Even small doses of ecstasy can harm your mental, physical, or emotional well-being. In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration granted MDMA breakthrough therapy status due to the preliminary evidence of its efficacy in the treatment of PTSD. This status helps expedite the development and review of substances for the treatment of serious conditions. Unlike other recreational drugs such as cocaine and nicotine, which are derived from plants, MDMA or ecstasy is synthesized by altering the structure of the amphetamine molecule. Because of the way it’s made, its purity can vary substantially, and other compounds can be easily combined into the same tablet.
Contamination With Other Drugs
- Users should sip no more than a pint of water or non-alcoholic drink every hour.
- After a week following moderate use of ecstasy, people can experience depression, irritability, anxiety, and problems with sleeping.
- Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider.
- It was first made by German scientists in 1912, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that it became widely available on the streets.
- Researchers are also studying MDMA as a treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in supervised clinical research trials.
Clinical studies suggest that ecstasy may increase the risk of long-term or permanent problems with memory and learning. Its primary effects are in the brain on neurons that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons. The serotonin system plays an important role in regulating mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. This is why ecstasy use causes increased appreciation partial hospitalization program bay area of light shows and high sensitivity to music.
Ecstasy overdose symptoms can include faintness, panic attacks or extreme anxiety, high blood pressure, and seizures. When ecstasy use is followed by vigorous physical activity, it can lead to a potentially dangerous rise in body temperature known as hyperthermia. Recent research has shown that brain damage can occur due to the use of ecstasy, even after only brief exposure. A few symptoms caused by this damage include increased anxiety, depression, and confusion. Furthermore, it can also cause memory issues, issues with cognitive ability, and poor performance on tests.
Quitting ecstasy without medical involvement is unlikely to cause any major health problems, but a medical detox may help alleviate some of the withdrawal symptoms. Ecstasy abuse usually begins out of curiosity or experimentation, but continued abuse can devolve into addiction. Signs of addiction include using the drug frequently and being unable to have fun or feel normal without it. Addiction is characterized by an unnatural compulsion to use the drug without regard to negative consequences. In some cases, undiagnosed heart defects can be aggravated by the effects of the drug, causing heart failure. Research in animals indicates that this drug, also referred to as MDMA or Molly, is neurotoxic and may affect the brain.
Ecstasy Addiction, Treatment, and Outlook
However, to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder, a person must meet specific diagnostic criteria for continued substance use despite negative consequences. Taking an adulterated drug can lead to unexpected and unwelcome side effects and may increase its potential health risks. Over the past decade, illegally made opioids like fentanyl have been increasingly found in the drug supply, and have contributed to a dramatic rise in drug overdose deaths in the United States. This classification means that the substance has a high potential for abuse and is not approved by law to treat medical conditions. However, in some cases, you may continue to feel the side effects of ecstasy or “molly” the day after you take it.
Help and advice
Shulgin went on to develop a range of new compounds, including MDMA and PMMA (paramethoxymethamphetamine), many of which ended up as versions of street ecstasy. MDMA was explored as a therapeutic drug in the 1970s as some psychotherapists believed it opened people up and enhanced their potential for empathy and understanding of one another. This whats in whippets use was interrupted by ecstasy being classified as a Schedule I drug in 1985. Mixing drugs is always risky but some mixtures are more dangerous than others. Evidence suggests that long-term users can suffer from memory problems and may develop depression and anxiety. Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider.
Another significant danger is the fact that people taking ecstasy don’t know what they are actually ingesting. In one study, researchers found that only 60% of samples contained any MDMA at all and many were mixed with so-called “fake cocaine,” a substance typically made with synthetic cathinone. In nearly 25% of the samples, the researchers were unable to identify what was actually in the tablets. A person addicted to ecstasy may exhibit physical and/or psychological signs of withdrawal when quitting use. Withdrawal symptoms arise because the body and mind are chemically dependent on ecstasy to achieve feelings of normalcy. Chronic users of ecstasy perform more poorly than nonusers on certain types of cognitive or memory tasks.
However, nowadays, it is used by a broader range of people on different occasions. It produces euphoria for a short period and also distorts sensory perceptions. If you choose to take ecstasy, use it with as much precaution as possible. Educate yourself and your friends about the safety tips for ecstasy use to reduce unwanted health problems.
High doses of ecstasy can cause a spike in your body temperature. Along with these mental and physical effects of ecstasy, the drug also causes changes in how you see the world, such as not knowing drinking out of boredom what time it is or seeing things that are not there. The emergency and referral resources listed above are available to individuals located in the United States and are not operated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counseling, or legal consultation. Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation.
A person’s unique physical attributes and frequency of drug use can also affect how long it is detectable. If you or someone you love uses MDMA, it’s important to understand its potential impacts and side effects. We also share signs of usage, how to identify the drug, and what research says about its potential as a therapeutic. While MDMA or ecstasy was initially used primarily in nightclubs and raves, its use has now spread to a wider range of populations. According to a 2021 survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 0.8% of the U.S. population over the age of 12 reported using this drug in the previous 12 months. If you or someone else needs urgent help after taking drugs or drinking, call 999 for an ambulance.