3 ms·

I think you mean serotonin. MDMA causes greater release of serotonin and norepinephrine than of dopamine, and dopamine resets to baseline much faster than serot

I think you mean serotonin. MDMA causes greater release of serotonin and norepinephrine than of dopamine, and dopamine resets to baseline much faster than serotonin. > MDMA-exposed primates showed reduced numbers of serotonergic neurons 7 years later, indicating that some of MDMA’s effect on the brain can be long lasting. > Low serotonin is associated with poor memory and depressed mood, thus these findings are consistent with studies in humans that have shown that some people who use MDMA regularly experience confusion, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and impairment of memory and attention processes. In addition, studies have found that the extent of MDMA use in humans correlates with a decrease in serotonin metabolites and other markers of serotonin function and the degree of memory impairment. Great resource with lots of citations: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/mdma-ecstasy-abuse/what-are-mdmas-effects-on-brain https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/mdma-ecst...

projectazorian 4y ago
While doing MDMA in excess is a bad idea, it's worth noting that these studies have a lot of potential confounders. One example is that PTSD also causes "confusion, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and impairment of memory and attention processes." And it's likely that some people with PTSD are self-medicating with MDMA.
- chimeracoder 4y ago
  > While doing MDMA in excess is a bad idea, it's worth noting that these studies have a lot of potential confounders. > > One example is that PTSD also causes "confusion, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and impairment of memory and attention processes." And it's likely that some people with PTSD are self-medicating with MDMA. The longer-term effects of MDMA are actually fairly well-established, in part because the mechanism of action is known and the relevant effects can be directly measured. It's not just a matter of symptomatic evaluation.
vonnik 4y ago
I meant dopamine, but I'm happy to throw seratonin in there, too, since it seems so related to depression. Fwiw, MDMA affects 3 neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Having a low dopamine baseline can also be really bad tho! Hard to get motivated...

projectazorian 4y ago

While doing MDMA in excess is a bad idea, it's worth noting that these studies have a lot of potential confounders. One example is that PTSD also causes "confusion, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and impairment of memory and attention processes." And it's likely that some people with PTSD are self-medicating with MDMA.

chimeracoder 4y ago
> While doing MDMA in excess is a bad idea, it's worth noting that these studies have a lot of potential confounders. > > One example is that PTSD also causes "confusion, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and impairment of memory and attention processes." And it's likely that some people with PTSD are self-medicating with MDMA. The longer-term effects of MDMA are actually fairly well-established, in part because the mechanism of action is known and the relevant effects can be directly measured. It's not just a matter of symptomatic evaluation.

vonnik 4y ago

I meant dopamine, but I'm happy to throw seratonin in there, too, since it seems so related to depression. Fwiw, MDMA affects 3 neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Having a low dopamine baseline can also be really bad tho! Hard to get motivated...