Research indicates heavy ecstasy use may cause persistent memory problems in humans, although studies are conflicting. Research in animals indicates that this drug, also referred to as MDMA or Molly, is neurotoxic and may affect the brain. Clinical studies suggest that ecstasy may increase the risk of long-term or permanent problems with memory and learning. Its primary effects are in the brain on neurons that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons. The serotonin system plays an important role in regulating mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. Not all the effects are predictable because so-called pure “ecstasy” can contain other unwanted drugs or chemicals.

Some users continue to use the drug despite experiencing negative consequences. This suggests MDMA has addiction potential, although researchers have not yet confirmed this. However, there are also some common adverse effects, as well as some severe risks and possible long-term damage. While ecstasy affects many neurotransmitters in the brain that are impacted by other addictive drugs, research has not determined whether MDMA is addictive, notes the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Therapy is typically directed by a substance use clinic or health care provider and involve supportive care and behavioral and group therapy. Because use promotes trust, closeness, empathy, and enhances sexual desire, the risk of unsafe sexual practices may increase, resulting in HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Do you know what MDMA is? The effects and medical potential may surprise you. Here’s everything you need to know.

This production was eventually outlawed but re-emerged as a problem around the year 2000 with the popularity of homemade crystal meth. Molly was made illegal in the United States in 1985, at which time it was classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Schedule I drug, according to the Controlled Substances Act. There are currently no FDA-approved medications to treat ecstasy addiction.

1. As the rave and club scene expanded to metropolitan and suburban areas across the country, MDMA use and distribution increased as well.
2. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a common recreational drug.
3. Twelve-step recovery programs and support groups can also be helpful, particularly when used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral interventions.
4. Clinical studies suggest that MDMA may increase the risk of long-term or permanent problems with memory and learning.
5. Developed in 1914 as an appetite suppressant, MDMA gained popularity in the 1980s with young adults at large music festivals and all-night dance parties or raves.
6. Users may encounter problems similar to those experienced by amphetamine and cocaine users, including addiction.

The DEA considers MDMA an illegal schedule I drug with no recognized medical uses. MDMA was first synthesized by a German company in 1912, possibly to be used as an appetite suppressant. It has been available as a street drug since the 1980s, and use escalated in the 1990s among college students and young adults. Then, it was most often distributed at late-night parties called “raves”, nightclubs, and rock concerts. Additionally, some researchers have suggested that MDMA might be useful as a treatment for some mental conditions, such as PTSD and disordered eating.

Can I get addicted to MDMA?

Research results are controversial on whether MDMA can be addictive. Almost 60% of people who use Ecstasy report some withdrawal symptoms, including fatigue, alcoholic eyes loss of appetite, depressed feelings, and trouble concentrating. Users may take several tablets at once or in succession over a period of time.

In the 1980s, MDMA became fashionable as a party drug in the nightclub and rave scene and its use grew among college students, “yuppies,” and in the gay community. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a common recreational drug. It is also known as Molly or Ecstasy, and to a lesser extent, Mandy or Adam. MDMA is also beginning Phase 3 trials with the US FDA for the treatment of PTSD.

Abusers may also use in conjunction with other psychoactive drugs like LSD. As with many other “party drugs”, ecstasy is rarely used alone and it is frequently combined with alcohol and marijuana. Since MDMA is currently an illegal substance, many reports about its health effects are anecdotal, and study results are often controversial. These stimulant effects, combined with prolonged physical activity, a hot environment, and other drugs, can result in unpredictable and serious physical complications. The user experiences feelings of euphoria, increased energy, intimacy and emotional warmth, sensitivity to touch, and a distortion of time and of the senses.

Risk-taking in People who Use MDMA

After being resynthesized in the mid-1970s by Alexander Shulgin, a psychedelic chemist in the Bay Area, MDMA began gaining popularity among therapists who used it in conjunction with talk therapy. But, like cannabis and other psychedelics, MDMA is also a recreational drug, with an estimated 20 million people around the world consuming it outside attention required! cloudflare of a legal, clinical setting in 2021. National surveys in the U.S. estimate that 7.5 percent of Americans over the age of 12 have tried Ecstasy at least once. 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.

Current regulations have classed MDMA as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. This means that it’s thought to have a high potential to be abused and that it’s not legally considered to have health alcohol poisoning benefits. Fentanyl can make drugs it’s mixed with, including MDMA, more dangerous. Often, people who purchase MDMA and other drugs are unaware those drugs have been cut with fentanyl.

This myth comes from messages broadcast by anti-drug campaigns in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. In addition, fentanyl has been increasingly found cut into other street drugs, often unknown by the user and leading to fatalities. MDMA is most often available in tablet or capsule form and is usually ingested by mouth or crushed and snorted. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Being illegal, there is no government regulation over production. 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. However, in some cases, you may continue to feel the side effects of molly the day after you take it. The symptoms may persist for up to a week or more, especially if MDMA is mixed with other drugs such as marijuana.

What are the effects of MDMA?

3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception (awareness of surrounding objects and conditions). It is chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens, producing feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception. Learn about the health effects of MDMA and read the Research  Report.

Researchers note larger phase 3 studies should be completed, but those with PSTD should NOT use MDMA on their own to try to replicate these results. A small study published in The Lancet Psychiatry looked at the use of MDMA in patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The often-added impurities, combined with the physical rigor of an all-night dance party experience, makes taking any form of MDMA significantly dangerous. Side effects of moderate use can persist for a week after using it. If you experience lasting effects after taking ecstasy, be sure to seek help from a medical professional as soon as possible. Recently, the FDA designated MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD as a Breakthrough Therapy and ongoing MDMA studies can be found on clinicaltrials.gov.