A recent fad is the use of these two in unison.
Have there been any studies on side effects? I know Viagra is supposed to be a potential cause of cardiac arrest. Ecstasy allegedly causes dehydration.
PS I have no intention of using either - it came up as a topic on a board elsewhere.
I’ve long since lost the cite, but the two in combination are a deadly mix – each places demands on the body with the net result a strong potential for cardiac arrest.
Pharmacologists and M.D.'s? I know there was a strong warning about this problem among raver kids (and others, but that was what the write-up focused on) about a year ago.
Mixing any two drugs is a no-no. In a very real sense, 1+1 does not equal 2. It can sometimes equal 3 or more as the two drugs not only react with you, they react with each other and then THAT reacts with you on another level.
-Tcat
Tom, it’s always better to err on the side of caution, but I think you are making a very huge and inaccurate generalization. Sure it’d be great if kids who abuse dangerous drugs at raves would accept it as a general rule to not mix drugs, but as I understand it, only certain combinations of certain drugs will interact with each other in the way you describe (e.g. barbituates and alcohol).
Personally, I have often needed a hit off the ole albuterol (sp?) inhaler (asthma) while also on, say, Allegra (allergies), and even at certain times in my life (I’m sure), I took those two while also on an antibiotic for an ear infection (with a doctor’s knowledge who didn’t mention anything dangerous about it).
In any prescription drug book I’ve looked through I’ve never seen any dangerous interactions between alcohol and antibiotics.
Sorry about the hijack. I am now interested though in hearing more about the dangers of the specific combination described in the OP.
Moe, sorry, let me clarify. Not all drugs as a whole, but mind and body altering drugs. I’m not talking LSD and Vitamin C supplements. I’m talking about taking an upper and a downer does not mean nottin’ will happen. Yes, you can get away with it sometimes, but…like you say, err on the side of caution. Plus, you have to throw the mind into the mixture. We’re not just talking about physical effects when it comes to mind-altering drugs. Blowing your capillaries while taking a seratonin dump can’t be good…
My main point is that people should (ohmygod!) use their heads when doing drugs. Say you’re on antibiotics and have a few beers, then go out and someone offers you some pot mixed with tobacco in a spleef. You get thirsty and have a Red Bull when all of a sudden you have an athsma attack and whip out the ol inhaler. You are now on -cillin, alcohol, THC, nicotine, (all the other shit in tobacco and pot), Taurin, Caffeine, sugar and steroids…ummm, I don’t think that is so good, y’know? And people do this stuff all the time without thinking about it.
I’m just saying that one drug plus another does not neatly combine the two effects into a pleasurable whole.
-Tcat
The problem is one of profound hypotension which, if prolonged, results in death. Any rhythm problems such as ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest are generally secondary to the severe fall in blood pressure.
Viagra causes dilation of veins and arteries. Ecstacy causes constriction of arteries. This combination can actually cause a worse blood pressure drop in some cases as the circulating blood volume is pushed into the lower pressure venous system, leaving the arterial side of the system with inadequate blood volume to perfuse such popular organs as gonads and brains.
QtM, MD
In the clubs, the practice is referred to as doing sextacy
In my searches through the science databases I haven’t found any scientific studies on the combination. It’s probably too early for anyone to have carried out and published experimental research on the topic. There is speculation about possible physiological effects (see Qadgop’s post above).
Erowid refers to two reports (possibly unvalidated) of priapism that may have been caused by the combo (cite).
Ah, thanks muchly. Precisely what I was looking for.
Alcibiades: Just wanted to confirm something in your OP - ecstacy does cause dehydration. Other side effects include a rise in core body temperature - this can be very dangerous.
Could you provide cites to scientific studies in humans that support your contention that ecstasy:
a) causes dehydration
b) increases core body temperature to dangerous levels.
Could you also relate this to the OP, which asked about the combination of Viagra with ecstasy.
