MDMA, or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, is an empathogen that acts as a stimulant and hallucinogen, used primarily for recreational purposes. It increases feelings of empathy and compassion. MDMA is a synthetic drug and does not derive from any natural products.
Research varies on whether or not MDMA is addictive or not.
MDMA is sometimes referred to by street names including Molly, ecstasy, and E. It’s important to note that some pills sold as ecstasy or molly may only contain small amounts of MDMA or none at all.
Even though MDMA is currently a Schedule 1 substance in most countries due to its potential for abuse, the FDA has called the drug's beneficial effect on people living with PTSD a breakthrough therapy.
Like with any chemical substance, it's essential to understand the medical benefits, potential side effects, and legalities before experimenting with MDMA.
Contents
The History of MDMA
The general public became aware of MDMA during the late 1980s when it was labeled a party drug. However, various applications have been tested and evaluated by the medical community since 1912.
MDMA was first synthesized and patented by the German pharmaceutical company Merck in Darmstadt by a team of experts, including the chemist Dr. Max Oberlin.
While MDMA was first patented as an appetite suppressor, it's been tested as a possible treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and chronic anxiety in recent years.
Other Names for MDMA
MDMA is sometimes known as Adam, Molly, Scooby snacks, Snowball, X, XTC, E, ecstasy, MD, Lovedrug, and Hug.
Effects of MDMA
Effects of MDMA may include:
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- Feelings of Euphoria, Happiness, Connection
- Increased Empathy
- Heightened Sensations of Sound, Taste, Smell
- Temporary Nausea
- Increased Energy
- Increased Sex Drive
- Desire to Talk (or share intimate details)
- Increased Sense of Belonging
- Lowered Inhibitions
- Decreased Appetite
- Dizziness
MDMA boosts three neurotransmitters (brain chemicals), namely dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These chemicals influence mood, energy levels, appetite, sexual activity, emotions such as trust and affection, and sleep.
Serotonin and dopamine are known as happiness hormones. MDMA sends large quantities of both to the brain's reward centers (the nucleus accumbens). Norepinephrine regulates fear and anxiety in the brain, which may be why MDMA lowers inhibitions and has a prosocial effect.
People using MDMA will report feeling euphoric, warm, expressive, connected, and clear-headed. It may heighten sensations of touch and sound, which is why it became a popular drug used at clubs, and concerts.
How Long Does it Take MDMA/Molly/Ecstasy to Kick in?
The effects will usually start within 30 minutes of taking the drug and last from three to six hours.
The MDMA Comedown
When the drug wears off, the user may experience sadness, anxiety, and trouble sleeping that may last for up to a week, depending on the frequency of usage and dosage.
Regular use of the drug may lead to increased tolerance, which decreases the positive effects experienced over time - likely due to the rapid increase and depletion of serotonin, dehydration, and fatigue. Try to take breaks between doses to avoid building up too much tolerance.
The MDMA comedown effects can vary from person to person and may be influenced by the purity of the drug. If you experience a rough comedown, try lowering your dosage and avoiding mixing MDMA with other substances with a comedown effect.
Avoid daily dosing. It’s recommended to take breaks of between three weeks and three months between dosages.
What to do About a Bad MDMA Comedown?
Here’s what to do if you are experiencing an MDMA or Molly Comedown:
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- Try to go to sleep. It’s essential to get the worst part of the comedown behind you. It might be hard to relax as MDMA is a stimulant, so try to practice some of the relaxation tips below.
- Try to Relax. Keep your mind off how you are feeling! Watch your favorite mindless TV show, or fall down a YouTube hole.
- Have a Bath. A little self-care will make you feel much better.
- Phone a Friend. Having someone to commiserate with will go a long way.
- Eat something. You may not have an appetite, but eating a healthy smoothie or meal will help alleviate symptoms. Start with something small (like a cup of tea or smoothie) and then build up.
