Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSignsIdentificationTherapeutic UsesImpactAddictionGetting HelpHistory

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Signs

Identification

Therapeutic Uses

Impact

Addiction

Getting Help

History

This article is purely informational and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your healthcare provider if you think that using ecstasy or “molly” is right for you.

What is the most important information I should know about MDMA?While some research has found potential therapeutic effects with MDMA, this research is still in the early stages.MDMA can lead to a variety of adverse effects, including increased anxiety and feelings of detachment.It is possible to overdose on MDMA, requiring immediate medical attention.

What is the most important information I should know about MDMA?

While some research has found potential therapeutic effects with MDMA, this research is still in the early stages.MDMA can lead to a variety of adverse effects, including increased anxiety and feelings of detachment.It is possible to overdose on MDMA, requiring immediate medical attention.

MDMA, also known asecstasyor “molly,” is a synthetic drug known primarily for its hallucinogenic andstimulant effects. MDMA is short for its chemical name 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. It is a derivative of amphetamine and has a similar structure to methamphetamine (“meth”).

If you or someone you love uses MDMA, it’s important to understand its potential impacts and side effects. We also share signs of usage, how to identify the drug, and what research says about its potential as a therapeutic.

Addiction to Methamphetamines

Signs of MDMA (Ecstasy) Use

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, MDMA causes a range of effects including:

The effects of MDMA typically last for three to six hours. However, in some cases, you may continue to feel the side effects of ecstasy or “molly” the day after you take it. The symptoms may even persist for up to a week or more, especially if MDMA is mixed with other drugs such as marijuana.

If you experience lasting effects after taking ecstasy, seek help from a medical professional as soon as possible.

How to Recognize MDMA

MDMA or ecstasy is usually found in tablet or capsule form, but it can also be swallowed as a liquid or snorted as a powder.

Ecstasy additives and contaminants often include methamphetamine, caffeine, ephedrine, and ketamine.

Potential Therapeutic Uses for MDMA

For example, a 2021 study found that the use of medical MDMA inautistic adultswith social anxiety disorder helped reduce social anxiety symptoms such as perceived social threat, self-criticism, and shame.

Ongoing clinical trials also suggest that ecstasy may help treat chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results of a Phase 3 trial found that 88% of participants who received MDMA-assisted therapy experienced a meaningful reduction in PTSD symptoms, with 67% no longer qualifying for a PTSD diagnosis after treatment.

In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration granted MDMA breakthrough therapy status due to the preliminary evidence of its efficacy in the treatment of PTSD.This status helps expedite the development and review of substances for the treatment of serious conditions.

This does not mean that ecstasy is available as a treatment. However, it may increase the speed at which the drug gains approval and becomes available to treat certain conditions.

What MDMA-Assisted Therapy Could Do for PTSD and Cost of Healthcare

Impact of MDMA

The immediate impact of ecstasy begins within about 45 minutes of taking a dose.People typically experience an increased sense of well-being and emotional warmth. Other effects include feeling greater empathy toward others and enhanced sensory perception.

As a stimulant, MDMA produces feelings of higher energy. As ahallucinogenic drug, it distorts a person’s sense of time and perception. Ecstasy can also cause body temperature to rise to a potentially fatal level, and its long-term use has been associated with issues related to learning and memory.

Risks of EcstasyMDMA is associated with a number of adverse impacts, including:Disorganized thoughtsFeelings of detachmentIncreased anxietyIncreased heart rateIrritabilityNauseaPoor appetiteSweating and hot flashes

Risks of Ecstasy

MDMA is associated with a number of adverse impacts, including:Disorganized thoughtsFeelings of detachmentIncreased anxietyIncreased heart rateIrritabilityNauseaPoor appetiteSweating and hot flashes

MDMA is associated with a number of adverse impacts, including:

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.

MDMA Addiction, Overdose, and Withdrawal

That said, one study found that ecstasy use is associated with changes in the dopamine and serotonin systems linked to increased impulsivity andsubstance use disorders.Reports also suggest that people who use ecstasy exhibit symptoms and other markers of addiction including tolerance, drug cravings, and withdrawal.

MDMA Overdose

How to Get Help for MDA Use

While there are no specific treatments for ecstasy addiction, the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests thatcognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) is the most effective option.This type of intervention helps change how people think and behave to support addiction recovery. CBT also teaches people coping skills so they can better manage the stress that contributes to substance use.

There are currently no FDA-approved medications to treat ecstasy addiction.Twelve-step recovery programsandsupport groupsmay be helpful, particularly when used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral interventions.

History of Ecstasy

MDMA was initially developed in 1912 as a pharmaceutical compound that could be used in the preparation of other pharmaceuticals, and it was patented in 1914. But once the drug’s hallucinogenic properties were discovered, further development was stopped for several decades.

It was many years after this that MDMA eventually appeared on the streets as a recreational drug. It became popular during the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, MDMA showed up in the nightclub and rave scene and its use grew among college students, “yuppies,” and in the gay community.

Due to concerns about the health risks associated with ecstasy, it was made illegal in the United Kingdom in 1977, way ahead of its popularity in that country.

For a few years, in an attempt to circumvent the law, different versions of ecstasy were synthesized. This production was eventually outlawed but re-emerged as a problem around the year 2000 with the popularity of homemadecrystal meth.

As Evidence For Treatment Potential Grows, So Has Psychedelic Legality

16 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Institute on Drug Abuse.What is the scope of MDMA use in the United States?

National Institute on Drug Abuse.What are the effects of MDMA?

Drug Enforcement Agency.Ecstasy or MDMA (also known as molly).

National Institute on Drug Abuse.What is MDMA?

National Institute on Drug Abuse.What is the history of MDMA?

Luoma J, Lear MK.MDMA-assisted therapy as a means to alter affective, cognitive, behavioral, and neurological systems underlying social dysfunction in social anxiety disorder.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:733893. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.733893

Mitchell JM, Bogenschutz M, Lilienstein A, et al.MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study.Nat Med. 2021;27(6):1025-1033. doi:10.1038/s41591-021-01336-3

Danforth AL, Grob CS, Struble C, et al.Reduction in social anxiety after MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with autistic adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.Psychopharmacol. 2018;235(11):3137-3148. doi:10.1007/s00213-018-5010-9

Feduccia AA, Jerome L, Yazar-Klosinski B, Emerson A, Mithoefer MC, Doblin R.Breakthrough for trauma treatment: Safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy compared to paroxetine and sertraline.Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:650. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00650

Food and Drug Administration.Frequently asked questions: Breakthrough therapies.

National Institute on Drug Abuse.MDMA (Ecstasy) abuse research report: Introduction.

National Institute on Drug Abuse.Is MDMA addictive?

American Society of Addiction Medicine.Definition of addiction.

Schenk S, Aronsen D.Contribution of impulsivity and serotonin receptor neuroadaptations to the development of an MDMA (‘ecstasy’) substance use disorder.Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2017;34:17-32. doi:10.1007/7854_2015_421

National Institute on Drug Abuse.How are MDMA use disorders treated?

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