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Ecstasy Use Kills Memory; Even 10 Pills in a Year Will Have You Scratching Your Head

Categories: Drugs

chris breikks flickr ecstasy.JPG
Chris Breikks / Flickr
Ever talk to a graying raver about that great party in nineteen-ninety ... oh, what year was that again?

Yeah.

Unfortunately, this is bad news here in the rave capital of America: Yet another study has found that ecstasy can lead to memory loss. Not only that, but it apparently doesn't take much:


New research published today in the journal Addiction says that even short-term use of MDMA will lead to "specific memory impairments" that the user might not be aware of until it's too late, according to a summary.

Folks who took 10 pills in a year showed "immediate" short-term memory loss, according to the paper out of the University of Cologne.

E-tards could be turning themselves into virtual Alzheimer's patients:

Thumbnail image for county ecstasy flier.jpg
L.A. County
L.A. County actually once planned to teach ravers how to properly take ecstasy.

These findings are associated with damage of the hippocampus, the area of the brain that oversees memory function and navigation. Interestingly, hippocampal damage is one of the first signs of Alzheimer's disease, resulting in memory loss and disorientation.

Researchers looked at subjects who took about 2 and a half pills per month. Lead author, Daniel Wagner:

By measuring the cognitive function of people with no history of ecstasy use and, one year later, identifying those who had used ecstasy at least ten times and remeasuring their performance, we have been able to start isolating the precise cognitive effects of this drug.

Of course, there are a lot of nonbelievers out there when it comes to the effects of this shite drug. For you there's the Santa Cruz-based Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), which believes that ecstasy can do wonders.

Agree? That is your church. Just don't blame us when you forget how to get home.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]


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31 comments
get.atrc
get.atrc

I just did ecstasy last night actually as well as many times prior (don't remember the exact number of times) and I can't remember the last time there were any effects to my memory

get.atrc
get.atrc

Also forgot to mention I've heard about that study, read portions of it last night but can't remember the main findings. My experience is that MDMA helps me remember things - cant think of anything specific but it does help keep the brain thinking

get.atrc
get.atrc

Talk about a brain fart!! Did I write this comment? I don't remember doing so but I've had a busy day *sigh* E is great for the brain development although I'm not sure if anyone knows what's going on with a weird symptom (not MDMA related) late at night I wake up extremely confused, unable to remember words, and just feel completely out of it as if something I took in the past (I used to smoke cigarettes?) may be affecting me. It's gotten worse the last couple months and is really effecting my MDMA high. Hitting my head on a hard surface helps btw, anyways I put this comment up here to help others, let me know if you have any questions and if I'm not having a brain-dead fog day (quit smoking if you smoke as this causes all this!) my mother has smoked for 60 years and is sharp as a tack- no MDMA for her! She bruised her elbow and that's the only time I gave her some but never again she went with grandson to edc and stripped naked and had a "relationship" with a 21 year old raver. I'm sorry but at her age.... Ok I'm rambling now but yes take MDMA I'm living proof it helps your memory and smarts

get.atrc
get.atrc

Also beware of the anti-drug doctors, there's good ones out there but had a horrible experience with one calling me "borderline retarded" (i wish I could remember his name, started with an h or a k but I may be totally confused on that) he claimed due to my E use. The darn drug companies and their agendas

zenshiatsula
zenshiatsula

New study shows that ecstasy does not affect the mind. There is no cognitive difference between ecstasy users and non-ecstasy users in the same peer group. Sleep deprivation and dehydration affect memory, not ecstasy. Get it right, Dennis Romero! http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/feb/19/ecstasy-harm-brain-new-study

