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The euphoria-inducing drug MDMA appears to alleviate Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in war veterans, firefighters, and police officers.
In a trial in the United States, three different doses of the drug were tested on 26 service personnel diagnosed with the debilitating affliction after experiencing trauma in the line of duty. Those on the higher doses enjoyed greater relief of PTSD symptoms than those given the smallest.
All 26 received psychotherapy throughout the drug trial, after one month of the second dose 86 percent of the 75 mg group no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. The figure was 58 percent for the 125 mg group and 29 percent for the 30 mg group. In a second leg of the study, participants previously on 30 mg who had their dose upped to 100-125 mg of MDMA saw symptoms “significantly” decrease.
After one year, the severity of symptoms among the 26 reduced, combining psychotherapy with a fast-acting drug administered only a few times at monthly intervals works. During the trial, 85 adverse events anxiety, headaches, fatigue, and insomnia were reported by 20 trial participants. It is not clear whether the MDMA or something else was responsible.
PTSD is triggered by living through a traumatic event, sufferers continue to experience stress or fear years after the danger has passed, symptoms include flashbacks and bad dreams, and PTSD sufferers can be easily startled, or quick to anger. The disorder is linked to a high suicide risk. Previous research has shown that MDMA relieves PTSD symptoms in victims of sexual crimes.
The latest study focused on 22 military veterans, three firefighters, and a police officer. University of Oxford experts Andrea Cipriani and Philip Cowen observed that some recreational MDMA users experience a sharp drop in mood a few days after the chemical-induced high. Such a side-effect would be of “particular concern in individuals vulnerable to depression and suicidal feelings
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