MDMA
{Mandy, Molly, Ecstasy, X, XTC}
Spread out re-doses
1
Drink water
2
Take breaks
3
MDMA is a stimulant-hallucinogenic research chemical originally created in 1912 by Merck. It gained popularity in the 1980s rave/dance scene and is especially known for being a potent empathogen. MDMA is commonly sold in powder form, thought to be purer than pills (‘ecstasy’). The contents of ecstasy pills are unpredictable and can be a combination of MDMA, caffeine, ketamine, MDA, methamphetamine, PMA, and many others.
Effects¶
Here are the most common effects, not everyone necessarily experiences all of them every time they consume the drug and other effects not listed might be felt. The likelihood of experiencing negative effects is far greater at high doses.
The effects are (from positive to negative):
Mood lift (mild to extreme)
Talkative and sociable
Increase in energy
Feelings of comfort and belonging
Increased empathy
Increased appreciation of music
Increased pleasure from the sense of touch
Decreased appetite
Visual distortion: mild hallucinations
Rapid involuntary eye jiggling
Change in body temperature regulation
Unexpected emotions
Strong desire to take more MDMA when coming down
Mild to extreme jaw clenching, tongue and cheek chewing, and teeth grinding
Difficulty concentrating
Impaired ability to focus eyes/blurred vision
Inability to fall asleep when physically tired
Erectile dysfunction and difficulty reaching orgasm
Increase in body temperature, dehydration
Nausea and vomiting
Source: erowid.org; tripsit.me
Dose and onset¶
How? How Much? When? For how Long?
As with any drug, the correct dose for you depends on factors such as weight, gender, metabolism, whether you have taken the drug recently or not, amongst many others.
Read our section on dosing and tolerance in ME for more information.
How you take MDMA matters...
Orally
MDMA usually comes in a powder or pill form, and is ingested orally.
Nasally
MDMA is also sometimes taken nasally. The effects take shorter to appear, but this is not recommended, as it decreases the length of the experience, cause nasal pain and can cause a more severe comedown. If you were to snort MDMA, make sure the powder/crystal is finely crushed. Clean your nostrils after snorting and alternate them if snorting more than once.
How much MDMA?
- Small/sensitive people/first timers: 60-90mg
- Recommended dose for most people: 75-125mg
- Large/less sensitive people: 110-150mg
- Strong dose: 150-200mg
- Heavy dose: 200mg+
Guideline by body weight: 0.7mg per lb, or 1.54mg per kg
Optional redose: half of the original dose, 2–3 hours in.
Use a scale to measure the exact amount of MDMA you would like to take.
Sources: www.erowid.org; rollsafe.org
When do the effects of MDMA kick in and for how long?
The START time below is when you will usually begin to feel the effects of MDMA from the time when you first take it. DURATION is roughly the length of time you will experience the effects, after which the effects will start to wear off and you might start to feel the comedown effects.
- Onset: 20–70 minutes (depending on the form of the MDMA and how much food you have eaten)
- Duration: 3–5 hours
- Normal after-effects: up to 24 hours after
Source: www.erowid.org
WARNING: pills in the UK and Europe contain a very high concentration of MDMA. This can lead to accidental overdoses. We recommend that you try half a pill first as it might have much more MDMA than you expect.
How often can I take MDMA?
The Three Month Rule
MDMA works by causing large amounts of serotonin to be released, along with other neurotransmitters like dopamine. After using MDMA, your serotonin levels are lowered, and it takes a long time for your brain to build more serotonin. If you take ecstasy on a regular basis, you may be releasing and depleting your serotonin before it has a chance to fully replenish itself. This means you will be operating on lower-than-normal serotonin levels most of the time, and this can lead to depression or worsen depressive symptoms. It is recommended that you leave at the very least 1–2 months between uses, ideally 3. Save MDMA for special occasions or events only, and use it very sparingly.
Tolerance and loss of effectiveness
Consuming MDMA too often decreases the potency of this drug on your body. This may lead to consuming larger amounts of MDMA. Again, save MDMA for special occasions or events only, and use it very sparingly.
Interactions¶
Harm reduction¶
There are certain precautions you should take before doing MDMA. The advice below helps you to be physically and mentally prepared before doing it. Furthermore, we want you to be safe, and just in case you have a bad experience or some of the unwanted side effects associated with MDMA, we have also provided information on how to take care of yourself when you are in full swing. Finally, there are those uncomfortable or undesirable effects after the high have worn out, we will provide you with some practical tips on how to have a better calm down and help you to reduce the harm done to your body and brain.
Test it
MDMA and ecstasy are often mixed with other chemicals, from caffeine to methamphetamine. We recommend that you always test your pills using a drug testing kit. Depending on the country you're in, there are places where you can send samples of your pills to be tested. Another recommended source is Pill Reports, where you can search for an ecstasy pill by its stamp and appearance. However, this is not a foolproof way to making sure that your pills are safe.
Accidental deaths have occurred due to ingesting compounds such as PMMA in a pill that was thought to be MDMA. We know some people cannot be bothered to test, but it is becoming increasingly important to do this in order to stay safe.
Check the interactions
Check our drug interaction chart above!
Get some supplements
There's some science out there that supports certain vitamins as being neuroprotective and helping to reduce the side-effects of taking MDMA. RollSafe has an extensive guide on this and you can purchase a kit at Roll Kit. 20% of Roll Kit's proceeds will be going to MAPS to aid psychedelic research.
Risks¶
Short-term
Heatstroke
MDMA causes raise in body temperature and deregulates the body’s natural thermoregulation. This adds up to other factors such as dehydration and dancing in hot settings during hours. Keep hydrated and take regular breaks to avoid overheating.
Dehydration or hyperhydration
Many MDMA-related injuries are due to dehydration. Dehydration contributes to heatstrokes. Make sure to drink water during the night, but not too much as too much water can lead to health risks of its own.
Long-term use
Brain toxicity
There are studies that indicate brain toxicity can occur after MDMA use1. However, there is little or no knowledge of what the consequences are.
Addiction
MDMA is not as addictive as other stimulants or depressants2. However, like any other drug, it is possible to become dependant if it becomes a habit. Please read our information on dependence in our ME page for more information.
The Law¶
Europe
- UK: Illegal. Class A drug. Penalties include a maximum of seven years and/or unlimited fine for possession; life and/ or unlimited fine for production or trafficking.
- Germany: Illegal
- France: Illegal
- Netherlands: Illegal
- Spain: Illegal
- Russia: Illegal
- Czech Republic: Posession of less than 5 pills is not a serious criminal offense
- Portugal: Decriminalised up to 1g.
- Rest of Europe: Illegal in all countries
America
- USA: Illegal, Schedule I section D 1995.
- Canada: Schedule III
- Mexico: Illegal
Asia and Australia
- Australia: Illegal
- New Zealand: Illegal
- Singapore: Illegal
- Hong Kong: Illegal
- Israel: Illegal
Africa
- South Africa: Illegal
To learn more about why MDMA is illegal, check out this video.
More information¶
FAQs
I have a heart problem. Can I take MDMA?
It depends on your condition, however, stimulants can increase your heart rate considerably, so if you want to be on the safe side, it is better to not take it.
Bibliography
1 Kalant, H., 2001. The pharmacology and toxicology of “ecstasy” and related drugs. Cmaj, 165(7), pp.917-928.
2 Nutt, D., King, L.A., Saulsbury, W. and Blakemore, C., 2007. Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse.60464-4/fulltext) The Lancet, 369(9566), pp.1047-1053.