Information about Ecstasy

Ecstasy (E, pills, MDMA, mandy) usually comes in pill form or as a white or pinkish powder. The active ingredient of Ecstasy tablets is MDMA (3,4,methylenedioxymethylamphetamine) although they also often contain other substances such as  amphetamines, caffeine, ketamine, PMA or cutting agents such as baking soda. Ecstasy is a Class A drug related to amphetamine. For more information about classifications of substances and associated sentencing, click here.

Effects: Physical effects include increased energy, faster heart rate and raised blood pressure, sweating, clenched jaw and/or grinding teeth, loss of appetite and blurred vision. Some people may feel sick. The psychological effects are usually euphoria, increased empathy with other people, desire to dance or talk and the feeling of having heightened perceptions or senses. However, the effects depend on the environment and your mindset before taking the drug and it can enhance whatever mood you were in before taking it. Some people experience anxiety and paranoia. The effects start after 20 minutes to an hour, last for several hours and are followed by a ‘comedown’ period of feeling ‘down’, tired, emotional, anxious and depressed, which can last several days.

Risks: In high doses, or if used constantly over a few days, ecstasy can result in paranoia, panic attacks, confusion, insomnia and potentially psychosis. There have been deaths due to a single use of ecstasy (whether experienced users or not) – this is most commonly due to overheating as the drug stops your body regulating its own temperature and many people dance in hot clubs for long periods after taking it which compounds the effect. Long-term use has been linked to damage to the liver and kidneys, as well as depression, anxiety and possible mental effects like finding it harder to concentrate.

Some of the things mixed into ecstasy tablets with MDMA can be very toxic, for example several deaths have been linked to a synthetic drug called PMA which has been sold as ecstasy. People tend to think that powder MDMA is more pure than pills, but in reality you can never be sure what you’re buying or taking.

Minimising the risks: The safest thing to do is not take ecstasy, especially if you know you have a problem with your heart, blood pressure or you have epilepsy. However, if you are going to take ecstasy, if you’re taking it in a club or rave environment you should avoid overheating by taking regular breaks from dancing to cool down and drink some fluids. Be careful not to drink too much as drinking excessive amounts of water can be fatal – ecstasy stops your body producing urine so if you drink more than you’re sweating out you can upset the balance in your body, which can be very dangerous. Sipping up to one pint of something non-alcoholic per hour is about right.