From: twiggs_te@alice.lrc.edu
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Re: ECSTACY
Date: 19 Nov 92 07:02:18 GMT
Reply-To: twiggs_te@mike.lrc.edu
Organization: Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, NC

dunphy@cs.uiuc.edu (Michael Dunphy) writes:
> I looked through some of last year's medical and scientific journals, and
> that is not what I found.
>         "Immunocytochemical studies have established that a major
>         portion of the serotinergic axons in the cortex and hippocampuus
>         are lost after MDMA and PCA injections."
> That is from "MDMA (Ecstacy) effects on cultured seotonergic neurons:
> evidence for Ca-dependent toxicity linked to release" in Brain Research,
> Volume 510 pages 97-103.
> XTC kills brain cells! However,
>         "While the occurence of MDA [ecstacy] neurotoxicity is widely
>         accepted, the mechanism by which it takes place has yet to be
>         elucidated."
> This from "Major metabolites of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) do
> not mediate its toxic effects on brain serotonin neurons" in Brain Research
> Vol 545, p. 279-282. It is not known how XTC does its damage, or how
> many brain cells people can afford to lose, or how well they can
> recover afterwards. But certainly, the drug is doing some damage to
> the brain. If you want to get more detailed information, please send
> me e-mail, and I would be happy to explore the scientific literature
> with you.

First of all, you are describing two different drugs.  Ecstacy is MDMA,
or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine.  However, MDA is 3,4-
methylenedioxyamphetamine, which is much more toxic than MDMA.

What you, or this article, declined to state is that scientists now have 
evidence that the serotonin neurons repair themselves within four months
of exposure.  In other words, the damage is temporary.

Also, I've never even *heard* of anyone injecting MDMA.  I imagine if I 
injected water, it would be bad for *something* in my body.  


> I really think you are being deceived. Here are excerpts from three
> case studies reported last year:
>         Until he began using MDMA he complained of no psychological
>         disturbances, but, as his relatives confirmed, in the past
>         three years he was convinced he was being stared at and
>         ridiculed by people when he went out of doors. ...

>         "A 28 year old man was admitted after attempting to strangle
>         his wife. He had been taking MDMA at weekends for 18 months.

>         "A 22 year old man was admitted for assessment. ... He
>         complained that his face had been gradually 'pulled forward';

	Well, perhaps these WERE because of taking ecstacy.  But you can
attribute anything to these occurences.  I eat spaghetti once a week.  If
I have a mental disorder next month, will they attribute that to it?

	I know people who have done X at least once each week for the past 
two to three years, and they're fine.  I also know a person who had a
violent temperament before he did X, and now he's a relaxed person.  

	Psychologists will be psychologists......



> 
> I am not denying that you felt what you felt. I just think real
> spiritual growth is harder to achieve than that.

	I most definitely agree!!!  By personal experience, however, I
now think I fully know the neighborly love we are all capable of feeling
toward each other.