MDMA is being explored as a treatment for certain medical conditions, such molly mdma wikipedia as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Researchers are studying how drugs with psychedelic properties, including MDMA, can be used to treat mental health conditions. The stimulating effects of a single dose tend to go away within six hours, but people can experience aftereffects for a few days or longer.
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. It is also available as a powder and is sometimes snorted, taken as a liquid, and it is occasionally smoked but rarely injected. MDMA was first synthesized by a German company in 1912, possibly to be used as an appetite suppressant.
Learn how MDMA, also known as molly or ecstasy, affects the brain and body, and find treatment for misuse.
For the uninitiated or unprepared consumer, this can be confronting or even anxiety-provoking. It was many years after this that MDMA eventually appeared on the streets as a recreational drug. 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.
Soon after, this hug friendly drug made its way out of labs and therapy sessions and onto the streets and dance floors. 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 homemade crystal meth. Molly was made illegal in the United States in 1985 when it was classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Schedule I drug according to the Controlled Substances Act.
Transpersonal effects
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. There are currently no FDA-approved medications to treat ecstasy addiction. Twelve-step recovery programs and support groups may be helpful, particularly when used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral interventions. It is important to note that this research is still in the early stages. More research is needed to fully understand the effectiveness of medical MDMA.
Effects on health
People with MDMA-induced euphoria who dance or exert themselves in hot or confined areas, such as at a rave, club, or dance party, are at risk of experiencing heatstroke. Hyperthermia, a dangerous spike in body temperature, is one of the most common and serious side effects of MDMA use. People may try to lessen these effects by taking time to cool off and drink fluids — ideally juice or drinks with electrolytes. However, dehydrated MDMA users who quench their thirst with too much water could experience a drop in blood sodium. This condition, called hyponatremia, can cause cramping, vomiting, and, in serious cases, brain damage. But, there’s something important to know before procuring molly off the street.
However, MDMA also boasts other properties that attract people to experiment with it. Consumers report increased energy levels, improved mood, sharper mental clarity, and reduced anxiety. Many of these qualities have been identified as therapeutically significant too, with clinicians researching how to harness these properties to treat a range of mental health disorders. 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.
- It is usually recommended to wait for one to three months between each use to give the brain adequate time to restore serotonin levels and avoid toxicity.
- Molly can take many different forms, although it’s most often found in a capsule or powder.
- Additionally, using excessively high doses and multiple redosing is highly discouraged as this is thought to significantly increase the toxicity of MDMA.
- Scientific study has resulted in the general agreement that, although it is physically safe to try in a responsible context, the administration of repeated or high dosages of MDMA is most certainly neurotoxic in some form.
- Food and Drug Administration to grant it “breakthrough therapy” status, a designation that can speed drug development.
Visual effects
MDMA also lifts the levels of other vital hormones in the brain, including oxytocin, which influences feelings of trust, empathy, and sexual desire. Collectively, these effects may account for the experience of increased trust and lowered defensiveness that many MDMA consumers report. In addition to firing up these fundamental neurotransmitters in the brain, MDMA also lowers activity in the amygdala, the region of the brain that kicks off fear and propels the “fight or flight” mechanism.
- Some scientists believe Ecstasy may be useful in therapy since it has been found to reduce fear in some individuals.
- It is essential to sip water or electrolyte drinks throughout an MDMA trip.
- FDA approval of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD is touted to be imminent, which would make it ready for market.
- If you or someone you love uses MDMA, it’s important to understand its potential impacts and side effects.
- It is also worth noting that these effects will not necessarily occur in a predictable or reliable manner, although higher doses are more liable to induce the full spectrum of effects.
Through a number of different chemical formulations, safrole can be synthesized into MDMA. The final product delivers a euphoric high that usually kicks in within 45 minutes and lasts 3-6 hours. While MDMA or ecstasy was initially used primarily in nightclubs and raves, its use has now spread to a wider range of populations. According to a 2021 survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 0.8% of the U.S. population over the age of 12 reported using this drug in the previous 12 months. 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.
Abusers may also use in conjunction with other psychoactive drugs like LSD. As with many other „party drugs“, ecstasy is rarely used alone and it is frequently combined with alcohol and marijuana. In Australia, MDMA was rescheduled on 1 July 2023 as a schedule 8 substance (available on prescription) when used in the treatment of PTSD, while remaining a schedule 9 substance (prohibited) for all other uses. Permits for research uses on humans must be approved by a recognized ethics committee on human research. Over half of all study participants no longer met the diagnostic screening criteria for PTSD after just two sessions of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. One such pioneer is Dr. Sue Sisley, an MD and psychiatrist who has spent the last 25 years helping patients recover from trauma and manage mental health.
Patients approved to receive MDMA-assisted psychotherapy engage in over 40 hours of active therapy time. They work with a MAPS-trained therapist weeks before their first MDMA session. Over the course of three months, patients receive MDMA three different times. They’ll spend each eight-hour MDMA session with a licensed therapist and another trained clinician and many more hours debriefing in the days and weeks afterward. Those who use MDMA can also have nausea, sweats, or muscle cramps and can clench their teeth.
And taking MDMA with alcohol or other drugs can lead to poisoning and death. MDMA (an abbreviation of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also called “Molly” or “Ecstasy,” is a lab-made (synthetic) drug that has effects similar to stimulants like methamphetamine. It is typically sold illicitly as colorful tablets with imprinted logos, capsules, powder, or liquid. Some researchers and organizations consider MDMA to be a psychedelic drug because it can also mildly alter visual and time perception. MDMA’s effects may include feeling more energetic and alert and having an increased sense of well-being, warmth, and openness toward others.