get.atrc
get.atrc

@zenshiatsula Thank you. I've used ecstacy almost daily for 20 years and my psychiatrist says I'm perfectly normal (except just a small issue with thought. I can only think in thoughts of colors or numbers. They say it's from the MDMA use so who knew MDMA could provide this great benefit. Thinking in colors and numbers is actually much more advanced than you. I can peel an orange just by thinking of the number 3 and using 1 finger, sometimes 2. It's really not funny, if anything I should be laughing at you all and my mother because I think in numbers and colors. My mom is so stupid she constantly yells through the heat vent down into my basement. I have no privacy and can't even moan sexually if i want to because I get caught. Grams took one of my MDMA pills and had s3x with my best friend I can't believe she would do that to me. I guess shes the type that gets horny on it. My friend said he disnt want to but grams Hid his Glasses until he would do It. Worst thing ive ever seen in my life i didnt know all body hair on elderly women was grey . Anyways back to what makes me so smart everyday I just take MDMA and for the first 2 hours if my vision gets spotty I bang my head against the wall and it helps. Also one other thing I found out toothpaste at least some kinds wear away your teeth! Almost like from grinding but I don't let myself do it on MDMA but I think it's the fluoride. Also the fluoride has cause a type of only borderline - it doesn't mean I have it or anything but borderline retardation. Can you believe the doctor said its from MDMA???? I was so angry those doctors get kick backs from toothpaste must be. Stay away from it. I've had all kinds of problems when I switched toothpaste at grams. I had bad depression, lost weight, kind of liking watching gram with Sam having s3x, um grinded down teeth, mental fog I can't get grama scene out of my head and it keeps coming out in places. Like I'll say "I got to watch my grama fu*k" idk why I even say it, I immediately start hitting myself but I think I say it so people will just think its from the MDMA I'm on wheb really I liked watching gram. Anyways MDMA is the way to go. I got free of college I had TWO more years to wait to be an engineer - too long. MDMA took me on a path of some pretty good stuff like I mentioned earlier - I can't really think right now my brain is in one of its dead moments but yeah look what it did for me I'd reccommend it and also I'm not a doctor or anything but have some experience making coffee for workers at an office near here I am not there anymore I had to self defend myself by punching the cleaning lady who budged in front of me I punched her 3 times but office workers pulled me off and then got tazed but anyways that's besides the point I'll help you out since I'm one of the smartest people I'd say in the world I charge $100 an hour if you're poor and $1000 an hour or actually $3000 an hour if you're rich and rich people get a special gift I will fly or take the bus to see you for awhile maybe live there with you a month or 2 but let me know and it's a 10 hour minimum so just give me money and we'll work out all the thousands. Oh and also I fix feed bags for cattle in case you need that I need to go for now dang gram is done clogged the toilet with hair and of course poo but it's a job and I want to do it and I'll do it for free too cause I'm a nice guy. Bye bye take ecstacy no side effects and makes you smarter I would have been living proof had the fluoride toothpaste not gotten in the way

dennys
dennys

one day maybe we will see an honest comparison between 'ecstasy and e-tard effect' and  'alcohol and domestic abuse effect' in terms of real impact on society.

 

but probably not soon, seeing how alcohol ads drive some of the village voice revenue.

get.atrc
get.atrc

@dennys Yes, good point. I believe giving ecstacy to the mentally challenged (e-tard is a bit politically incorrect) and just see what happens when turned loose in public. I think it would make quite a friendly bunch just need monitors to prevent the sex (a side effect of MDMA)

get.atrc
get.atrc

I didn't mean just turned lose to do anything but have the government buy in bulk those large plastic wheels you can run around in that way the person is kept in a ball so no danger to anyone else. Win win. Oh and I'm copywriting this idea apparently the patent attorney I spoke to doesn't like money because he was too stupid to understand i think patent attornies are probably for mentally ill i was mentally ill but it was tenporary now im normal. But put them in large balls it will protect everyone and they can run around just like any other person. If they can't fit in doorways which is very possible the doorways have to come down. Just like ramps for those with wheelchairs. As a matter of fact the patent attorney is racist he said his doors were just a couple feet wide! Mine are too but I'm fixin to take the chain saw and make them 8ft wide so the balls can get through but I'm going to have to figure out a way to keep grama out she knows pepper spray and my stun gun will be used she hit me over the head with a Denny's plate so anything goes and you can't act that way in a fancy restaurant like Dennys! After I hit her back with a planter I felt embarrases to say the least I mean who hits someone with a Denny's plate. Ok well the key to success I have it it's MDMA and IT DOES NOT CAUSE MEMORY PROBLEMS OR MENTAL PROBLEMS I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR UEARS AND IM PERFECT EXCEPT MY MOM ISSUES

DonkeyHotay
DonkeyHotay topcommenter

 @dennys 

 

HipTip: 2 societal evils don't cancel each other out.

