Ecstacy as a positive treatment for PTSD?

Below I have provided an article that discusses the 3rd phase of clinical trials for the use of MDMA-Assisted Therapy as treatment for PTSD. After reading, Please, please voice your opinions. Such a very hot and controversial topic of the last few years…

MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD: Completion of Phase 3 Study

Nov 18, 2022

By Leah Kuntz

The final participant visit is complete in MAPP2, a multi-site phase 3 study of MDMA-assisted therapy (“MDMA-AT”) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to reports.1

“The completion of our confirmatory phase 3 study brings us closer to potentially achieving our goal of delivering MDMA-assisted therapy to the millions of Americans with PTSD who are grossly underserved by existing treatment options,” said Amy Emerson, chief executive officer at MAPS Public Benefit Corporation. “This has been a decades-long journey born out of a desire to explore the potential of MDMA-assisted therapy to treat various mental health conditions. Our progress to date would not be possible without the tireless commitment of the investigators, therapists, clinical trial participants and of course MAPS and the thousands of donors who have funded our research to date.”

MAPP2 is the second of 2 phase 3 trials studying MDMA-AT. The study’s protocol was essentially the same as MAPP1 with 2 primary differences: (1) MAPP2 enrolled participants with moderate and severe PTSD, while participants in MAPP1 had severe PTSD, (2) people of color enrolled at double the rate in MAPP2 with the total participants of color representing more than 50% of the total in the study. MAPP2 will be the groundwork for the New Drug Application expected to be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) midway through 2023. The FDA has already granted MDMA-AT Breakthrough Therapy Designation.

MAPP1 examined the safety and efficacy of MDMA-AT versus placebo control in treating individuals with severe PTSD. The results showed that 88% of the participants treated with MDMA-AT had a clinically significant improvement in their PTSD symptoms and 67% no longer qualified for a PTSD diagnosis. Common adverse events included muscle tightness, decreased appetite, nausea, sweating, pupil dilation, and feeling cold. No serious adverse events were reported.

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/mdma-assisted-therapy-for-ptsd-completion-of-phase-3-study

This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise after the whole drama bit over marijuana as medical treatment for such diagnoses as Epilepsy. We as the public should have seen this coming way before that actually. I mean even soda companies used illegal drugs as an ingredient at one time. So it is not just scientists and doctors that are pushing drugs so to speak. It’s the world as we know it. And we should explore all of it and then some if there is a chance that it can help us to better ourselves or to manage and cope better.

My thoughts, well I agree with the results shown in these particular study and if approved by the FDA, I would be that therapist that would utilize this type of treatment. Some may think that its science fiction like the TV show FRINGE…Maybe. But Scientists, medical, psychological, or not have used a range of drugs when treating patients throughout history. Fried used cocaine. True he went about it questionably as far as ethics go, but had he been ethically correct, then there might not have been much difference in what he was attempting and what is being attempted today. Yes illegal drugs are bad. Most definitely if the drug controls you and your life is in a negative spiral…don’t continue to use. But there are a few drugs that are not legal that have medicinal components, can open your mind to other things around you, and possibly allow you to use more than the 10% of your brain that is said to be used. Now do not mis read me, I am not saying to use drugs. I am just saying there are positive benefits to the use of some drugs and we should remain open minded and explore those avenues. So yes, I support such research as this.