Ecstasy basics
Find out all the basics about ecstasy in this fact sheet, including what it is, how it works, and how it affects your mental and physical health.
Summary
Ecstasy (MDMA, E, XTC, pills, disco biscuits, bikies, mitsubishis, flippers) is the street term for the chemical MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine). MDMA works by releasing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine producing feelings of euphoria.
Many ecstasy users also experience a period of depression or 'come down' directly after the drug wears off. The come down can last from between a few hours to a few days. Heavy and/or regular use of amphetamines can cause a drug-induced psychotic episode and can also trigger a relapse of psychotic symptoms.
Research to date suggests that some of the effects from regular ecstasy use may be neurotoxicity (toxins to the brain and nerves), memory and cognition problems and depression.
Overheating and dehydration are the most common forms of overdose among ecstasy users.
What is ecstasy?
Ecstasy is the street term for the chemical MDMA , a synthetic (man-made) drug which is made illegally in makeshift laboratories. The contents of ecstasy are not regulated in any way so it can contain any number of different substances including ice, ketamine, MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine), PMA (paramethoxyamphetamine), MDEA (methylenedioxyethylamphetamine), caffeine and paracetamol. Some ecstasy tablets have been found to contain no stimulants at all.
Ecstasy comes in two main forms:
- Pills: These are the most popular form of ecstasy. They come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes and are often branded by a design or logo pressed into the top of the tablet. Pills are most usually ingested.
- MDMA Powder: Ecstasy also comes in the form of a bitter tasting, yellowish MDMA powder. MDMA powder is usually taken by snorting, wrapping in tissue or putting into gelatine capsules to be swallowed.
How does ecstasy work?
MDMA works by releasing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals produced by the brain which regulate our thoughts, feelings and actions. MDMA mostly effects serotonin which is important for regulating our mood, appetite, sensitivity to pain, sleep and emotion.
When MDMA causes these neurotransmitters to be released in the brain it produces feelings of euphoria and other emotions along with physical effects such as increased heart rate. This depletes neurotransmitter levels in the brain and ecstasy users can feel depressed for up to ten days after using while their brain is building back its stores of serotonin and dopamine.
Check out how stimulants affect dopamine levels in the brain here:
Acknowledgement: Bluebelly
Classification
Ecstasy is generally classified as a stimulant; this term refers to the effect of the drug on the central nervous system and not to a user’s mood. Stimulants cause breathing and heartbeat to speed up and body temperature to rise.
Ecstasy can also be classified as a hallucinogen which means it affects the messages of the central nervous system by distorting what people hear, think and see.
How is ecstasy used?
Ecstasy is taken in the following ways:
- Ingested (eaten): When ingested, ecstasy is absorbed through the stomach. The effects take from 20 – 60 minutes to come on and can last from 4 - 6 hours on average although the effects can last much longer in some cases. Swallowing, depending on the amount, is the least harmful way to take ecstasy. When swallowed it generally takes longer than other methods to take effect or come up but the effects last longer.
- Snorted: The powder form of ecstasy (MDMA Powder) is usually snorted or pills can be crushed up and snorted.
- Shafted: Pills are sometimes taken in the form of a suppository. This method involves anal insertion of the drug. The drug is then absorbed by the blood vessels in the rectum.
- Injected: Injecting ecstasy is the least common and most dangerous way of taking the drug. When injected, all of the toxic contaminants that the ecstasy could possibly contain bypass all of the body's natural defences and go straight into the bloodstream. Using this method also increases the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C. When injected, the effects of drugs can be felt very rapidly.
Immediate effects of ecstasy
When ingested the effects of ecstasy can come on in anywhere between 20 minutes and 2 hours. The effects can last between 4 - 6 hours on average but can last much longer.
Physiological effects
- Feelings of euphoria or intense happiness
- Closeness and affection
- Increased confidence
- Lack of inhibitions
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
Physical effects
- Jaw clenching and teeth grinding
- Dry mouth
- Increased body temperature
- Increased heat rate
- Increased Blood pressure
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Dilated pupils
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Poor coordination
The after effects
Many ecstasy users also experience a period of depression or 'come down' directly after the drug wears off. This come down period involves symptoms such as loss of appetite, insomnia, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating and depression (because of depleted serotonin levels).The come down can last from between a few hours to a few days.
Effects from regular ecstasy use
Repeated use of ecstasy may damage the cells that produce a chemical in the brain called serotonin. Serotonin is important for regulating mood, appetite, sensitivity to pain, sleep, memory and learning.
Heavy and/or regular use of amphetamines can cause a drug-induced psychotic episode and can also trigger a relapse of psychotic symptoms if you already have a mental illness. In some cases the symptoms may continue for days or even weeks after the drug has worn off.
Is ecstasy addictive?
Research to date tells us that ecstasy is not physically addictive but can be psychologically addictive. This means that although a person may not be physically addicted to the drug they can become addicted to the way the drug makes them feel.
In some cases people become used to partying on the drug and may feel that they wouldn't be able to have fun without it.
People who use ecstasy on a regular basis can develop a tolerance to the drug so that increasingly greater doses are needed to achieve the same desired effects.
Mental health and ecstasy
Many ecstasy users experience a period of depression or ‘come down’ directly after the effects of the drug wear off. This come down period involves symptoms such as loss of appetite, insomnia, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating and depression (because of depleted serotonin levels). The come down can last from between a few hours to a few days.
The law and ecstasy
Using ecstasy is illegal. If you use, have in your possession, sell or give ecstasy to someone else and get caught, you could face substantial fines and/or a prison sentence. The penalties for manufacturing, importing and selling ecstasy are even more severe and depend on the amount of ecstasy involved.
This fact sheet was prepared with assistance from the Australian Drug Foundation
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