- Avoid Making Decisions! Keep your credit card and work laptop far away from you. Now is not the time to phone your ex or let your boss know what you think of them.
What Are the Side Effects?
Side effects may include:
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- Nausea
- Muscle Cramps
- An involuntary jaw or tooth clenching
- Tolerance and depressive symptoms
- Memory Loss
- Dependence and Withdrawal
Most physical side effects occur 30-45 minutes after consumption, but it usually doesn't persist.
How to Reduce (and Prevent) Side Effects - Harm Reduction and MDMA
Supplements like Vitamin C, antioxidants, and magnesium can limit side effects like jaw clenching and muscle spasms.
MDMA Tolerance
Repeated or high-dose MDMA use can lead to tolerance, depressive symptoms, and cognitive deficits (including memory loss). Repeated binging may lead to dependence and increased withdrawal symptoms due to repeated increases and decreases of serotonin.
Regular MDMA usage may lead to clinical depression if there is a pre-existing predisposition towards the condition.
Learn more about psychedelic tolerance and cross-tolerance.
Is MDMA Dangerous?
Pure MDMA can impact body temperature regulation. Vigorous dancing in a humid venue can cause body temperate to rise to dangerous levels, which may cause more severe health conditions, including respiratory collapse.
Substances sold as MDMA may be mixed with harmful substances or may not contain MDMA at all. If you are unsure whether MDMA is pure or not, you can obtain a testing kit.
MDMA Purity Test Kit
You can purchase MDMA test kits online that evaluate the degree of purity of the MDMA that you’ve taken. You add a 20mg dose of MDMA to an ampoule. The ampoule will change color, and a colorimetric chart is used to evaluate the contents.
How Long Does MDMA Stay in Your System?
MDMA can be detected in your blood for two days after usage, in urine for up to four days, and your hair for up to 30 days. MDMA is generally not tested for in the five-panel drug test used by employers, but it will show up in the results.
The recreational effects can last anywhere from 3 to 6 hours. The peak effects will be felt in the first 1-2 hours and then decrease gradually.
How Do People Take MDMA?
MDMA is usually swallowed as a capsule or tablet, but people can consume it in liquid or powder form. It can be snorted, smoked, or injected.
There is also a form of ingestion called parachuting or bombing. The user places a crushed or powdered dose of MDMA in a soft paper (tissue or toilet paper) and swallows it to accelerate the onset of the drug’s effect.
It’s sometimes mixed in water bottles and shared at events.
What Are the Therapeutic and Medical Uses of MDMA?
Psychotherapists have used MDMA since the 1970s to treat anxiety and trauma. Therapists believed that MDMA's ability to lower inhibitions made it easier for traumatized patients to "open up," accelerating the therapeutic healing process. Medical uses of MDMA can include the treatment of fatigue and insomnia, as well as sexual dysfunction.
Treatment of PTSD
An FDA-regulated clinical trial is currently testing it as a possible treatment for veterans with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD. One study found that 67% of people using MDMA-assisted therapy no longer met the criteria for PTSD within a year of treatment.
Anxiety Relief
MDMA has anxiolytic or anti-anxiety properties as it suppresses activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain that regulates fear responses. The MAPS organization has completed a phase II study testing the effect of MDMA therapy on social anxiety in adults with autism.
Depression
Past clinical trials have examined how people may use MDMA to treat depression, although its effects haven't been well-established.
Alcohol and Drug Addiction
A 2017 study in the UK has explored whether people can use MDMA-assisted therapy to treat alcohol addiction. Rick Doblin, Ph.D. and authority on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, has said that because the roots of alcohol addiction may lay in trauma, the therapy could be beneficial for alcoholics in the same way it has helped PTSD sufferers.
It can also be used to treat substance abuse and related conditions.
Impotence
Some users may find MDMA helpful to increase libido and sexual satisfaction. It can treat premature ejaculation in men and vaginal dryness in women.
