Effects of a β-blocker on the cardiovascular response to MDMA (Ecstasy)

This double-blind cross-over study (n=16) finds that pindolol (medication for hypertension, 20mg) prevents the heart-raising effects of MDMA (112mg/70kg) but not the elevation of blood pressure.

Abstract

Background MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, ‘Ecstasy’) produces tachycardia and hypertension and is rarely associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. In clinical practice, β-blockers are often withheld in patients with stimulant intoxication because they may increase hypertension and coronary artery vasospasm due to loss of β2-mediated vasodilation and unopposed α-receptor activation. However, it is unknown whether β-blockers affect the cardiovascular response to MDMA.

Methods The effects of the non-selective β-blocker pindolol (20 mg) on the cardiovascular effects of MDMA (1.6 mg/kg) were investigated in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in 16 healthy subjects.

Results Pindolol prevented MDMA-induced increases in heart rate. Peak values (mean±SD) for heart rate were 84±13 beats/min after MDMA vs 69±7 beats/min after pindolol-MDMA. In contrast, pindolol pretreatment had no effect on increases in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) after MDMA. Peak MAP values were 115±11 mm Hg after MDMA vs 114±11 mm Hg after pindolol-MDMA. Pindolol did not change adverse effects of MDMA.

Conclusion The results of this study indicate that β-blockers may prevent increases in heart rate but not hypertensive and adverse effects of MDMA.

Authors: Cédric M. Hysek, Franz X. Vollenweider & Matthias E. Liechti

Study details

Compounds studied
MDMA

Topics studied
Safety

Study characteristics
Original Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Within-Subject Randomized

Participants
16 Humans

Authors

Authors associated with this publication with profiles on Blossom

Matthias Liechti
Matthias Emanuel Liechti is the research group leader at the Liechti Lab at the University of Basel.

Franz Vollenweider
Franz X. Vollenweider is one of the pioneering psychedelics researchers, currently at the University of Zurich. He is also the director of the Heffter (sponsored) Research Center Zürich for Consciousness Studies (HRC-ZH).

Institutes

Institutes associated with this publication

University of Basel
The University of Basel Department of Biomedicine hosts the Liechti Lab research group, headed by Matthias Liechti.

Heffter Research Institute
The Heffter Research Institute has been advancing psychedelics (psilocybin) as medicines since 1993.

Compound Details

The psychedelics given at which dose and how many times

MDMA 112 mg | 1x

Linked Clinical Trial

Pharmacological Interaction Between Pindolol and MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
This trial (n=16) investigated the interaction between MDMA (112mg/70kg) and pindolol (treatment for hypertension, beta-blocker) in 2001. The study tested this in a double-blind design (meaning all participants received MDMA).

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