Mindful Continuing Education

Hallucinogens, Ecstasy, and Club Drugs

1. Each of the following is an accurate statement about the use and abuse of hallucinogens EXCEPT:

A. Hallucinogenic compounds found in some plants and mushrooms have been used for centuries, and almost all of them contain nitrogen and are classified as alkaloids B. The four most common types of hallucinogens are LSD, peyote, psilocybin, and PCP, which produce different effects in different people at different times C. While the effects of LSD and peyote tend to last for 4-6 hours, psilocybin and PCP effects appear within 20 minutes and last up to 12 hours D. While the exact mechanisms by which hallucinogens exert their effects remain unclear, research suggests that these drugs work, at least partially, by temporarily interfering with neurotransmitter action or by binding to their receptor sites

How Do Hallucinogens Affect the Brain?

2. While PCP causes its effects by initially disrupting the interaction of nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin, LSD and psilocybin act mainly through a type of glutamate receptor in the brain that is important for the perception of pain, responses to the environment, and learning and memory.

A. True B. False

What Other Adverse Effects Do Hallucinogens Have on Health?

3. Unpleasant adverse effects as a result of the use of hallucinogens are not uncommon and include:

A. LSD and Peyote can have similar effects including increased body temperature and heart rate and uncoordinated movements B. Psilocybin can produce muscle relaxation or weakness, ataxia, excessive pupil dilation, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness and individuals who abuse psilocybin mushrooms also risk poisoning C. At low-to-moderate doses, physiological effects of PCP include a slight increase in breathing rate and a pronounced rise in blood pressure and pulse rate, and at high doses, blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiration drop D. All of the above

What Treatment Options Exist?

4. There is very little published data on treatment outcomes for PCP intoxication, abuse, and addiction, but inpatient and/or behavioral treatments can be helpful for patients with a variety of addictions, including that to PCP.

A. True B. False

Club Drugs

5. Club drugs are a pharmacologically heterogeneous group of psychoactive drugs that tend to be abused by teens and young adults at bars, nightclubs, concerts, and parties, and include Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), Rohypnol, ketamine, as well as MDMA (ecstasy) and methamphetamine.

A. True B. False

6. Each of the following accurately describes the adverse effects and addictive potential of club drugs EXCEPT:

A. At high doses, GHB's sedative effects may result in sleep, coma, or death, and repeated use of GHB may lead to withdrawal effects, including insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating B. Rohypnol can produce anterograde amnesia, in which individuals may not remember events they experienced while under the influence of the drug, and chronic use of Rohypnol can produce tolerance, physical dependence, and addiction C. MDMA causes feelings of detachment from the environment and in high doses can cause impaired motor function, high blood pressure, and potentially fatal respiratory problems D. Low-dose ketamine intoxication results in impaired attention, learning ability, and memory, and at higher doses, it can cause dreamlike states, hallucinations, delirium and amnesia

MDMA ("Ecstasy" or "Molly")

7. The stimulant and hallucinogenic effects of MDMA occur as the activity of the neurotransmitters acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and glutamate increases, and will usually last for 6 to 8 hours.

A. True B. False

Does MDMA have Therapeutic Value?

8. Some researchers remain interested in MDMA's potential therapeutic potential under carefully monitored conditions, particularly as a possible pharmacotherapy aid to treat PTSD and anxiety in terminally ill cancer patients.

A. True B. False


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