Author: Alex Thompson

MDMA Risks and How to Reduce Them The New York Times

Current regulations have classed MDMA as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. This means that it’s thought to have a high potential to be abused and that it’s not legally considered to have health benefits. When you contact 911, always let them know what drugs the person took and how much. MDMA is often called molly or ecstasy and is frequently taken in pill or capsule form. We rely on donations to continue to promote evidence-based information about drugs without political or commercial interference. It is also possible impulsive personality-types could make someone more likely to take MDMA, rather than being caused by drug use.

See this article and this article about clinical research into medical uses for MDMA. Dr Bronner’s has generously donated, though millions more in funding is needed. In addition, fentanyl has been increasingly found cut into other street drugs, often unknown by the user and leading to fatalities. Damage to brain serotonin neurons can occur; serotonin is thought to play a role in regulating mood, memory, sleep, and appetite. Studies are conflicting on MDMA use and its affects on memory and cognition. It’s important to note that recreational use is often much more frequent and higher in dose than therapeutic use.

Sub-acute Effects

When ecstasy use is followed by vigorous physical activity, it can lead to a potentially dangerous rise in body temperature known as hyperthermia. How to minimise your risk of overhydrationTo minimise risk make sure you or anyone else do not take too high of a dose, especially if you are likely to partake in aerobic activity (e.g. dancing) in a hot environment. Everyone has different levels of ideal fluid/water intake, but as a general rule of thumb, one pint of (NON-alcoholic) fluid per 2-3 hours is around what a human would normally consume. Dehydration is also a risk, so users should ensure they drink roughly the correct amount of fluid.

1. Any non-authorised sale, use or manufacture is strictly prohibited by law.
2. High blood pressure/Heart rateMDMA has two effects on the body’s heart and blood pressure systems.
3. How to minimise your risk of overhydrationTo minimise risk make sure you or anyone else do not take too high of a dose, especially if you are likely to partake in aerobic activity (e.g. dancing) in a hot environment.

Do not consume MDMA if you are on any heart or blood pressure medication (or have any heart problems), as MDMA raises both, and interactions with these medications can be unpredictable and dangerous. Anyone with heart, blood pressure, liver or kidney issues should steer clear of MDMA, along with anyone on any medication which affects serotonin or adrenaline levels (like antidepressants such as SSRIs, SNRIs and MAOIs). At present, MDMA cannot legally be used in psychotherapy but more and more studies are being done which test both MDMA’s positives and drawbacks. The drug itself is not the treatment but rather enables therapy to be more effective.

MDMA spikes the activation level of a natural chemical in the brain called serotonin. The drug does this by grabbing hold of serotonin-transporting proteins and forcing them to flood the brain’s circuits with its existing supply of serotonin. It’s thought to do this at a particular receptor which deals with many functions, among them being imagination, stress-coping, mood and personality. Like most illegal drugs, the purity of MDMA changes all the time, so forms that might once have been more reliable cannot be guaranteed to remain so. It’s part of a wider group of chemicals called phenethylamines, known for their hallucinogenic and stimulant effects.

As countries legalize the psychedelic for therapy, recreational use of Ecstasy is likely to become more common. Experts say we need an open conversation about what can go wrong and how to prevent it. Molly was made illegal in the United States in 1985, at which time it was classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Schedule I drug, according to the Controlled Substances Act.

Reagent tests can pick up the presence of dangerous chemicals like PMA/PMMA. This is an easy and inexpensive way to ensure the drug you have is actually what you think it is, and to make sure you aren’t taking something which could kill you. When MDMA is swallowed effects are typically felt anywhere between minutes after ingestion and last anywhere between 3-6 hours. It is important not to re-dose if you consume some of the drug and find you don’t feel any effects, even if 2-3 hours pass.

What else can be found in MDMA?

The DEA considers MDMA an illegal schedule I drug with no recognized medical uses. MDMA was first synthesized by a German company in 1912, possibly to be used as an appetite suppressant. It has been available as a street drug since the 1980s, and use escalated in the 1990s among college students and young adults.

It is also known as Molly or Ecstasy, and to a lesser extent, Mandy or Adam. MDMA is also beginning Phase 3 trials with the US FDA for the treatment of PTSD. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

But, like cannabis and other psychedelics, MDMA is also a recreational drug, with an estimated 20 million people around the world consuming it outside of a legal, clinical setting in 2021. National surveys in the U.S. estimate that 7.5 percent of Americans over the age of 12 have tried Ecstasy at least once. While there are no specific treatments for ecstasy addiction, the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective option.

What are the effects of MDMA?

MDMA’s common effects include euphoria, increased energy and a vastly heightened sense of empathy. Regulation could reduce the risk of fake MDMA.6 MDMA appears to be safer than most other illegal drugs, though all drugs can be harmful under specific circumstances.7 MDMA is safer if you follow harm reduction guidelines. MDMA can produce stimulant effects such as an enhanced sense of pleasure and self-confidence and increased energy. Its psychedelic effects include feelings of peacefulness, acceptance, and empathy.

Twelve-step recovery programs and support groups can also be helpful, particularly when used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral interventions. Another significant danger is the fact that people who take ecstasy don’t really know what they are actually ingesting. It is important to note, however, that this research is still in the early stages. More research is needed to fully understand the effectiveness of medical MDMA.

Therapeutic uses of MDMA

MDMA is more likely to lead to a serious emergency, like an overdose, if it’s been cut with another drug. If someone is overdosing, it’s important to get them medical attention right away. MDMA was initially developed in 1912 as a pharmaceutical compound that could be used in the preparation of other pharmaceuticals, and it was patented in 1914. But once the drug’s hallucinogenic properties were discovered, further development was stopped for several decades. There are currently no FDA-approved medications to treat ecstasy addiction.

Some people mistakenly believe that Molly does not contain contaminants often found in ecstasy. In fact, chemical analyses of drugs sold as Molly and seized by the U.S. MDMA’s hijacking of the brain’s serotonin system is thought to be where the drug’s main effects of vastly heightened empathy and euphoria come from. MDMA also spikes adrenaline and dopamine activation in the brain, but in smaller amounts than serotonin.

Because use promotes trust, closeness, empathy, and enhances sexual desire, the risk of unsafe sexual practices may increase, resulting in HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, or other sexually transmitted diseases. It is also available as a powder and is sometimes snorted, taken as a liquid, and it is occasionally smoked but rarely injected. In the United Kingdom, MDMA was made illegal in 1977 by a modification order to the existing Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Penalties include a maximum of seven years and/or unlimited fine for possession; life and/or unlimited fine for production or trafficking. The current studies aren’t in agreement as to whether MDMA can cause addiction.