Effects of MDMA
What does MDMA do to your brain?
MDMA primarily stimulates three brain chemicals (known as neurotransmitters):
- Dopamine — giving a feeling of energy.
- Norepinephrine — increasing heart rate and blood pressure and potentially harming people with heart and vascular conditions.
- Serotonin — affecting appetite and sleep and stimulating sexual desire and closeness.
Some research indicates that MDMA can damage brain cells, memory, and the ability to learn and feel pleasure. MDMA use can trigger depression, anxiety, and — in rare cases — psychosis. Experts have called for more studies on MDMA’s lasting effects on the brain.
What does MDMA do to your body?
A “normal” oral dose of pure MDMA — usually between 50 and 150 milligrams — can take effect within 30 minutes. The stimulating effects of a single dose tend to peak at 1 1/2 to two hours and go away within four hours, but aftereffects may last for a few days or longer.
People taking a “normal” dose of pure MDMA report feeling more positive and sociable, less aggressive, more emotionally in tune with other people, and more alert.
Those who use MDMA can also have nausea, sweats, or muscle cramps and can clench their teeth. Some people experience other negative effects for up to a week after taking MDMA; these include anxiety, irritability, sleep issues, and lower pleasure from and desire for sex.
People with MDMA-induced euphoria who dance or exert themselves in hot or confined areas, such as at a rave, club, or dance party, are at risk of experiencing heatstroke. Hyperthermia, a dangerous spike in body temperature, is one of the most common and serious side effects of MDMA use. Elevations in blood pressure can also occur. People may try to lessen these effects by taking time to cool off and drink fluids — ideally juice or drinks with electrolytes. However, dehydrated MDMA users who quench their thirst with too much water could experience a drop in blood sodium. This condition, called hyponatremia, can cause cramping, vomiting, and, in serious cases, brain damage.
In addition to harming the body’s ability to regulate temperature, MDMA can cause other adverse effects, and the risk of these effects increases at higher doses. At very high doses, MDMA can stress the heart, damage other organs, and, in rare cases, lead to death. And taking MDMA with alcohol or other drugs can lead to poisoning and death.
Is MDMA addictive?
Pure MDMA is not considered as addictive as other illicit drugs such as cocaine, but some people can develop a dependence on the drug and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop using it. Withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, depression, impaired concentration, and loss of appetite.