 

 

get.atrc
get.atrc

@DonkeyHotay @dennys Sleep deprivation is relatively harmless, worst side effect would be the vivid hallucinations. Hydration issues are very rare and if they do occur the ambulance will simply hydrate you via a drip. Yes it is risky waiting for an ambulance but might be blessing in disguise as you may get to have more medications to fix heart or brain damage. Both medicines used to treat heart ailments caused by dehydration give you a slight dizzy feeling so it's almost worth it for the high

justAnotherOnionhead
justAnotherOnionhead

I think the researchers of this study are obviously taking a lot of ecstacy and forgot there was another study last year that said MDMA didn't harm memory.

get.atrc
get.atrc

@justAnotherOnionhead MDMA won't produce a high in an onion or onion head so I'm sure that is why you are seeing no memory loss. I'm not a doctor but I make coffee for a medium sized office every morning and everyone in that office work administration for medical staff so I am almost like a doctor. I wouldn't worry about anything and just keep taking your ecstacy I do and look at me everything is taken care of except my grandma yells through the heat vent to the basement to get my attention but it interrupts because I don't like to hear her voice if I'm doing something sexual - with myself - not grama or anything just because I saw it happen with her does not mean it turned me on. Just like let's say you were Looking under the bedroom door of your sister - no nevermind not sister they can be pretty - imagine you looked under the door of your closest grey body haired woman and think of an Unattractive one my grama is ok looking but her chest dangles way down so best to picture from behind - ok so anyways you're looking under the door and something happens they go crap on the floor or the sit down naked without Wiping ok so now you have that in your head but you know it's wrong that you like it but oh too late now you have that fantasy there and then your best friend sleeps with her to make matters even worse!! Anyways I forgot where I was going but avoid toothpastes they cause all sorts of problems, you can be just like me and as successful as me (I'm not bragging sorry if it seems that way, I make almost $20,000 a year so I think I have a right to brag - plus i take grams money she gets too much anyways - but I can't remember anymore where this is going stay cool stay smart do MDMA

djromero
djromero moderator editortopcommenter
get.atrc
get.atrc

Yes it's safe even for someone who is diagnosed as psychotic and borderline mentally retarded but that was when I was using it like cigarettes every 10 minutes now I do it every hour and I'm perfectly normal except for mental stuff but yup my professional advice is keep taking it it made me give up everything (not lose) but give up cause who needs stuff and family I like MDMA and even the crash feels good sometimes like if you're pinching yourself hard or get hurt then you don't notice the crash or memory problems hell I'm almost a doctor I make coffee for nurses aid students and I talk to them every morning but then I punched one in self defense she wouldn't let me touch her front area I just wanted to see how soft it was ain't nothing sexual but yeah so I'm just about a doctor I can operate too tell me what you need and what the problem is and I can go get tools and the right saws - doesn't have to me medical stuff it all works the same @djromero @justAnotherOnionhead

Franklin
Franklin

 @djromero  @justAnotherOnionhead  Gotta love how you cite your own shoddily-researched articles as references to studies.  And how you lazily skim over a crucial word in the title of the study in question:  "POLYDRUG".

 

From: [ http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1151061#METHODS ] comes the actual title of the study, "Evidence for Chronically Altered Serotonin Function in the Cerebral Cortex of Female 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Polydrug Users".

 

And while the methods for qualifying participants in the study are not viewable without subscribing to JAMA, it seems fairly obvious that while this study MAY be trying to isolate the effects of MDMA on long term neurological health, they have chosen to study individuals who have a history of using other drugs as well, calling into question the conclusion in their abstract. 

