Ecstasy

[Sir Ask Alot]

Hi i have some questions on this drug.

 

I heard that ecstasy could cause the user to have love feelings.

 

first of all

 

what kind of love feelings? like the one between a man and woman?

 

when the drug wears off, does the love feeling go away or what can we do to the person using the drug, to make the love feeling stay?

 

Why does Ecstasy produce love feelings? Whats the science behind it?

 

When the person taking ecstasy began to feel love, which other person will she love? Like for example, the first person that she sees after the drug takes effects, or the person that gave her the drug to produce the love feeling?

 

 

help is appreciated

 

thanks

[prion]

hope you're not thinking of spiking anyone's drink!!!

[NeonBlack]

I think most people here are sick of talking about drugs.

Erowid will tell you everything you want to know on just about every drug ever used by human beings.

[mattbimbo]

there was a thread last week on the 'biochemistry of love' - strangely no one got onto the subject of ecstasy.

[Sashatheman]

ecstacy is known to make people feel really close to people, something that can be called love but I doubt its the same feeling of love that a man and a woman experience if they love each other, but it breaks down the barriers of shyness and miscomfort when meeting new people, therefore its much easier to become really close to someone you talk.

I think another nickname for it is the hug drug. From what i read, and learnt from talkign to people, ecstacy makes all your senses more accute, which includes the feeling of touch. So it becomes very pleasurable for a person who took X to hug people and have a skin on skin feeling. hence maybe also this feeling of love.

How ever i also heard that while your on X, some people find it hard to get an erection, same type of thing for some people who take alcohol. Not much love in that department.

[aj47]

With MDMA the biochemical processes that occur in your brain, are very very similar to when you are in love, but on a completely different scale.

 

It is often called a love drug not because it makes you confident to talk to people, but it gives the feeling of total empathy and love for everyone around you, making small gestures such as hugs completely overwhelming and euphoric, as they seem so profound.

 

I suppose you could link the experience with the type of love between a man and woman but the love is totally platonic not erotic. This is why users often find it hard to get an erection, not because of any physical changes in their body, but they are more interested in the feeling of love than sex.

 

As for if the love stays on after the drug, it is hard to say. Often the actual experiece of ecstacy can bring people closer together, as users will lose thier inhibitions and show more emotions. In fact there is quite a lot of research in using ecstacy in psycotherapy and conselling as it has the potential to bring out repressed emotions which the person may need to address.

 

However the actual euphoric feeling of intense love will not stay on and usually people will find themsleves depressed for a few days after. This is because during your high, your brain releases copious amounts of the neurotransmitter seratonin which is linked to pleasure, so when you come off the drug you are basically seratonin deficiant and display signs of depression until your chemical levels go back to normal.

[mattbimbo]

going back to the 'biochemistry of love' thread, where Peon states that there are similarities in the biochemistry of the brain in individuals in love and individuals with OCD. there is no evidence i believe that ecstasy causes OCD- like behaviour.

 

related to what aj47 said, taking ecstasy reminded me of how i felt and behaved after sex. when i said this to other people, men and women tended to agree with me, but some differed.

[Royston]

This is why users often find it hard to get an erection, not because of any physical changes in their body, but they are more interested in the feeling of love than sex.

 

No that's because it's an amphetamine based drug...nothing to do with emotional response. Ecstasy can make people feel aroused, it's just the physical side effects that can cause problems.

 

Ecstasy or methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma) was first developed by a company called E-merck, and later a whole bunch of designer sisters of the drug were synthesized by Dr Shulgin. It was outlawed in the states in the mid eighties, and was even used in marriage counseling to increase empathy to squabbling partners.

 

Apart from the flood of seratonin it inhibits, and noradrenaline as well as the release of dopamine it's distinct because it releases a neuro transmitter, called (I think) 5ht, but correct me if that's the wrong name. This is responsible for repetitive behaviour, as though you're stripped from curiosity, and could be the reason why people dance whilst under it's influence.

 

Seratonin as well as oxytocin is released when you're in love, but I think the empathy side of mdma is still a mystery, as ther are many psychoactive substances that release seratonin that don't display this effect.

 

Seratonin levels can fall dramatically if mdma is used, and can lead to depression, and has been blamed for a number of suicides.

[Royston]

Just to add, it was originally developed to aid in weight loss...not for psychiatric purposes.

[aj47]

No that's because it's an amphetamine based drug...nothing to do with emotional response. Ecstasy can make people feel aroused' date=' it's just the physical side effects that can cause problems.

.[/quote']

 

You can get aroused on MDMA but generally speaking it is harder to get in the right mood. Many drugs such as alcohol, cocaine etc usually increase your sexual drive while on ecstasy (depending one the content of the pill) you will not go out looking to get laid, but more likely go out looking to talk to people.

 

Amphetamines and ephidrine which are usually one of the main constituents of a ecstasy pill can cause temproary impotence, but I was always under the impression pure MDMA had no adverse effects on erectile functioning just the emotional side, could be wrong though.

 

Also I think 5HT is just the chemical name seratonin.

[aj47]

Interesting interview with Alexander Shulgin talking about the use of psycoactive chemicals in therapy.

 

http://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/shulgin_alexander/shulgin_alexander_interview2.shtml

 

Personaly I think he's one of the greatest Chemists/neurologist of the 20th century.

[Royston]

Also I think 5HT is just the chemical name seratonin.

 

Thought I got that wrong...thanks for the correction, I'll look it up.