A man who took 40,000 ecstasy tablets over the course of nine years has been dubbed the person who absorbed the most MDMA while surviving.
Doctors believe that the 37-year-old man from Surrey, England ingested 40,000 ecstasy pills over the course of nine years after becoming “very involved in the party scene.”
As a withdrawal symptom, he reported an inability to move and tunnel vision when he attempted to stop taking the pills.
In 2006, his situation was described in a medical journal that has only lately been discovered and disseminated online. MDMA could be available in US hospitals by 2024, as it has shown promise as a potent PTSD treatment.
MDMA, often known as molly, is popular in the underground dance scene, where people use it to party all night and feel more connected to the music and their fellow raver friends.
Mr. A, a British male, was a heavy user of the substance from age 21 to age 30.
In the first two years, he took five tablets every weekend, but in the subsequent three years, he increased his dosage to daily 3.5 tablets every day.
During the next four years, his average daily dosage increased to 25 tablets.
Before quitting, he had consumed 40,000 pills, surpassing the previous record of 2,000 pills for a single individual, which was disclosed in a 1998 study.
The psychiatrist who treated him, Dr. Christos Kouimtsidis, told The Face that there was so much ecstasy in his system that he felt euphoric “for a few months” after quitting the drug.
Mr. A was sent to Dr. Kouimtsidis at age 37 to treat his memory loss difficulties. The case report did not indicate whether Mr. A was still taking the medications when he visited with the physician.
Mr. A quit using ecstasy after repeatedly “collapsing” at gatherings.
He got extreme anxiety, panic attacks, despair, muscle rigidity, hallucinations, and paranoia after seeing tunnel vision.
In contrast to benzodiazepines, a type of anti-anxiety drug, and opioids, the substance is normally not regarded to be addictive.
Overdoses from MDMA are rare. The majority are caused by multiple drug poisoning, which occurs when a person takes two or more medications that interact toxically in the body, or by external factors such as dehydration.
However, excessive amounts of any substance can be poisonous and cause cardiac arrest, regardless of whether the substance is prohibited.
Dr. Kouimtsidis stated, “Typical use is neither daily nor does it involve the number of tablets he was taking.” It was intense, and his use was extremely elevated.
Dr. Kouimstsidis noted that Mr. A may have started using a shocking amount of ecstasy recreationally.
The raver was heavily involved in the club scene, supplying ecstasy to himself and others, etc.
However, at a later time, he was likely self-medicating with the medication.
The doctor continued, ‘It was more a matter of mood control than thrill and enjoyment.’
He also had a history of abusing benzodiazepines, amphetamines, LSD, cocaine, and heroin, among other hazardous substances.
Mr. A discontinued drug use at the age of 37, but researchers lost contact with him.
