Ecstasy/Club Drugs

“Club drugs” are a pharmacologically heterogeneous group of psychoactive compounds that tend to be abused by teens and young adults in nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scenes. Ecstasty (MDMA), gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), Rohypnol, and Ketamine are some of the drugs in this group.

How “Club Drugs” Affect the Body

Uncertainties about the sources, chemicals, and possible contaminants from the manufacture of many club drugs make it extremely difficult to determine toxicity and effects associated medical consequences.

The dangerous and deadly consequences of GHB use are coma and seizures. Combined use with other drugs such as alcohol can result in nausea and breathing difficulties. Rohypnol may be lethal when mixed with alcohol and/or other CNS depressants. Ketamine, in high doses, can cause side effects such as impaired motor function, high blood pressure, and potentially fatal respiratory problems.

Addicts who overdose on ecstasy usually experience symptoms overheating, panic attacks, faintness, severe dehydration and loss of consciousness. Ecstasy raises body temperature and makes the user restless, sometimes making him or her overheat due to constant movement. Some people who have died from ecstasy use have had body temperatures exceeding 108 degrees at the time of death.

• GHB (Xyrem), “G,” or “Liquid Ecstasy” is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 for use in the treatment of narcolepsy (a sleep disorder). GHB and Rohypnol have both been used to facilitate date rape (also known as “drug rape,” “acquaintance rape,” or “drug-assisted assault”). They can be colorless, tasteless, and odorless, and can be added to beverages and ingested unbeknownst to the victim. When mixed with alcohol, GHB can incapacitate victims and prevent them from resisting sexual assault. GHB also has anabolic effects (it stimulates protein synthesis) and has been sought by bodybuilders to aid in fat reduction and muscle building.

• Rohypnol (flunitrazepam),“Roofies,” “Rophies,” “Roche,” or “Forget-Me Pills” started appearing in the United States in the early 1990s. It is a benzodiazepine (similar to Valium or Xanax), but it is not approved for medical use in this country. Rohypnol is usually taken orally, although there are reports that it is sometimes ground up and snorted. Like GHB, it can be used to incapacitate victims so that sexual assault may be committed.

• Ketamine or “Special K” is a dissociative anesthetic, primarily used in veterinary practice. Ketamine is usually snorted or injected intramuscularly.

• Ecstasy (MDMA), “XTC,” “X,” “Adam,” “Clarity,” or “Lover’s Speed” is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. It produces an energizing effect as well as feelings of euphoria, emotional warmth, and distortions in time perception and tactile experiences. Raves and trance events are generally night-long dances, often held in warehouses. Many who attend raves and trances do not use club drugs, but those who do may be attracted to their generally low cost and the intoxicating highs that are said to deepen the rave or trance experience.

Withdrawal, Detox and Treatment for “Club Drugs”

For the person taking club drugs on a regular basis, withdrawal can be very challenging from a medical perspective and psychological standpoint. The withdrawal and detox from club drugs is very similar to benzodiazepine withdrawal. When trying to detox on their own, many people end up self-medicating with alcohol, barbiturates or tranquilizers to offset the side effects of club drug addiction withdrawal. The solution (hyperlink to 7 how recovery hub works) is to seek admission to an effective, medically driven, club drug addiction treatment and detox program.