Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Due to Ingestion of Single Dose Ecstasy: A Case Report
Keywords:
ecstasy useAbstract
Ecstasy (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is a widely abused substance. Many different persistent psychiatric disorders thought to be caused by ecstasy have been reported in the literature. There is increasing evidence that ecstasy causes permanent damage to serotonergic neurons. This article presents a case of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that developed after a single ecstasy use. The patient reported experiencing fatigue and remorse after ecstasy use. He subsequently became unable to touch anything due to fear of accidentally ingesting ecstasy dust. He felt a constant need to wash his hands. He had been experiencing religious obsessions for the past year. He had never seen a psychiatrist before and had never received treatment. This article reviews the possible mechanisms of action and neuronal effects of ecstasy.
References
Ögel K, Çorapçıoğlu A, Tot Ş ve ark. Türkiye’de ortaöğretim gençliği arasında ecstasy kullanımı. Bağımlılık Dergisi 2003; 4:67-71.
McCann UD, Slate SO, Ricaurte GA. Adverse reactions with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘ecstasy’). Drug Saf 1996; 15:107-115.
Ricaurte GA, Yuan J, McCann UD. 3,4-Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA, ‘Ecstasy’)-induced serotonin-neurotoxicity: Studies in animals. Neuropsychobiology 2000; 42:5-10.
Thomasius R, PeterseKU, Zapletalova P ve ark. Mental disorders in current and former heavy ecstasy (MDMA) users. Addiction 2005; 100:1310.
Ricaurte GA, DeLanney LE, Irwin I ve ark. Toxic effects of MDMA on central serotonergic neurons in the primate: Importance of route and frequency of drug administration. Brain Res 1988; 446:165-168.
Insel TR, Battaglia G, Johannessen JN ve ark. 3,4-Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (‘‘ecstasy’’) selectively destroys brain serotonin terminals in rhesus monkeys. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1989; 249:713-720.
Battaglia G, Yeh SY, De Souza EB. MDMA-induced neurotoxicity: Parameters of degeneration and recovery of brain serotonin neurons. Pharm Biochem Behav 1988; 29:269-274.
McCann UD, Eligulashvili V, Ricaurte GA. 3,4Methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine (‘‘ecstasy’’)-induced serotonin neurotoxicity: Clinical studies. Neuropsychobiology 2000; 42:11-16.
Pennings EJ, Konijn KZ, de Wolff FA. Clinical and toxicologic aspects of the use of ecstasy. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 1998;142:1942-1946.
McDowell DM, Kleber HD. MDMA: its history and pharmacology. Psychiatr Ann 1994; 24:127-130.
Vollenweider FX, Gamma A, Liechti M, Huber T. Psychological and cardiovascular effects and short-term sequelae of MDMA (‘‘ecstasy’’) in MDMA-naive healthy volunteers. Neuropsychopharmacology 1998; 19: 241-251.
Vollenweider FX, Liechti ME, Gamma A ve ark. Acute psychological and neurophysiological effects of MDMA in humans. J. Psychoactive Drugs 2002; 34: 171-184.
Perani D, Colombo C, Bressi S ve ark. [18F]FDG PET study in obsessive–compulsive disorder. A clinical/metabolic correlation study after treatment. Br J Psychiatry 1995; 166:244–250.
Hansen ES, Hasselbalch S, Law I, Bolwig TG. The caudate nucleus in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Reduced metabolism following treatment with paroxetine: a PET study. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2002; 5:1–10.
Saxena S, Brody AL, Ho ML ve ark. Differential cerebral metabolic changes with paroxetine treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder vs major depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2002;59:250–261.
Adams KH, Hansen ES, Pinborg LH ve ark. Patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder have increased 5-HT2A receptor binding in the caudate nuclei. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2005; 8:391–401.
Schifano F. Potential human neurotoxicity of MDMA (‘Ecstasy’): subjective self-reports, evidence from an Italian drug addiction centre and clinical case studies. Neuropsychobiology 2000; 42:25-33.
Parrott AC, Sisk E, Turner JJ. Psychobiological problems in heavy ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) polydrug users. Drug Alcohol Depend 2000; 60:105-110.
Sanchez V, Camarero J, Esteban B ve ark. The mechanisms involved in the long-lasting neuroprotective effect of fluoxetine against MDMA (‘ecstasy’)-induced degeneration of 5-HT nerve endings in rat brain. Br J Pharmacol 2001;134:46-57.
McCann UD, Eligulashvili V, Mertl M ve ark. Altered neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to m-chlorophenylpiperazine in 3,4methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) users. Psychopharmacology 1999; 147:56-65.
Ricaurte GA, Finnegan KT, Irwin I, Langston JW. Aminergic metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid of humans previously exposed to MDMA: Preliminary observations. Ann NY Acad Sci 1990; 600:699-710.
Goldberg HL, Finnerty RJ . The comparative efficacy of buspirone and diazepam in the treatment of anxiety. Am J Psychiatry 1979; 136:1184-1187.
Yocca FD. Novel Anxiolytic Agents: Actions on Specific Subtypes of Central 5-HT Receptors, Current and Future Trends in Anticonvulsant, Anxiety and Stroke Therapy, BS Meldrum, M Williams (Eds.), New York, Wiley-Liss, 1990, 145-167.
Rang HP, Dale MM, Ritter JM. Pharmacology, 4. baskı, Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 1999; 528-538.
Olivier B, van Wijngaarden I, Soudijn W. 5-HT3 receptor antagonists and anxiety; a preclinical review. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2000; 10:77-95.
McCann UD, Ricaurte GA. Lasting neuropsychiatric sequelae of (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘ecstasy’) in recreational users. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1991; 11:302-305.
Parrott AC, Milani RM, Parmar R, Turner JD. Recreational ecstasy/MDMA and other drug users from the UK and Italy: psychiatric symptoms and psychobiological problems. Psychopharmacology 2001;159:77-82.
Semiz UB, Başoğlu C, Çetin M, Erinç S. Panic disorder due to ingestion of single dose ecstasy: A case report. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice 2005; 9: 0-00
Ricaurte GA, Martello AL, Katz JL, Martello MB. Lasting effects of (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on central serotonergic neurons in non-human primates: neurochemical observations. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1992; 261:616-622.
De Souza EB, Battaglia G, Insel TR. Neurotoxic effects of MDMA on brain serotonin neurons: Evidence from neurochemical and radioligand binding studies. Ann NY Acad Sci 1990;600:682-698.
Yocca FD. Novel Anxiolytic Agents: Actions on Specific Subtypes of Central 5-HT Receptors, Current and Future Trends in Anticonvulsant, Anxiety and Stroke Therapy, BS Meldrum, M Williams (Editors), New York: Wiley-Liss, 1990;145-67.
Oliver B, van Wijngaarden I, Soudijn W. 5-HT3 receptor antagonists and anxiety; a preclinical review. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2000; 10:77-95.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Dependence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
...