MDMA (“ecstasy”) abuse: Psychopathological features and craving for chocolate: A case series

Abstract

}89): Introduction dose was 200 mg (about 2.8 mg/kg BW), at intervals ranging from mor1-14 days. He reported sporadic use of other drugs (alcohol, ben153. The amphetamine analog 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine zodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine). His family psychiatric history ' and (MDMA. ecstasy) is a drug of abuse which combines the effects was negative. He had not complained of any psychological distur176of amphetamines and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). MDMA bances until starting to use MDMA, but in the last 3 years he had has become increasingly popular in northern Italy, but its use has suffered from paranoid delusions (he was convinced he was being litter been associated with lasting adverse neuropsychiatric sequelae in stared at and ridiculed by people when he went out of doors). He dishumans who have taken repeated doses (and in one case even after also suffered from high levels of anxiety; delusions of bodily a single dose; McCann and Ricaurte 1992). These adverse effects change the believed his brain had been stolen, his eyes were not his 1 the include anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, flashbacks, chronic psyown); changes of mood (which never met DSM-III-R diagnostic 'ogia choses (McGuire and Fahy 1991), recurrent acute paranoid psycriteria for an affective disorder); inverted sleeping-waking patchosis, cognitive abnormalities, and depression with suicidal beterns; aggressive outbursts; and loss of appetite accompanied by _n B havior (Benazzi and Mazzoli 1991; Creighton et al 1991; McCann striking weight loss ( 10 kg) despite no dieting (his original weight ts of and Ricaurte 1991; Pallanti and Mazzi 1992: Krystal and Price was 70 kg). Over the last 2 years, for the first time in his life, hehad 1992). It has been suggested (Henry 1992) that it will take many been having intermittent episodes of craving for foods containin_ : and yearstounderstand fullytherealcontribution ofMDMAabuseto chocolate: the frequent, usually twice-weekly, chocolate bingethe onset of psychiatric disturbances. In the last 24 months. 50 eating episodes were associated with loss of appetite ['or other line. consecutive MDMA abusers presented to the Addiction Treatment foods. During such episodes, he would ingest an estimated 1500 Unit in Padova and one or more of the above-described psychokcal. The patient was unable to explain why this happened: he had and pathological features were found in 16 of them (data not shown no history of bulimic episodes, and there was no clear temporal ,eirnhere; Schifano 1994). The present report focuses on seven patients relationship between his MDMA intake and binge-eating epi(one has been the subject of another communication; Schit'ano sodes. Routine blood tests and computed tomography (CT) of the ative 1991) whose psychopathological disturbances included a craving brain were normal. A chronic, atypical psychosis was diagnosed for chocolate (a symptom which, to the best of our knowledge, had according to DSM-III-R criteria. Neuroleptic therapy (haloperidol not been observed previously in MDMA abusers), and promazine) was only partially beneficial.