Methoxetamine: Difference between revisions

MXE had almost no history of human usage and was first identified by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, which monitors the Internet for new psychoactive substances within the European Union, in November 2010. By July 2011, they had identified 58 websites selling the compound at the cost of 145–195 euros for 10 grams.

<ref>Online sales of new psychoactive substances/‘legal highs’ | http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_143801_EN_SnapshotSummary.pdf</ref> Today it is used as a recreational drug, self-medicinal antidepressant and an [[entheogen]], rarely sold on the streets and almost exclusively obtained as a grey area [[research chemical]] through the use of online vendors.

MXE acts as a noncompetitive [[NMDA receptor antagonist]] and [[serotonin]]-[[Reuptake Inhibitor|reuptake inhibitor]].<ref name="MXE Binding Profile">[http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/agencies-public-bodies/acmd1/methoxetamine2012?view=Binary "ACMD Methoxetamine Report (2012)"]. Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. October 2012. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 6 February 2013.</ref> NMDA receptors allow for electrical signals to pass between neurons in the brain and spinal column; for the signals to pass, the receptor must be open. Dissociatives close the NMDA receptors by blocking them. This disconnection of neurons leads to loss of feeling, difficulty moving, and eventually an almost identical equivalent of the famous “[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-hole k-hole].” MXE was reported to be similar to [[Ketamine|ketamine]] <ref>Kjellgren, A., & Jonsson, K. (2013). Methoxetamine (MXE)--a phenomenological study of experiences induced by a {\dq}legal high{\dq} from the internet. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 45(3), 276–286. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2013.803647</ref>, despite being stronger and having a longer duration. <ref>Coppola, M., & Mondola, R. (2012). Methoxetamine: From drug of abuse to rapid-acting antidepressant. Medical Hypotheses, 79(4), 504–507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2012.07.002</ref>

*'''[[Effect::Spontaneous tactile sensations]]''' - The MXE "body high" is a sharp, pleasurable tingling sensation which is location specific to the hands, feet, and head.

*'''[[Effect::Tactile suppression]]''' - This partially to entirely suppresses one's sense of touch, creating feelings of numbness within the extremities. It is responsible for the anesthetic properties of this substance.

*'''[[Effect::Motor control loss]]''' - A loss of gross and fine motor control alongside balance and coordination is prevalent within MXE and becomes especially strong at higher doses. This means that one should be sitting down before the onset (unless experienced) in the case of falling over and injuring oneself.

*'''[[Effect::Nausea]]''' - It's worth noting that high dose MXE trips can sometimes result in nausea and vomiting at the peak of the trip. For most people, this is surprisingly not as unpleasant as they would initially expect due to the accompanying detachment from the physical senses.

The visual geometry found within MXE can be described as very dark and bland when compared to that of [[ketamine]] or [[DXM]] and often consists of many tiny interlocking and woven lines. It does not extend beyond level 4 and can be comprehensively described through its [[Visual_effects:_Geometry#Variations|variations]] as simplistic in complexity, algorithmic in style, synthetic in feel, unstructured in organization, dimly lit in lighting, multicolored in scheme, glossy in shading, soft in edges, small in size, slow in speed, smooth in motion, equal in rounded and angular corners, immersive in-depth and consistent in intensity.

The toxicity and long-term health effects of recreational MXE use do not seem to have been studied in any scientific context and the [[Toxicity::exact toxic dosage is unknown]]. This is because MXE has very little history of human usage. Anecdotal evidence from people who have tried MXE within the community suggests that there do not seem to be any negative health effects attributed to simply trying this drug at low to moderate doses by itself and using it sparingly (but nothing can be completely guaranteed). [https://www.google.com/ Independent research] should always be done to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe before consumption.  

In terms of its long-term health effects when used repeatedly and excessively for extended periods of time, MXE seems to exhibit almost identical bladder and urinary tract problems to those found within [[ketamine]], but to a lesser extent. This is because MXE is four times as potent as ketamine, so significantly less of drug needs to be consumed. Symptoms of ketamine-induced cystitis can become extremely serious and can be described as:

*'''Germany:''' The possession, production, and sale are illegal.

*'''Japan:''' The possession, production, and sale are illegal.

*'''Russia:''' The possession, production, and sale are illegal.

*'''Switzerland:''' The possession, production, and sale are illegal.

*'''United States:''' MXE is not illegal, however, if it is sold with the intention for human consumption (such as in capsules) it becomes illegal to possess under the Federal Analogue Act. This is avoided by placing the label "not for human consumption" on the container of this chemical.

*'''Canada:''' Health Canada declared MXE a controlled substance, citing it do be "considered an analogue of ketamine."<ref>"STATUS DECISION OF CONTROLLED

AND NON-CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE(S)", https://web.archive.org/web/20160409135922/http://isomerdesign.com/Cdsa/HC/StatusDecisions/A-2013-00235%20-%20PDFs/C-Methoxetamine-2011-01-31.pdf. Retrieved January 24th, 2017.</ref> The possession, production, and sale are illegal.