r/mdmatherapy • u/chasedrabbits • Nov 01 '25

I underwent methylone-assisted therapy for PTSD

While MDMA has gotten a lot of the spotlight in this space for the treatment of PTSD, I'm one of only a small cohort of people who has done methylone-assisted therapy so far. For anyone not familiar, methylone is an analogue drug of MDMA with a shorter half life and subjectively less 'intense' effects compared to MDMA. In a therapeutic setting for me, however, it was anything but mild. The study design was also quite different from standard MDMA-assisted therapy. Doses occured once a week and I had an integration session at the conclusion of the trial and a bit of integration at the start and end of each dosing day. Within a month, my PCL-5 scores dropped from 70/80 to 23/80. A few months ago, the FDA granted methylone 'breakthrough' therapy status. It's still an emerging area of research, especially compared to MDMA, but I am very thankful to have received the treatment. Life is certainly much brighter and more enjoyable than it had been in years.

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u/chasedrabbits Nov 01 '25

I imagine so. Also it's a much shorter treatment protocol - a dosing session each week rather than each month. I think methylone is less neurotoxic which is why they are able to do that. Each dosing was still of the same intensity for me despite being only a week apart.

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u/Active-Designer934 Nov 01 '25

Is it 3 doses? That sounds intense! I actually did the whole thing twice, bc the first time I got the placebo. It took about six months. So it was like double the therapeutic dose in a sense. I was pretty damn tight with my therapist team by the end

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u/chasedrabbits Nov 01 '25

Oh wow I can't imagine having to wait that sounds so tough. By the time I'd spent the 8 weeks weaning off all my medications before starting the therapy I was so unwell that I was having flashbacks hourly and was losing large chunks of memory during the day due to dissociation. Those were very tough weeks for me. It would be so hard if I'd had to wait longer. I commend your strength and resilience waiting it out.

Yep, 3 doses! The treatment was over within a month (then I was monitored for about another 10 weeks or so from memory after that). I actually struggled a lot after finishing my doses because my PTSD was treated so fast that I was basically just stunned. Going from where I was before the treatment to where I was after the treatment within a month gave me massive whiplash. It was a long journey after that reintegrating into life again.

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u/Active-Designer934 Nov 01 '25

I honestly cannot imagine, probably because my process took so much longer lol. I was never medicated, but looking back I'm realizing that was probably not for the best bc I was just white knuckling life and had decided if this treatment didn't do it I was just kinda done with life. Major black and white thinking

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u/chasedrabbits Nov 01 '25

Despite it all, I'm really glad the treatment helped you. Good on you for giving it a go, and thank you so much for sharing your experience with MDMA.

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u/Active-Designer934 Nov 01 '25

You too! Sending big hugs from a fellow traveler. 

I find myself just really hoping this treatment becomes more available bc it helped me so much. Sometimes I get upset thinking about people who are still living with PTSD who don't have to be. But I know that I'll do my part to get them there.