Health - Heart defect and taking MDMA

[JonJJSM]

My curious cavy asked

I have a bicuspid aortic valve ([Heart defect], supposed to be tricuspid). Anyway I really want to try E. Just one pill and I know it can be methamphedamine (speed) based or something else. Now my defect causes me to have aortic stenosis which is the stiffness of the aortic valves. I was wondering If I would be able to handle E with out a heart problem or not. I really want some feedback on this if you any of you guys know.

Thanks.

[moda00]

You are right to be cautious and I certainly wouldn't recommend it. It is often said that MDMA is especially risky in those with heart problems. Of course, impurity is a huge problem in e pills- you never know what you are getting, and like swiy said, getting meth/amphetamine is a real concern. But furthermore, even if it was pure 100% MDMA, that substance in and of itself can cause increased strain on the heart- it is methylenedioxymethamphetamine! It would be very risky and not worth doing.

There are other options for substances that would definitely not affect a heart condition- but swim thinks MDMA is not one worth doing in one's circumstances. Best of luck!! Swim will try to find more specific info for swiy as well..

edit: To clarify exactly how it could damage the heart, I found a study that stated that MDMA has been shown to stimulate overgrowth of the aortic valvular cells and thereby limit the blood flow and cause increased strain on the heart. This seems to relate directly to one's condition and MDMA seems likely to exacerbate existing heart problems.

Also, some deaths related to MDMA have been attributed to cardiac arrhythmia in those with unknown/undiagnosed heart conditions. Since swiy knows for sure s/he has a medical condition, it would be advisable to avoid it, and do more research.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks for the speedy reply, & welcome to the team!

[JonJJSM]

Thank you very much for your reply, It helped clear up a lot.

[radiometer]

I hate to say it, but unfortunately the subject in question really should avoid MDMA. Just to give you another 2 cents' worth.

[MrG]

The aortic valve becomes narrowed, or stenosed, the blood flow through it is reduced and the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the body.

Which translates as: Speak to your medical professional, there is no way on earth that an online forum can help you answer this question.

If you are absolutely driven to want to try MDMA then the only way is for SWIY to speak to his heart specialist and be completely honest with him.

*Most* medical professionals appreciate a patient being honest about substance use as it helps them to fully understand their patients presentations and they usually know that most patients are very reluctant to admit to it.

Next time he visits SWIY can even be overly obvious about a "friend" with the *exact* same condition as SWIY who would like to know if there is any way he could possibly take MDMA safely. It might raise an eyebrow but if SWIY has a good Doc then he *may* just *may* be able to offer up a better solution.

[ihavequestions]

if swiy is totaly bent on trying it swim suggests just asking a doctor. he will probably say no though cause its pretty risky. the raise in heart rte and BP and the constricting of blood vessels etc could possible cause a rupture of the aorta since swiy said swiy aorta gets stiff. that would be a bad thing to happen. it may also depend on how swiy reacto to other types of stimulants like large doses of caffein, energy drinks, etc. if those cause problems even mild it could be a bad idea to try mdma.

[moda00]

Also- unsure about these specific substances' risks to individuals with heart conditions, but some swimmers have compared substances like methylone, butylone, ethylone, etc. to MDMA. If swiy is interested in phenethylamines or psychedelic type drugs in general, another option could be 2C-B, as this swim found it to have some unique empathogenic properties and a very comfortable feeling, which can also be attributed to MDMA.

Again, swim has no knowledge of these particular compounds in terms of one's heart condition, and MDMA is a unique substance, but if one is willing to do some research, there may be substances out there which can provide the new experience one seeks, as well as some of the qualities of MDMA that appeal to swiy without too much risk. Perhaps make a list of the qualities of MDMA that sound appealing to swiy, and search for other compounds that might provide them??

Doing one's research is essential, but I also agree that talking with a doctor would be a good idea- and if one cannot talk to swiy's own doc about it, or does not get satisfactory answers from doing so, another option would be to contact someone who is working with these compounds in a medical or research setting- I can try to get find some resources for swiy, but if swiy asks around he may be able to get more info say through the MAPS network, or contact other individuals involved in MDMA research? Another idea could be through websites or support groups for those with heart conditions? Just an idea.

Swiy has to decide what is an acceptable level of risk, but if it were me the potential risks would deter me- I'd think the anxiety about the possible harm would outweigh the positives and make me less able to enjoy it, and if one did damage their body or worsen their condition it would be really difficult to live with.

And with any substance, it makes sense to start small and work one's way up-this applies to everyone, but especially in the case of first time use and/or existing health conditions. So if one ends up deciding to do MDMA, or finds another substance with less risk to try, just approach it with caution. Hope this has helped.

[Mr Stoned]

I suppose when you people say MDMA you also mean MDMA crystal right?

[Panthers007]

Yes. With pills it's like Forest Gump: "You never know what you're going to get."