while on cocaine. Plus the combination of MDMA and cocaine is toxic to the liver and kidneys.
Contact a treatment center for more information about ecstasy and also for ecstasy addiction treatment information.