 

We'll have to see if this study is taken seriously over time.  If so, it will be cited by other researchers in the field.  Taken at face value, the abstract smells a little fishy.

get.atrc
get.atrc

Well what the hell does my other drug use have to do with this? You don't need to know if I smoke crack how's that going to help besides it can make you smarter and friendlier studies show. And scadsily researched? I'm my own study so that's impossible if you pay me $500 you can come an stay with me but you'll have to stay in the tool shed, it's warm durning the day and cozy with a space heater but just come and study me. I do amoke crack but crack has vitamins usually and it makes you so happy you want to keep doing it so must be good. Who told you about the fish smell???? I want to know was it Linda my mom? Our place smells like fish kinda because of a female infection. It spread all over and won't go away. Maybe in exchange I'll knock $10 off and you can clean the couch and her toilet where the stains and smells are. I'd let you sleep on the fishy sofa after its clean so now it works out perfect I'd say. @Franklin @djromero @justAnotherOnionhead

justAnotherOnionhead
justAnotherOnionhead

So, what's the take home message from all this conflicting information? I like to think it's a combination of "Do what thou wilt" and "Everything in moderation - even excess"!

get.atrc
get.atrc

Any by the way, the police are corrupt they refused to match up my neighbors butt print to the one on the bike I found. I know it's not hers the butt print is too wide and her butt is more round and bigger but geez just go to the officer and have him line up your butt to the seat no ones going to see except the officer and me the witness

get.atrc
get.atrc

@justAnotherOnionhead Yes take ecstacy. Great 2 hours and totally worth the 36 hour crash (just take more or take a bunch of pain killers, don't worry about getting addicted opiate addiction is really a lie propagated by all those so called doctors. and even if you do develop a habit, it's only money being spent and a few days in jail here and there - possibly losing friends/spouse but just be smarter than that you can be addicted and win and reach all your goals - I help my Grammy and I've waited for this for years as she has quite the stash of pain Meds so as you can see I made my goal. I also got rid of my big bulky space-consuming car and got a bike! Free at a rack but now neighbor is saying its hers but the seat has a different as$ print than her as$ and she refuses to show me if all lines up so just another liar. So anyways yes take heroin, I mean MDMA (but heroin is good too it minimizes the head banging problem and it's very low risk, and like we talked about before an opiate addiction is something EVERYONE wants, just sick of the haters that talk about addiction this and severe withdrawal that. I can't remember of I posted what I wanted to but MDMA does make you inteligant and I can't think of the word but the opposite of forgetful. I hope you enjoyed I am a therapist and charge $100/phone session and really just by reading this you should owe me money. I'm one of the smartest people on here and of you call me and Grammy picks up put the phone down for a second so I can get her away from the dang phone that old forgetful snooper. So anyone for some advisemint? First 10 minutes are free but you have to give me your bank account information first and please make sure there's an active account (meaning a few hundred or better yet thousands of dollars) I bill 50 hours at a time up front, my trailer sometimes cuts off the phone service so if that happens ill just take your money first then pay my phone bills then I promise I'll give you some good advice like I've been givin y'all on here!

get.atrc
get.atrc

@djromero @justAnotherOnionhead Only deaths, depression and destruction? What about the spiritual aspect - I (and a few people I know) can actually see entities in other people. I'm not sure the mechanism as to why "dark" energy is drawn to those individuals, but it is quite a sad and scary site. Devils playground indeed.

DonkeyHotay
DonkeyHotay topcommenter

 @djromero 

 

But it does turn the cute little chicks into compliant fluffers ... doesn't it Dennis?

djromero
djromero moderator editortopcommenter like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @justAnotherOnionhead From covering the rave scene for 20 years and seeing deaths, depression and other destruction from E, and then seeing a study like this and the one liked above, my conclusion is that it's a shite drug -- use at your own risk. But that's just one man's opinion.

djromero
djromero moderator editortopcommenter

 @justAnotherOnionhead JustA you are correct. I think I wrote about that and I should have linked.

DonkeyHotay
DonkeyHotay topcommenter

 @justAnotherOnionhead 

 

But you can't remember where you saw the study ... 

get.atrc
get.atrc

@DonkeyHotay @justAnotherOnionhead I remember that also but forgot all the details - its been a week or 2 since I read it. Anyways MDMA is like water and perfectly safe look at what I've accomplished while using almost everyday. I can type perfect comments like these all day if I wanted to. Donkey, what study can he not remember? So many studies out there its best to ignore most and do your reading when on MDMA. I lost track of what I was suggesting but anyways good luck with the doctor and give your donkey a pet for me!

abcabc
abcabc like.author.displayName 1 Like

LAweekly had been overtaken by born again bloggers.

apalemick
apalemick

"E-tard?"

 

Really?  Two days in a row you idiots use the term "tard."

 

So fucking classy it's amazing.

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