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Ecstasy (MDMA)

Ecstasy, also called “X” or “MDMA”, is a designer drug known for being inextricably linked to the rave party culture. Today, it is a mainstream drug of abuse. It is a manufactured designer drug that is available in either pill or capsule form. The capsule form often looks like some type of herbal supplement. The No manufacturing controls are present, and though many users don’t realize it, the ecstasy that is in the illicit market today very often contains a “cocktail” mixture of other drugs like Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Heroin, and PCP.

• D.E.A. Classification: Schedule I
• Drug Category: Stimulant with some Hallucinogenic Properties
• Availability: Highly Available
• Cost per dose: $25 per dose
• M.T.F. Report: 6.5% of High School Seniors Had Experience with Ecstasy in 2008
• Geographic Predominance: Omnipresent
• Method of Ingestion: Taken as pill
• D.A.W.N. Report: 17,865 Emergency Room Visits in 2008
• Duration of High: 3 to 5 hours
• Detectable in Urine: 1 to 3 days

Ecstasy lowers inhibitions, relieves anxiety and increases interpersonal empathy. It is also a mild hallucinogenic. It can serve as an appetite suppressant, and often allows users to go unusually long periods of time without sleep. Like other stimulants, MDMA causes the release of serotonin in the brain. Continued use can lead to serotonin depletion, which often brings about depression and other disorders. A 2001 study revealed that a single four day exposure to MDMA causes brain damage that is still detectable seven years later. (1) Continued recreational use has also been found to produce addiction in its users. (2)(3)

Ecstasy paraphernalia includes pacifiers, mouth-pieces, candy necklaces and other things that the user will put into their mouth to relieve the tooth grinding that is commonly associated with use. Light sticks or flashing lights were another common thing associated with the club or party use of the drug, but not so much with casual use. Small pill containers, opaque tic-tac boxes or other small containers are often used to transport the pills. Ecstasy users usually know that they have to keep hydrated while under the influence, causing them carry a lot of water with them, or make unusually frequent trips for water.

Signs of Use: When someone is under the influence of Ecstasy, their heart rate, respiratory rate, pulse rate and blood pressure will be elevated. They will also have a fever. Because the drug directly interferes with the body’s temperature regulation, users of MDMA can literally cook themselves to death – a combination of overexertion and the chemical effects of the drug. Other signs of use include a stiff jaw or a grinding of the teeth, a marked increase in affection or empathy, and occasional hallucinations.
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References

1. Ricaurte GA, McCann UD. Experimental studies on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) and its potential to damage brain serotonin neurons. Neurotox Res 3(1):85–99, 2001.
2. Cottler LB, Womack SB, Compton WM, Ben-Abdallah A. Ecstasy abuse and dependence among adolescents and young adults: Applicability and reliability of DSM-IV criteria. Human Psychopharmacol 16:599–606, 2001.
3. Leung KS, Cottler LB. Ecstasy and other club drugs: A review of recent epidemiological studies. Curr Opin Psychiatry 21:234–241, 2008.