The apnea and the ecstasy

Drug linked to nighttime breathing disorder

Users of a popular club drug will be less than ecstatic to learn that the pill might be making it hard to breathe at night.

Researchers report online December 2 and in the December 8 issue of Neurology that regular users of the drug known as ecstasy were more likely than nonusers to show the cardinal signs of sleep apnea — stoppage of breath and gasping for air — during deep sleep.