MDMA Ecstasy or Molly: Side Effects and Risks
Although research continues into the full scope of the effects of illegal drugs, regular and unsafe use of club drugs is widely accepted to have damaging side effects and carry a risk of addiction. Increased heart rate, a steep increase in body temperature, increase in blood pressure, spasms and dehydration are all common side effects of MDMA and methamphetamine. Breathing and respiratory issues, drowsiness, nausea and confusion are common side effects of said drugs. They can also make the user anxious, stressed and panicked, or even hallucinate. Drug cravings as the chemical leaves the user’s body can be complicated by sleep deprivation, dehydration and hypoglycaemia to result in debilitating ‘come downs’ which can result in depression-like symptoms. In molly mdma wikipedia the worst instance, club drugs result in the death of the user from cardiac arrest or water intoxication due to the increase in heart rate and thirstiness induced.
Potential Therapeutic Uses for MDMA
In many cases, illegal club drugs are misrepresented.26 That is, a dealer will tell a purchaser that she/he has a certain illegal drug for sale, while in fact the dealer’s pills, capsules or bags of powder do not contain that chemical. For example, MDMA (“ecstasy”) is very hard to synthesize in illegal underground labs, and methamphetamine is much easier (it can be made from household chemicals and over-the-counter cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine). As such, what dealers sell as MDMA is often methamphetamine powder. Similarly, pills sold by drug dealers as LSD, a drug which only the top chemists have the training to synthesize, most often contain no LSD; instead, they often contain PCP, a veterinary tranquilizer which produces dissociation and hallucinations in humans.
With some drugs, adulterants are sometimes added to make the product more appealing. For example, “flavoured cocaine” has flavoured powder added to the drug. Not to be confused with psychoactive drugs, such as stimulants and opioids, which induce states of altered consciousness, psychedelics tend to affect the mind in ways that result in the experience being qualitatively different from those of ordinary consciousness. With a few exceptions, most psychedelic drugs fall into one of the three following families of chemical compounds; tryptamines, phenethylamines, and lysergamides. Many psychedelic drugs are illegal worldwide under the UN conventions unless used in a medical or religious context.
Ecstasy Overdose
- The emergency and referral resources listed above are available to individuals located in the United States and are not operated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
- Ecstasy overdose symptoms can include faintness, panic attacks or extreme anxiety, high blood pressure, and seizures.
- Also called “molly,” MDMA is illegal and unregulated in the United States.
- This use was interrupted by ecstasy being classified as a Schedule I drug in 1985.
- Although MDMA was not named explicitly in this legislation, the order extended the definition of Class A drugs to include various ring-substituted phenethylamines.317318 The drug is therefore illegal to sell, buy, or possess without a licence in the UK.
As with many other “party drugs”, ecstasy is rarely used alone and it is frequently combined with alcohol and marijuana. When used in therapy, MDMA has been reported to increase empathy, closeness between patient and therapist, relaxation, motivation to engage with therapy and introspective thought, and reduce depression and anxiety. Furthermore, research suggests that treatment may improve the quality of sleep of individuals affected by PTSD-related sleep disturbances.15 It is believed that these factors may increase the success rate of psychotherapy. In the mid to late-1970s disco club scene, there was a thriving drug subculture, particularly for drugs that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud dance music and the flashing lights on the dancefloor. Substances such as cocaine39 (nicknamed “blow”), amyl nitrite (“poppers”),40 and Quaaludes. Quaaludes were described as the “…other quintessential 1970s club drug”, which suspends motor coordination.”41) According to Peter Braunstein, “massive quantities of drugs were ingested in discothèques.”
- MDMA exerts its primary effects in the brain on neurons that use the chemicals serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine to communicate with other neurons.
- The symptoms may even persist for up to a week or more, especially if MDMA is mixed with other drugs such as marijuana.
- That can lead to serious difficulties in your daily life, such as at your job, in your relationships, and in maintaining your emotional well-being.
Throughout the 1980s, the use of club drugs expanded into colleges, social parties, and raves. As raves grew in popularity through the late 1980s and into the late 1990s, drug usage, especially MDMA, grew with them. Much like discos, raves made use of flashing lights, loud techno/electronic dance music to enhance the user experience. Before their scheduling, some club drugs (especially designer drugs referred to as research chemicals) were advertised as alcohol-free and drug-free. Another reason that drug producers create new drugs is to avoid drug laws.
More on Substance Abuse and Addiction
Inconsistency in the strength and exact composition of the supplied drug causing users to overdose. Wide variance in the measured rate of deaths caused by drugs such as ecstasy across countries suggest that user and societal/environmental factors may also affect the lethality of club drugs. Some substances used to “cut” illegal drugs are not inherently harmful, as they are just used to “pad” or “bulk out” a quantity of the illegal drug and increase profits, such as lactose (milk sugar), a white powder often added to heroin. Even fairly innocuous powders that are added to illegal drugs, though, can have adverse effects with some routes of illegal drug administration, such as injection.
Rising recreational use
But this increased activity also causes a depletion in your brain’s naturally produced chemicals. The name “molly” is short for “molecular.” Molly is used as a slang term for 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA). Sometimes it specifically refers to the powder form of MDMA, but it’s often used as slang for any type of MDMA. Another significant danger is the fact that people taking ecstasy don’t know what they are actually ingesting. In one study, researchers found that only 60% of samples contained any MDMA at all and many were mixed with so-called “fake cocaine,” a substance typically made with synthetic cathinone. In nearly 25% of the samples, the researchers were unable to identify what was actually in the tablets.
If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts while using ecstasy, call or text 988 (the national suicide hotline) or visit , which provides support via online chats. Ecstasy has several effects during the hours it’s active in your system. This involves taking ecstasy along with the hallucinogenic drug LSD.
Lasting all night, these events feature dancing to techno (a type of electronic music) amidst laser light shows and often involve illicit drug use, especially ecstasy. The federal survey found that ecstasy was most popular among adults aged 26 and older. In 2023, more than 1.5 million adults in this age group used ecstasy compared with about 520,000 adults aged 18 to 25. An estimated 75,000 kids aged 12 to 17 reported using ecstasy in 2023. Molly may come in the form of gel capsules or tablets, which are often colorful and come in a variety of shapes. They typically display logos, such as smiley faces, cartoon characters, or symbols used by popular brands such as Nike and Mercedes.
Ecstasy should not be taken with other substances such as alcohol, cocaine, or marijuana, as doing so increases health risks. This classification is used for substances that have a high potential for addiction and misuse. Some studies are finding therapeutic uses for MDMA in treating certain mental health conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Contamination can increase the chances of a bad reaction or unpleasant effects. It can also lead to dangerous drug interactions that are difficult to predict. However, in most cases, pure molly is white or yellow and looks similar to sugar.
This can cause lockjaw, a painful condition in which you can’t fully open your mouth. Some people who take ecstasy suck on lollipops or pacifiers to prevent this. Taking ecstasy leads to feelings of euphoria, happiness, and well-being in which you feel drawn to or connected to other people as if you love them.
Recently, the FDA designated MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD as a Breakthrough Therapy and ongoing MDMA studies can be found on clinicaltrials.gov. The DEA considers MDMA an illegal schedule I drug with no recognized medical uses. 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. With FDA approval granted in 2017, MDMA has been authorized for use in research related to psychotherapy.4 A large proportion of this research has been focused on treating PTSD and major depressive disorder. Since it’s unlikely you’ll know exactly what substance was mixed into the molly you consumed, you won’t know what caused your negative experience. For a few years, in an attempt to circumvent the law, different versions of ecstasy were synthesized.