I'm watching this BBC documentary on ecstasy and as always they're trying to make the drug sound like it's pure poison. Anyway, they mention a death and potential death caused by ecstasy; one girl's liver was extremely fucked up, which was apparently because her liver wasn't producing enough of the enzyme that breaks down MDMA. So, my question is: what is this enzyme? I've heard people saying that taking antibiotics containing the enzyme while doing ecstasy is dangerous (which makes no sense to me). Is this all a bunch of exaggerated crap like most of the other things the BBC say about drugs?
I don't know about your BBC documentary, but there is a liver enzyme that you need for MDMA. I think if you don't have it, you're simply much more effected by the drug and it takes a few days to work out of your system, as you can't metabolize it. I could be totally wrong. I know that about one in 70k people, by the estimates I've seen, has a deadly reaction to MDMA, but I don't know what sort of reaction. I know that the same source said that number for alcohol is about one in 40k.
So I have more chance of dying from drinking a few beers? I guess not being a drinker has its advantages then lol.
Probably an enzyme of the CYP series. One can be born with a genetic pattern that doesn't allow your body to produce it and thus you shouldn't take many drugs and medications. No antibiotics contain any metabolic enzymes AFAIK, there is no interaction whatsoever between antibiotics and MDMA, they act on completely different parts of your body. Unless an antibiotic had as a side effect suppression of said enzymes.
Relative risks (#s from US) of death: Tobacco: >400,000 deaths/year Alcohol: >70,000 MDMA: What? With 100s of thousands of users, maybe 5 or 10 deaths/year? Cannabis: Boooooring, none, again. Good shot, Writer. The few people who have the problem are well aware of it.
