Ecstasy
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AKA: E, Ex, E and C, eccy, MDMA, Adam, XTC, love drug, eggs, pills, brownies, Mitsubishi’s, bean, roll, hugs and others.
Ecstasy is a drug called MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and is an amphetamine-type substance. However, the term ‘ecstasy’ is often the street name used to refer to variety of drugs that are similar in structure to MDMA. Often what is sold as ‘ecstasy’ contains little or no MDMA.
Ecstasy is an illegal drug, meaning that you can be charged for possessing, making or selling ecstasy. Because of this, and the difficulties associated with producing and making ecstasy, the strength, safety and purity of the drug is rarely known. This makes it hard to know what you are taking. This increases the chances of overdosing, being poisoned or having bad reactions after taking the drug.
How it is taken
Ecstasy is usually in the form of pills or powder. The pills come in all different colours and can have pictures or logos stamped into them. They’re usually swallowed, although some people do snort them.
The effects
- Ecstasy might give someone a "rush".
- Ecstasy makes sounds and colours more intense.
- Lots of people feel more talkative or sociable on ecstasy, although conversations may not always make sense to people who aren’t taking the drug.
- Feeling closer to others
- Physical side effects can develop that include:
- Dilated pupils
- A tingling feeling
- Tightening of the jaw muscles (grinding teeth, &/or jaw clenching)
- Raised body temperature, increased sweating
- Increased heart beat/pulse
- Nausea
- Tremors
- Insomnia (unable to sleep)
- Loss of appetite
- There’s no way of telling what’s in an E and there may be other side effects from the other ingredients in the pill.
Serious health consequences of taking ecstasy are dehydrating and overheating. But this does not mean that you should drink lots of water as this is also dangerous because taking ecstasy mucks up the body’s salt balance, preventing production of urine. You can reduce the risks by sipping water slowly and hourly. There are signs of dehydration and overheating to look out for. These can include: feeling hot, confused, not sweating, headaches, being unable to urinate, heart/pulse not slowing down even when resting, vomiting, fainting, collapsing and having ‘fits’. If you or a friend experience any of these, its best to:
- Get a friend to stay with you until you feel better.
- Sip cold water slowly.
- Rest, sit down in a quiet, cool place.
If symptoms continue and your body doesn’t cool down, find the first aid area (if at a rave/party) or if this is not available get to a hospital immediately.
Ecstasy can cause death, usually due to dehydration and overheating, but often deaths associated with ecstasy occur because other substances are mixed with the drug or because what is actually been taken is PMA, often sold as ecstasy.
There are some serious health and mental health consequences from ecstasy use (the effects after the drug has worn off). These can include:
- Sleep problems
- Personality change
- Memory loss
- Cracked teeth through grinding
- Difficulty concentrating
- High blood pressure
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- Hallucinations
- Decreased emotional control
- Lethargy
- Paranoia
- Severe depression
- Nerve cell damage
- Death from heart failure
- Liver, kidney and heart problems
- Urine infections
- More colds and flus (due to reduced immune system)
PMA is a highly toxic hallucinogen (aka red Mitsubishi or red death). It is often sold as ecstasy as it is easier and cheaper to make, but the effects are very serious including hallucinations, delirium, restlessness, agitation, muscle contractions, stiffness, sweating, high fever, seizures, coma and death.
Ecstasy and mental health
The long-term effects of taking ecstasy are not really known. But some research has found a link between ecstasy and depression, specifically when the initial effects of ecstasy wear off.
Managing drug use
If you or your family and/or friends think your drug use is becoming an issue the best thing to do is seek help and talk to people about it. When trying to reduce the amount of drug you may get cravings which can be hard to work through yourself and difficult to overcome, but it’s worth the persistence.
You may be able to reduce or stop drug use on your own but it may also be worthwhile speaking with a trusted family member or friend. Otherwise doctors and counsellors can also help. Check out the getting help section to find services near you.