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Psychedelic drug MDMA eases PTSD symptoms in a HEALTH

study that paves the way for possible US approval DOCTOR ON DUTY
Oranjestad
Hospital 7:00 pm / 10:00pm
Tel. 527 4000
By CARLA K. JOHNSON
AP Medical Writer San Nicolas
The psychedelic drug Imsan 24 hours
Tel.524 8833
MDMA can reduce symp-
toms of post-traumatic Women in Difficulties
stress disorder, researchers PHARMACY ON DUTY
reported in a new study Oranjestad:
published Thursday. Oduber: tel. 582 1780
San Nicolas : tel. 584 5712
The company sponsoring
the research said it plans Women in Difficulties
later this year to seek U.S. OTHER
approval to market the Dental Clinic 587 9850
drug, also known as ec- Blood Bank Aruba 587 0002
stasy, as a PTSD treatment Urgent Care 586 0448
when combined with talk Walk-In Doctor’s Clinic
therapy. +297 588 0539
Women in Difficulties
“It’s the first innovation in EMERGENCY
PTSD treatment in more
than two decades. And it’s Police 100
significant because I think Oranjestad 527 3140
it will also open up other Noord 527 3200
innovation,” said Amy Em- Sta. Cruz 527 2900
584 5000
San Nicolas
erson, CEO of MAPS Public Police Tipline 11141
Benefit Corporation, the re- Ambulancia 911
search sponsor. Fire Dept. 115
Earlier this year, Australia Red Cross 582 2219
became the first country TAXI SERVICES
to allow psychiatrists to the placebo group. we absolutely need more Taxi Tas 587 5900
prescribe MDMA and psi- “The results that they got options for treatment.” Prof. Taxi 588 0035
locybin, the psychoactive are very exciting,” said Bar- Before MDMA could be Taxi D.T.S. 587 2300
ingredient in psychedelic bara Rothbaum, who di- prescribed in the U.S., the Taxi Serv. Aruba 583 3232
mushrooms. The drugs are rects the Emory Healthcare Food and Drug Adminis- A1 Taxi Serv. 280 2828
gaining wider cultural ac- Veterans Program in Atlan- tration would need to ap- Women in Difficulties
ceptance in the U.S. in part ta. She was not involved in prove it and the Drug En- TRAVEL INFO
because of efforts by the the research, which was forcement Administration Aruba Airport 524 2424
nonprofit advocacy group published in the journal Na- would need to change its American Airlines 582 2700
Multidisciplinary Associa- ture Medicine. classification. MDMA is cur- Avianca 588 0059
tion for Psychedelic Stud- PTSD also can be treated rently classified as Sched- Jet Blue 588 2244
ies. with other medications or ule 1, on par with heroin Surinam 582 7896
For the new study, re- talk therapy. and deemed to have “no Women in Difficulties
searchers measured symp- “They are very effective, currently accepted medi- AID FOUNDATIONS
toms in 104 people with but nothing is 100% effec- cal use and a high poten-
PTSD who were randomly tive,” Rothbaum said. “So tial for abuse.”q FAVI- Visually Impaired
Tel. 582 5051
assigned to get either
MDMA or a dummy pill Alcoholics Anonymous
Tel. 736 2952
during three sessions, one Narcotics Anonymous
month apart. Both groups Tel. 583 8989
received talk therapy. Fundacion Contra Violencia
Common side effects in Relacional Tel. 583 5400
the MDMA group were Centre for Diabetes
muscle tightness, nausea, Tel. 524 8888
decreased appetite and Child Abuse Prevention
sweating. But only one per- Tel. 582 4433
son in the MDMA group Quota Club Tel. 525 2672
Women in Difficulties
dropped out of the study. General Info
After treatment, 86% of the
MDMA group improved Phone Directory Tel. 118
on a standard PTSD assess-
ment compared to 69% of
the placebo group. The as-
sessment measures symp-
toms such as nightmares,
flashbacks and insomnia.
By the study’s end, 72%
of people in the MDMA
group no longer met the
diagnostic criteria for PTSD,
compared to about 48% of facebook.com/arubatoday/