As I mechanically reread the GHB x MDMA sheet, one of the first I'd dealt with, I was struck by the paucity of content. There was no testimonial, and a simple literature review described in the vaguest terms.
I remember it now: I approached this project with the fantasy of solid, conclusive, scientific data; I hadn't realized that user feedback can compensate for a lack of academic data, and also has its own value.
To bring this sheet up to our current standards, I dug out a few Reddit threads, a topic on Bluelight... There wasn't much there, of course (GHB combinations don't get much feedback); but it allowed me to evoke the effects of the mixture with more accuracy, I hope (at least, less naivety).
Then I wanted to cross-check with this famous literature review. And then I got a slap in the face: I remembered that
- at the time, I didn't read English very well (compared to now);
- I had a poor grasp of pharmacological concepts;
- unfamiliar with reading academic papers, I was overwhelmed by this mess of sources;
In short: in the end, I'd done precisely what Mixtures claims to avoid, i.e. the mindless repetition of secondary sources.
Armed with almost four years' experience (we're celebrating Mixtures on March 29!) and a vague sense of shame (it can't remain that way!!!), I proceeded to exhaustively read the paper's few relevant paragraphs. I went back to the sources, discovered several nice little studies, and even found an error that led me to send this e-mail:
Hello,
I think they may be a mistake in this review : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S009130571100236X?via%3Dihub
Said :"In rats, acute GHB may augment MDMA-induced hyperthermia (van Nieuwenhuijzen and McGregor, 2009)."
But when checking the source : "MDMA administration increased body temperature (p < 0.01) and the co-administration of GHB attenuated this hyperthermic response (Fig. 6a)." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19446408/
So it seems that acute GHB does not augment MDMA-induced hyperthermia, but attenuates it.
Best regards
The new sheet is just great! And it shows how far we've come:
- skills acquired,
- refined convictions,
- the sense of relevance that comes with proposing.
Of course, it would have been better to have had quality content from the start. But we're just miserable drug geeks out to conquer knowledge 😼
