3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy) and Alcohol Interactions in Humans: Psychomotor Performance, Subjective Effects, and Pharmacokinetics
- Cándido Hernández-López1,
- Magı́ Farré1,2,
- Pere N. Roset1,2,
- Esther Menoyo1,
- Nieves Pizarro1,
- Jordi Ortuño1,
- Marta Torrens3,
- Jordi Camı́1,4 and
- Rafael de la Torre1,2
- 1Unit of Pharmacology, Institut Municipal d'InvestigacióMèdica (C.H.-L., M.F., P.N.R., E.M., N.P., J.O., J.C., R.T.);2Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (M.F., P.N.R., R.T.); 3Unit of Psychiatry, Hospital del Mar (M.T.), and 4Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain (J.C.)
- Dr. Magı́ Farré, Unit of Pharmacology, Institut Municipal d'InvestigacióMèdica, Doctor Aiguader 80, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain. E-mail:mfarre{at}imim.es
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is frequently consumed in association with alcohol. The effect of this combination in humans has not been previously investigated. Nine male healthy volunteers received single oral doses of 100 mg of MDMA plus 0.8 g/kg ethanol, 100 mg of MDMA, 0.8 g/kg of ethanol, and placebo in a double blind, double dummy, randomized crossover trial. Measurements included psychomotor performance, subjective effects, and pharmacokinetics. Plasma concentrations of MDMA showed a 13% increase after the use of alcohol, whereas plasma concentrations of alcohol showed a 9 to 15% decrease after MDMA administration. The MDMA-alcohol combination induced longer lasting euphoria and well being than MDMA or alcohol alone. MDMA reversed the subjective sedation induced by alcohol but did not reduce drunkenness feelings. MDMA did not reverse the actions of alcohol on psychomotor abilities. Combined use of MDMA and alcohol causes dissociation between subjective and objective sedation. Subjects may feel euphoric and less sedated and might have the feeling of doing better, but actual performance ability continues to be impaired by the effect of alcohol. Confirmation of these findings in further studies will be highly relevant in terms of road safety.
Footnotes
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This study was supported by grants from Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS 97/1198), CIRIT 97-SRG-0077, and Plan Nacional sobre Drogas.
- Abbreviations:
- MDMA
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
- DSST
- digit-symbol substitution test
- ARCI
- Addiction Research Center Inventory
- VAS
- visual analog scale
- PCAG
- pentobarbital chlorpromazine alcohol group
- MBG
- morphine benzedrine group
- LSD
- lysergic acid diethylamine group
- BG
- benzedrine group
- A
- amphetamine
- AUC
- area under the curve
- ANOVA
- analysis of variance
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- Received August 6, 2001.
- Accepted August 29, 2001.
- The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