Therapeutic MDMA vs. Street Drugs (Ecstasy, Molly
It's important to note that the MDMA drugs used in clinical trials can vary vastly from the drugs sold in the street as ecstasy or Molly. Any form of "street drug" may be mixed with other substances, compared to the clinically pure form of MDMA used in testing.
What Are the Recreational Uses of MDMA?
MDMA is typically used in social settings and parties for its stimulant properties, as it heightens sounds and creates a sensation of connectedness. Recreational users may feel extremely happy (hence the name, ecstasy), loving and affectionate (even towards strangers), highly energized, and alert. It also increases empathy levels.
MDMA can heighten the senses, making the music and lighting of a club or festival more intense.
Sex on MDMA
MDMA is said to increase sexual desire, satisfaction, and enjoyment for some people. It lowers inhibitions during social and sexual interactions, which is highly beneficial for individuals suffering from social anxiety. On the other hand, it is known that pure MDMA can encourage intimacy, without the ability to have full sexual intercourse. Learn more about the effects of MDMA on sexual behavior.
MDMA Dosage chart
For recreational use,180mg is considered a safe single-session dose for the average male and 120mg for the average female.
During MDMA-assisted therapy, each participant receives a 125-milligram dose. Be aware that your weight and height may play a role.
As with any recreational drug, it’s best to start with a lower dosage.
Are Ecstasy and MDMA the same thing?
People use the terms ecstasy and MDMA interchangeably, but it’s not necessarily the same thing. Ecstasy may contain MDMA, but it could also contain cocaine, heroin, or LSD.
The Legal Status of MDMA
Legal Status of MDMA in the United States (US)
MDMA is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. Still, the FDA has granted MDMA-assisted therapy expanded access status, allowing mental health professionals to provide the drug to patients with life-threatening depressive conditions without a clinical trial.
Legal Status of MDMA in the United Kingdom (UK)
MDMA is considered a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is illegal to supply or produce.
Legal Status of MDMA in the European Union (EU)
MDMA is a Schedule I drug across the EU. It may be used for scientific or medical purposes, but its possession, production, and use is prohibited.
Mixing MDMA and Other Drugs?
Mixing MDMA can heighten its stimulant properties, leading to increased heart rate, blood pressure, and difficulties regulating body temperature.
Key Players in Current and Past MDMA Research
Many psychotherapists appealed the DEA emergency ban on MDMA in the 1980s and testified against the MDMA restrictions during the Scheduling Hearing in 1984. After MDMA was criminalized in 1985, many organizations and professionals fought to legitimize the substance.
Rick Doblin
Rick Doblin is largely credited with legitimizing MDMA in modern research. He co-founded the MAPS organization and the Earth Metabolic Design Laboratories shortly after MDMA was scheduled in the mid-1980s. He published a paper in 2002 outlining his plan to use MDMA for the treatment of PTSD in clinical trials. He has also advocated for the use of LSD and marijuana in psychotherapy and other medical applications.
MAPS
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a nonprofit organization that aims to raise awareness and understanding of psychedelic substances. It is based in San Jose. MAPS works with government authorities, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to obtain approval for clinical drug research for controlled substances.
Beckley Foundation
The Beckley Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to activating global drug policy reform and conducting scientific research into psychoactive substances. It was founded by Amanda Feilding, the Countess of Wemyss. The Institute regularly collaborates with scientific and political institutions to develop research and policy initiatives.
Conclusion
Like many "party drugs," MDMA has become stigmatized, but that doesn't mean that MDMA doesn't have therapeutic or recreational value. Like any other chemical (and prescribed medicine), MDMA is subject to abuse and may have side effects.
However, the medical community is looking at MDMA with fresh eyes. The drug is tested in different contexts and applied in the correct chemical form, finding many new benefits.
Some people may find MDMA fun; others believe it has real therapeutic and medical value. It’s important to remember that you should always be careful and take steps to protect yourself healthwise and according to the laws of your country. Make good choices and stay informed!