Rash signals drug harm

A skin rash may be the first warning sign that Ecstasy users are suffering serious liver damage.

German dermatologists noticed the symptoms on a woman who was admitted to hospital with liver failure after taking the designer drug.

Dr Uwe Wollina of the University of Jena said: "She developed a facial rash that resembled acne but wasn't. The rash vanished when she received treatment for her liver failure."

Dr Wollina said he believed Ecstasy stopped nerve cells reabsorbing the neurotransmitter seratonin, so high levels built up in the tissues.

"High levels of seratonin enhance blood flow to the face, boosting the activity of sebaceous glands that can produce spots."

Dr Wayne Hazell, of Middlemore Hospital, who this week treated five Mangere College students after they reacted badly to Ecstasy, said: "Its effects can be unpredictable. People can suffer a severe reaction on one occasion even though they may have taken Ecstasy many times before without any ill-effects."