What Are the Effects & Risks of Ecstacy on the Body?

symptoms of ecstacy

After a week following moderate use of ecstasy, people can experience depression, irritability, anxiety, and problems with sleeping. People with heart problems can be at risk when using ecstasy and especially when taken in high doses. As the effects begin to fade, people often take another dose of ecstasy to double the time it lasts. It was first made by German scientists in 1912, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that it became widely available on the streets. It can be used by people to increase a feeling of alertness and experience longer periods of happiness and may also enhance emotional and sexual relationships. Molly is slang for ‘molecular’ and refers to the crystalline powder form of this drug.

Furthermore, it can also cause memory issues, issues with cognitive ability, and poor performance on tests. Long term effects can amplify these symptoms resulting in severe brain damage. Recent research reveals that changes in the brain take place very quickly after a person starts to abuse ecstasy.

It causes the body to heat up, which, combined with hours of dancing in a warm environment, can cause the bodily temperature to reach lethal levels. Dance clubs where many patrons use ecstasy often provide a “chill room” where a person can buy cold water and cool off. When the temperature gets too high, organ breakdown can occur, especially in the kidneys, and this can kill the drug user.

Ecstasy is most popular among younger males, ranging from 18 to 25 years old. In a 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, it was shown that of those 12 years of age and older, almost 2.2 million people used ecstasy in the last 12 months. If you notice your loved one showing the warning signs of a stimulant use disorder, amphetamine addiction advise them to find a treatment program. Ecstasy is a strong stimulant that often comes as small white or colored pills stamped with logos or words. Users may have lollipops or baby pacifiers to help with clenched jaw muscles caused by the drug. But the user may also experience nausea, chills or involuntary teeth clenching.

This will stop you from getting dehydrated and possibly fainting or feeling lightheaded. For street use, ecstasy is made illegally in labs with many ingredients, including isosafrole, amphetamine, and caffeine. Note that if a drug is sold as “ecstasy,” it still may not have any MDMA at all. Addictive ingredients are used to make ecstasy, causing you to crave more. A person’s unique physical attributes and frequency of drug use can also affect how long it is detectable. Ecstasy is an illegal substance typically made in a laboratory.

Addiction follows when a person compulsively alters their behavior to obtain a drug. Addiction is defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine as continued use despite harmful consequences. Reports also suggest that people who use ecstasy exhibit such symptoms as well as other markers of addiction including tolerance, drug cravings, and withdrawal.

Addiction, Overdose, and Withdrawal

Signs of ecstasy use include heightened sensory perception, and the tactile sense may be exaggerated. A person may want to be touched or want to touch things that feel good. A person going to clubs to dance will have their energy increased aetna insurance coverage for drug addiction treatment so they can dance all night. Ecstasy, which is also known as MDMA, is a modification of methamphetamine and has some similar effects to that drug. It is immediately a stimulant, but its stimulating effects can increase to dangerous levels.

symptoms of ecstacy

There is never a good time to take an illegal substance or misuse it. When it comes to the amount of MDMA in a tablet of ecstasy, you never know how much or how little of the drug there is and how you will react to it. If you do use it, take precautions to avoid any accidents such as an overdose. It’s important to know how to reduce risk if you are to do so. It’s important to know that the effects of ecstasy will be different from person to person.

Signs of Ecstasy Use

These changes can result in anxiety, depression, and confusion. Further symptoms of ecstasy use include poor performance on tests requiring memory or cognitive ability. Tests have shown that even brief exposure to ecstasy can result in damage that lasts years. While there are no specific treatments for ecstasy addiction, the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective option.

Users may take 1–2 (sometimes more) tablets at once or a series of them over a short period. Just like other drugs that affect sensory perception, ecstasy can be addictive. Symptoms of ecstasy use are similar to that of other stimulants.

  1. When the use of the drug becomes heavy, signs of ecstasy use may include paranoia, depression, confusion, and aggression.
  2. Identifying a person who abuses ecstasy can be challenging, since it’s commonly used with other substances and may be masked by the apparent use of those drugs.
  3. Ongoing clinical trials suggest that ecstasy is a promising treatment for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  4. Usually available on an inpatient basis, detox lasts a few days, sometimes longer.

Research shows drugs like cocaine have a higher potential for addiction than ecstasy. Ecstasy should not be taken with other substances like alcohol, cocaine, or marijuana due to its raised risk of health effects. This is why ecstasy use causes increased appreciation of light shows and high sensitivity to music.

Worst Symptom of Ecstasy Abuse May Be Addiction

If you communicate your problems about ecstasy and express the desire for help, you can avoid substance use disorders. If you’re going to take ecstasy, try to take it in mini doses. This could mean cutting a tablet into quarters and only taking one at a time. It’s a lot safer to test your limits instead of diving right in. Before and during your time on ecstasy, drink one 16-ounce bottle of water for every hour that passes while on the drug.

Many dealers sell pills that are cut with other ingredients, ranging from cocaine or heroin to caffeine and rat poison. For this reason, the effects of an “ecstasy” pill can be hard to predict. Risk factors that may contribute to an individual’s worsening substance ambien and alcohol abuse problem include both drug tolerance and the development of physiological drug dependence. These related phenomena involve a drug altering the brain’s chemical activity, causing it to become dependent on ever-increasing quantities to achieve the same effect.

MDMA can also be dissolved in liquid, usually alcohol, and discreetly drunk in a club setting. Liquid ecstasy is less common but can be used to spike drinks, with or without the user’s knowledge or consent. Department of Defense performed classified experiments with the substance, but little came of it.

Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorder

The history of ecstasy began in 1912, when American pharmaceutical company Merck patented the compound as a precursor to other drugs used to stop bleeding. Ecstasy, also commonly known by its slang name “molly,” is a synthetic drug known primarily for its hallucinogenic and stimulant effects. It’s known to impart feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception. Recent research has shown that brain damage can occur due to the use of ecstasy, even after only brief exposure. A few symptoms caused by this damage include increased anxiety, depression, and confusion.

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