Push to trial use of ecstasy in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment

[at0m]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-29/call-for-trial-of-ecstasy-in-ptsd-treatment/4923354

No Australian university willing to partner the trial

Dr Doblin has met with Australians keen for a similar legal trial here and has provided some start-up funding.

"We're very committed to having research start in Australia; we've committed $US25,000 ($AU28,000) and have pledged another $25,000 if another $75,000 is raised in Australia," he said.

Dr Doblin stresses the trials are only safe when done in a clinical setting.

Retired Army Major Steve McDonald is leading the fight for an Australian trial with Melbourne psychologist Stephen Bright.

Mr McDonald commanded an infantry company during the civil war in Somalia in 1993 and suffered PTSD.

"PTSD is often accompanied by depression, so I suffered from major depression and went through periods of being suicidal over a number of years," Mr McDonald said.

He says he believes a trial could help thousands of returned troops suffering from PTSD and will eventually get legal approval but, so far, no university is willing to partner it.

"There seems to be quite a social stigma around MDMA because it's an illicit drug, and obviously if someone's seen to be working with an illicit drug it potentially could impact on their professional reputation or perhaps the reputation of their institution," Mr McDonald said.

"And that, at the moment, appears to be our main obstacle in attracting somebody."

Mr McDonald served with the Chief of the Defence Force, General David Hurley, in Somalia and approached him directly to support a trial.

In a statement, Defence told 7.30 that General Health Command examined the published study in the US but the numbers involved were too small.

A spokeswoman said there were no plans for such a trial in Australia.

A US-based psychedelic advocate is bankrolling an Australian push to start a medical trial using MDMA to treat sufferers of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Dr Rick Doblin wants Australia to replicate a successful trial in the United States in which 80 per cent of soldiers and emergency workers in a study were successfully treated for PTSD using MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy, and psychotherapy.

The controversial but legal program involved 20 veterans, who had not responded to other treatments, taking MDMA twice during three months of psychotherapy.

One of the participants in the study, former US army Sergeant Tony Macie has told the ABC's 7.30 program he was being crippled by memories of his 15-month deployment to Iraq.

He says he returned home constantly reliving an explosion that took the lives of two fellow soldiers.

"I would constantly be role playing, in my mind, events that happened and even though there's no way, but if I could have done something, if I could have changed it," Mr Macie said.

"Doing that led to anger, and a lot shorter temper and I would not like going out in public."

He says he was initially reluctant to join the trial but says taking the MDMA made him relaxed enough to face his traumatic memories and move on from the horrors of war.

"Now after I've done it I don't regret anything about it," Mr Macie said.

"If anything, immediately after I did it, I wished it would be allowed for a lot of veterans with PTSD. I think it could make beyond a huge impact."

The trial was established after a decades-long campaign for regulatory approval by Dr Doblin, who founded the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

[Leaves]

Serious? MDMA has a shocking come down, I don't think it is even worth it at all & people on it are very annoying, blabbering away with utter nonsense, unsafe sex with people they just met etc.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Leaves

[TommyChesnutt]

I can definately tell you right now that most psychologists in the field would not even touch this for fear of their career.

You would have to be a well-respected member of the APS and basically a god in their eyes to even consider ADVOCATING this,

for fear of career retribution.

The Current board on the APS is a bunch of dried up, politically influenced old world authoritarians - likely typical to kill any notion of 'illicit substance' experimentation...

- but, as always, as long as the AMERICANS HAVE DONE IT, then we are allowed to follow suit, lest in fear of being 'left behind'.

GGGGRrrrrrr... anyway, glad this is happening.

[upside]

Agree with you Hunnicut, and it will take a brave and strong psychologist to take this project on. But I'm a believer that its risk takers that can make change and hopefully create a snowball effect with others to have the courage to do so also.

As for the come down effects,, if the treatment can be successful in helping PTSD, I think a few heavy come downs would far outweigh a lifetime of feeling absolutely awful.

[Francois le Danque]

Serious? MDMA has a shocking come down, I don't think it is even worth it at all & people on it are very annoying, blabbering away with utter nonsense, unsafe sex with people they just met etc.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Frank leDank

[Francois le Danque]

I am super serious, for one. It seems to be the perfect treatment, based on the literature. Also I don't find MDMA to have any comedown at all, but i have read such a thing can be limited by ensuring one has water, electrolytes, rest, tryptophan and not too much dancing. I am sure in a clinical setting these things could all easily be taken care of.

edit: I'm not sure how that happened^

Edited September 19, 2013 by Frank leDank