Effects of MDMA Co-administration on the Response to LSD in Healthy Subjects
Sponsored by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
About This Study
The acute subjective effects of serotonin (5-HT)2A receptor stimulation with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in humans are mostly positive. However, negative effects such as anxiety, paranoid thinking or loss of trust towards other people are common effects, depending on the dose administered, the personality traits of the person consuming it (set), or the environment in which LSD is taken (setting). Negative psychedelic effects may cause acute distress to the subject and acute anxiety has been linked to less favourable long-term outcomes in patients experimentally treated with LSD or similar substances for the treatment of depression. The 5-HT and oxytocin releaser 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) reliably induces positive mood up to euphoria, comfort, empathy, and feelings of trust. If administered in combination with LSD, MDMA may increase positive subjective drug effects including positive mood, empathy, and trust and reduce negative emotions and anxiety associated with LSD and overall produce a more positive over negative experience. The present study will assess subjective and autonomic effects of LSD alone and in combination with MDMA.
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- •Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
- •3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
- •LSD Placebo
- •MDMA Placebo
Eligibility
View full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age between 25 and 65 years old 2. Sufficient understanding of the German language 3. Understanding of procedures and risks associated with the study 4. Willing to adhere to the protocol and signing of the consent form 5. Willing to refrain from the consumption of illicit psychoactive substances during the study 6. Abstaining from xanthine-based liquids from the evenings prior to the study sessions and during the sessions 7. Willing not to operate heavy machinery within 48 h of substance administration 8. Willing to use double-barrier birth control throughout study participation 9. Body mass index between 18-29 kg/m2 Exclusion Criteria: 1. Chronic or acute medical condition 2. Current or previous major psychiatric disorder 3. Psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder in first-degree relatives 4. Hypertension (SBP\>140/90 mmHg) or hypotension (SBP\<85 mmHg) 5. Use of hallucinogenic substances (not including cannabis) more than 20 times or any time within the previous two months 6. Use of MDMA more than 20 times or any time within the previous two months 7. Pregnancy or currently breastfeeding 8. Participation in another clinical trial (currently or within the last 30 days) 9. Use of medication that may interfere with the effects of the study medication 10. Tobacco smoking (\>10 cigarettes/day) 11. Consumption of alcoholic beverages (\>20 drinks/week)