biocloudy
Bluelighter
I recently investigated an apparent food-drug interaction with mephedrone. This caused me to investigated both food-drug interactions for MDMA and mephedrone. I reviewed the relevant literature looking for information of food-drug interactions that would be relevant to MDMA and mephedrone and will discuses them here. I felt my informal preliminary findings would be useful to the community as I haven't seen any discussion of fruit juice interactions relating to recreational drug use, but have seen people suggesting mixing the two is a good idea. I will summarise my preliminary findings and thoughts and then go into a larger discussion for those that care to read it:
MDMA is metabolized in your body by a series of enzymes into different metabolites. A recent study found fruit juices can stop you body from properly making some of the enzymes [1] needed in its metabolism as various stages, causing a potentially deadly reaction [3][4]. In fact the deaths related to MDMA use I found in literature said that the subjects either had a genetic or drug induced inhibition of certain liver enzymes [3][4]. Fruit juices have been found to be a potent inhibitor of the same enzymes [2] as other drugs highly linked to MDMA fatalities inhibit [3][4].
Mephedrone was experimentally found to have dramatically reduced bioavailability when consumed with fruit juices. Both my partner and myself consumed 450mg orally with a fresh juice mixture and had a response we would describe as closer to 200-250mg. This is of course only one incident shared but shared by two people in the same conditions. Not quite infallible proof but a place to start. But is constant with findings of a recent study showing some drugs bioavailability will be inhibited by fruit juices [1]. (end summary)
The research indicating new food-drug interactions that show both an inhibition of the P450 enzyme complex, specifically CYP3A4, in addition an interference with organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs) [1]. This has been found in various fruit juices, including grapefruit, apple, orange, and likely others. OATPs are proteins that transport organic anions across the cell membrane [5].
MDMA is metabolized by a variety of enzymes but is a complex chain of reactions, each one leading to the other, should a step not complete in a timely manner a metabolite of MDMA can reach dangerous levels in your body leading to a overdose condition. The P450 complex is a series of enzymes that are used in your body to metabolize all manner of things, including most drugs. The major enzyme in the complex is CYP3A4 which accounts for 2 to 5 times the activity of the P450 complex [3]. Although CYP3A4 is a low affinity enzyme for MDMA its inhibition can lead to serious health risks, including death [3]. A fatal drug interaction was found with the prescription drug Ritonavir, a HIV treatment, due to its inhibition of the CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 enzymes [4]. It is safe to assume a deadly drug interaction can result from MDMA mixed with fruit juices due to its inhibition of CYP3A4. This is not intended to be a complete list of medications or foods that will interfere with the metabolism or create additional health risks associated with the use of MDMA.
Mephedrone was experimentally found to have dramatically reduced activity when consumed with fruit juices. Both my partner and myself consumed 450mg orally with a fresh juice mixture and had a response we would describe as closer to 200-250mg. The mephedrone used was high quality and crystallized obtained a reliable source. It was reagent tested and subjected to UV/Vis spectrometry (only tool available at the time) and was a match to my reference sample of mephedrone.
I suspect mephedrone bioavailability is reduced by the inhibition of OATPs caused by fruit juices. Many drugs have been found to have reduced bioavailability due to inhibited OATPs caused by fruit juices including, but not limited to, alprazolam [1]. This experience is interesting because it gives some hints of how mephedrone is metabolized, something yet to be described in the literature. It also may give light to some peoples unfavorable mephedrone experiences if they were consuming it with fruit juices. I am curious to hear other peoples reactions to mephedrone and fruit juices. This needs further study and may be an unsafe combination, more information is needed on the metabolism of mephedrone to fully understand potentially serious risks, including death.
tldr: A prudent individual would not consume any drugs with or within several hours of consuming fruit juices of any kind.
References:
[1] Dresser, G. K., and D. G. Bailey. "The Effects of Fruit Juices on Drug Disposition: a New Model for Drug Interactions." European Journal of Clinical Investigation 33.S2 (2003): 10-16. ScienceDirect. Web. 3 Jan. 2011.
[2] Henry, J., and I. Hill. "Fatal Interaction between Ritonavir and MDMA." The Lancet 352.9142 (1998): 1751-752. ScienceDirect. Web. 4 Jan. 11.
[3] Kreth, Klaus-Peter, and Et. All. "Identification of the Human Cytochromes P450 Involved in the Oxidative Metabolism of “Ecstasy”-related Designer Drugs." Biochemical Pharmacology 59.12 (2000): 1563-571. ScienceDirect. Web. 3 Jan. 11.
[4] Delatorre, R., J. Ortuno, M. Mas, M. Farre, and J. Segura. "Fatal MDMA Intoxication." The Lancet 353.9152 (1999): 593. ScienceDirect. Web. 4 Jan. 11.
[5] Hagenbuch, Bruno, and Peter J. Meier. "Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptides of the OATP/ SLC21 Family: Phylogenetic Classification as OATP/ SLCO Superfamily, New Nomenclature and Molecular/functional Properties." European Journal of Physiology 447.5 (2004): 653-65. Web. ScienceDirect. 05 Jan. 11.
