PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Cándido Hernández-López AU - Magı́ Farré AU - Pere N. Roset AU - Esther Menoyo AU - Nieves Pizarro AU - Jordi Ortuño AU - Marta Torrens AU - Jordi Camı́ AU - Rafael de la Torre TI - 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy) and Alcohol Interactions in Humans: Psychomotor Performance, Subjective Effects, and Pharmacokinetics AID - 10.1124/jpet.300.1.236 DP - 2002 Jan 01 TA - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics PG - 236--244 VI - 300 IP - 1 4099 - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/300/1/236.short 4100 - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/300/1/236.full SO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther2002 Jan 01; 300 AB - 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. MDMA3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamineDSSTdigit-symbol substitution testARCIAddiction Research Center InventoryVASvisual analog scalePCAGpentobarbital chlorpromazine alcohol groupMBGmorphine benzedrine groupLSDlysergic acid diethylamine groupBGbenzedrine groupAamphetamineAUCarea under the curveANOVAanalysis of variance