Could you provide cites to scientific studies in humans that support your contention that ecstasy:
a) causes dehydration
b) increases core body temperature to dangerous levels.
Could you also relate this to the OP, which asked about the combination of Viagra with ecstasy.
http://www.recoveryresourcecenter.us/Ecstacy.html
http://www.lifeeducation.org.au/i_7.asp
It relates to the OP in that I was confirming a statement in it.
These are not references to studies. The cites do not even say that ecstacy causes dangerous increases in “core temperature”. One cite says that ecstacy causes dehydration, but based on what scientific evidence? All you have provided is an allegation to support an allegation. It is not clear whether ecstacy causes dehydration, or whether dancing at a rave for several hours causes dehydration.
The OP was clearly asking about the use of both Viagra and ecstacy at the same time. You have provided no factual answer to the OP.
Try this:
http://olpa.od.nih.gov/hearings/107/session2/testimonies/ecstacytest.asp
I never claimed to provide a factual answer to the OP. If you read my post again you will see that I said:
“It relates to the OP in that I was confirming a statement in it.”
Here’s a controlled study. Write-up from the Massachusetts State anti-drug campaign (Take this cum grano salis, but I’m inclined to accept that “recent reports” were not all bogus.) Another MDMA study with references cited. I’d be inclined to exercise extreme caution if I were taking MDMA, in terms of the potential for serious side-effects.
As for the Viagra/Ecstasy combination: Check out this site, which seems not to be anti-drug, for significant problems. A summary of “partisan web sites” on the subject of mixing MDMA with Viagra.
Doesn’t ecstacy interfere with your fluid excretion mechanism, leading to fluid retention, rather than dehydration?
Ecstasy can indeed have an anti-diuretic effect. Most users are conscious of the dehydration problem, but there is still a danger of drinking too much fluid and being unable to get rid of it by urinating. (“Unable” may be too strong a word; users often just don’t feel the need to urinate.)
Some encourage ecstasy users to carefully monitor the level of fluids they intake – not just to avoid dehydration, but also to be aware of drinking too much.
I’d Google a link, but not while at work. 
There is also plenty of reason to believe that nobody has done a joint study on the interaction effects, so asking for lots of “proof” that something is bad for you (as some posts intimate) is just silly. Good health care is a practical science as well as, less often, an exact science.
BTW, there is evidence that occaisional XTC use can screw with your brain’s ability to produce serotonin over the medium-term (several months) even after you’ve stopped doing it. As I tell my friends “XTC now, Prozac later” meaning you’re having a bit of fun now and risking mental health issues in the future. (Then again, these studies might just be showing that people with abnormally low serotonin levels are prone to XTC use. Which raises other interesting problems with using it.)
Finally, since XTC can delay the ability to have an orgasm significantly, I’ve never understood why it would be called XTC. Sounds like mis-labeling to me.
Actually it’s labelled very appropriately. One of the more prominent effects of ‘E’ is an increase in tactile sensitivity which gives the user an increased desire to both touch, and be touched. Receiving a simple hug from someone becomes a very enjoyable experience. The user also feels a heightened sense of empathy towards others. These two effects together have the ability to make sexual contact with someone, a much more intense and sensual experience.
Although some of the cites in this thread contain some factual information about MDMA, they also contain some half-truths and exaggerations.
Although E can cause dehydration, so can 4 or 5 glasses of alcohol. As long as the user drinks the appropriate amount of fluids in the appropriate amount of time there will no problem with either dehydration or cerebral oedema.
E by itself does not cause ‘massive increases’ in body temperature either as often mentioned in many studies. It is normal for there to be a slight increase and the user will notice that they will begin to sweat and feel warm, but it is usually only an increase of approximately 0.5 - 1 degree C. Very significant rises in temperature only occur when the user is dancing for extended periods without rehydrating at a rave for example, which are already hot and crowded environments. Therein lies the danger with body temp. and dehydration, not the actual drug itself.