About me: I am a biochemist who can't do the research I would like to be able to do, so i post it here, informally, incomplete, full of spelling errors and semi-anonymously.
MDMA is metabolized in your body by a series of enzymes into different metabolites. A recent study found fruit juices can stop you body from properly making some of the enzymes [1] needed in its metabolism as various stages, causing a potentially deadly reaction [3][4]. In fact the deaths related to MDMA use I found in literature said that the subjects either had a genetic or drug induced inhibition of certain liver enzymes [3][4]. Fruit juices have been found to be a potent inhibitor of the same enzymes [2] as other drugs highly linked to MDMA fatalities inhibit [3][4].
Mephedrone was experimentally found to have dramatically reduced bioavailability when consumed with fruit juices. Both my partner and myself consumed 450mg orally with a fresh juice mixture and had a response we would describe as closer to 200-250mg. This is of course only one incident shared but shared by two people in the same conditions. Not quite infallible proof but a place to start. But is constant with findings of a recent study showing some drugs bioavailability will be inhibited by fruit juices [1]. (end summary)
The research indicating new food-drug interactions that show both an inhibition of the P450 enzyme complex, specifically CYP3A4, in addition an interference with organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs) [1]. This has been found in various fruit juices, including grapefruit, apple, orange, and likely others. OATPs are proteins that transport organic anions across the cell membrane [5].
MDMA is metabolized by a variety of enzymes but is a complex chain of reactions, each one leading to the other, should a step not complete in a timely manner a metabolite of MDMA can reach dangerous levels in your body leading to a overdose condition. The P450 complex is a series of enzymes that are used in your body to metabolize all manner of things, including most drugs. The major enzyme in the complex is CYP3A4 which accounts for 2 to 5 times the activity of the P450 complex [3]. Although CYP3A4 is a low affinity enzyme for MDMA its inhibition can lead to serious health risks, including death [3]. A fatal drug interaction was found with the prescription drug Ritonavir, a HIV treatment, due to its inhibition of the CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 enzymes [4]. It is safe to assume a deadly drug interaction can result from MDMA mixed with fruit juices due to its inhibition of CYP3A4. This is not intended to be a complete list of medications or foods that will interfere with the metabolism or create additional health risks associated with the use of MDMA.
Mephedrone was experimentally found to have dramatically reduced activity when consumed with fruit juices. Both my partner and myself consumed 450mg orally with a fresh juice mixture and had a response we would describe as closer to 200-250mg. The mephedrone used was high quality and crystallized obtained a reliable source. It was reagent tested and subjected to UV/Vis spectrometry (only tool available at the time) and was a match to my reference sample of mephedrone.
I suspect mephedrone bioavailability is reduced by the inhibition of OATPs caused by fruit juices. Many drugs have been found to have reduced bioavailability due to inhibited OATPs caused by fruit juices including, but not limited to, alprazolam [1]. This experience is interesting because it gives some hints of how mephedrone is metabolized, something yet to be described in the literature. It also may give light to some peoples unfavorable mephedrone experiences if they were consuming it with fruit juices. I am curious to hear other peoples reactions to mephedrone and fruit juices. This needs further study and may be an unsafe combination, more information is needed on the metabolism of mephedrone to fully understand potentially serious risks, including death.
tldr: A prudent individual would not consume any drugs with or within several hours of consuming fruit juices of any kind.
References:
[1] Dresser, G. K., and D. G. Bailey. "The Effects of Fruit Juices on Drug Disposition: a New Model for Drug Interactions." European Journal of Clinical Investigation 33.S2 (2003): 10-16. ScienceDirect. Web. 3 Jan. 2011.
[2] Henry, J., and I. Hill. "Fatal Interaction between Ritonavir and MDMA." The Lancet 352.9142 (1998): 1751-752. ScienceDirect. Web. 4 Jan. 11.
[3] Kreth, Klaus-Peter, and Et. All. "Identification of the Human Cytochromes P450 Involved in the Oxidative Metabolism of “Ecstasy”-related Designer Drugs." Biochemical Pharmacology 59.12 (2000): 1563-571. ScienceDirect. Web. 3 Jan. 11.
[4] Delatorre, R., J. Ortuno, M. Mas, M. Farre, and J. Segura. "Fatal MDMA Intoxication." The Lancet 353.9152 (1999): 593. ScienceDirect. Web. 4 Jan. 11.
[5] Hagenbuch, Bruno, and Peter J. Meier. "Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptides of the OATP/ SLC21 Family: Phylogenetic Classification as OATP/ SLCO Superfamily, New Nomenclature and Molecular/functional Properties." European Journal of Physiology 447.5 (2004): 653-65. Web. ScienceDirect. 05 Jan. 11.
About me: I am a biochemist who can't do the research I would like to be able to do, so i post it here, informally, incomplete, full of spelling errors and semi-anonymously.
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