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Methylene-Dioxy-Meth-Amphetamine (MDMA), known as ecstasy, was patented in the early 1900s as an appetite suppressant. It is a Phenethylamine, having hallucinogenic (trippy) and stimulant (speedy) effects.
Loved up on E (immediate effects):The effect of E depends on the individual person (size, mood, health, etc), their experience with E or similar drugs, the amount taken and the actual make-up of the drug. For example:
Anal suppository (shelving) or crushed and then snorted or smoked E can result in an intense, but short-lived, experience. If injected, E is very full-on and dangerous, especially if you don’t know exactly what’s in it! Women generally need less E to feel the effects, due to their smaller body weight. The effects of orally taking a good quality E usually come on within 20 to 60 minutes. Initially you may be a bit sick, uneasy or spaced out, but this passes. The buzz then shifts to feelings of euphoria and being connected with others (loved up) with energy to party. The effects peak after about 2 hours and body rushes are often experienced. Feelings of lesser intensity usually last 4 to 6 hours. Some residual effects may last longer. Because E is manufactured illegally, it’s likely to be mixed with other substances or may have toxic by-products from the manufacturing process. This can cause a range of unpleasant or harmful effects. Common effects of E (MDMA) include:General stimulation of brain and nervous system (e.g. widened pupils, increased body temperature, increased blood pressure and heart rate, increased sweating, and initial anxiety).
OverdoseRare, but can occur if you have too many MDMA pills or an allergic reaction. Symptoms can include:
Long-Term EffectsAlthough research has been done into the long-term risks of E use, there’s no consensus yet on whether E damages short or long-term memory or learning ability. If you use E regularly (e.g. every weekend) you’re likely to get emotionally and physically run down; as your natural immunity weakens you become susceptible to infections, colds, flu, etc. Taking a break from E use should help you regain your emotional and physical well-being. Tolerance and dependenceEcstasy might not be physically addictive but some people do get psychologically addicted to the euphoric effect. Overseas research suggests people do develop tolerance to ecstasy, with decreasing positive effects of using while the negative effects increase. In other words, the highs get smaller and shorter while the comedowns get harder to deal with. Keeping use to less than once every 4 to 6 weeks can help reduce both tolerance and chances of long-term negative impact as a serious reduction of serotonin. Dehydration and water intoxicationDeaths from E overdoses are very rare, but deaths from related dehydration, heat-stroke or water intoxication are more common and can be avoided. Overheating/hyperthermia is reported to be the most common cause of ecstasy-related death because MDMA interferes with the regulation of body temperature. Overheating can cause internal bleeding, and liver and kidney failure. Ecstasy triggers the release of ADH, a hormone that slows the action of the kidneys, so rather than excreting fluids you continue to fill up. This can lead to ‘water intoxication’ causing headache, nausea and vomiting. In rare cases it can cause coma and death due to the blood becoming diluted, low plasma sodium levels, and water being sucked into the brain cells causing increased pressure on the brain stem. Symptoms of overheating include vomiting, hallucinations, really fast heartbeat and very high body temperature, dizziness, fainting, head pains and strong muscle cramps.
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E is most available as pills, but also comes in capsules or powder. E is not always pure MDMA, it may contain MDA, MDEA, 2-CB etc, and often contains Ketamine, speed etc. The abundance of crap E in England has turned a lot of people off the drug (also see
Harm Reduction