Ecstasy Effects
Users claim that MDMA produces intense feelings of pleasure, empathy, warmth and happiness. It also increases sensitivity to music, makes people more emotionally open, and has a stimulating, speedy physical effect.When Ecstasy is swallowed, the full effect is usually felt within one hour. It starts with tingling and little rushes of exhilaration. Some people may experience nausea or dizziness while coming up but it quickly passes.
The effect builds quickly, coming on in waves within the first two hours, strengthening with each pass. A lightness of mood and relaxation gives way to waves of physical pleasure, euphoria, openness and empathy to others around you. The awareness of touch is strongly heightened. Sexual activity may be more satisfying.
The muscles relax. Perception of sound and colors may be more intense while under the influence of the Love Drug.
Along with feeling good, a person who takes E may find that communicating with others is much easier. They are more open and trusting of others than when not under the influence of the drug. Not only is it easier to talk to others after using X-TC, but the person is also more introspective while under its influence.
The peak arrives and then the effects last 4-6 hours, with a gradual tapering come-down in the last two. Not everyone who tries Ecstasy has a good experience. Some people who use it feel anxious, depressed or even paranoid after using the drug.
Other users report feeling nauseous and complain that their arms and legs feel stiff after ingesting the drug. Excessive thirst is another side effect of using X-TC. The user may not be able to sleep after taking a dose.
Jaw clenching and "clamping" is a common side-effect of Ecstasy and many people get relief by chewing on dummies or gum, smoking cigarettes or sucking on lollipops. Users may also experience muscle cramping. Vision can become blurry.
Coming Down From Ecstasy
On come-down, you may feel physically and emotionally drained. Without the artificial stimulation of E, the body and mind can suffer from exhaustion and anxiety.It's very important to have somewhere warm and comfortable to go back to, preferably stocked with refreshments, and gentle 'chill' music. General health and regularity of use play a very large part in the harshness of the after-effects.
Ecstasy is rapidly broken down by the liver but about 60% enters the urine unchanged. The urine could be drunk to recycle it, in the same way that Siberian tribesmen drink each other's urine after eating magic mushrooms. This is known in most circles as 'desperate'.
Effect of X-TC on the Brain
E causes (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) and dopamine to flood the brain. Both are neurotransmitters which influence the flow of information throughout the brain. Changing the balance between the two changes your mood. Ecstasy gives you a glow of well-being, happiness, empathy, euphoria, increases your sensitivity to rhythmic music, and makes you want to dance.The latest studies show that Ecstasy use can impair the serotonin system and memory performance. Research conducted on subjects who had used E on a couple of hundred occasions showed that people who use the drug had suffered brain damage. The level of brain damage users experience is directly proportional to the number of times the drug was used.
The brain damage found among X-TC users involved the cells responsible for releasing serotonin in the brain. An imaging technique known as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) was used to study the brains of a group of Ecstasy users. Researchers found that the number of healthy serotonin cells in the participants' brains was between 20-60 percent lower than normal. This type of change in the normal level of cells in the brain accounts for the memory loss that long-term users of E may experience.
Side Effects of Ecstasy Use
Here's one side effect when you use ecstasy: your heart will beat faster, you begin to sweat because your body temperature is rising. The other side effects are confusion, depression, insomia, amnesia, hallucinations, paranoia and panic attacks.Long term side effects are the following: dehydration, hypertension, hyperthermia, heart failure and kidney failure. A small number of E users experience liver damage as a result of their drug use. The fact that Ecstasy increases body temperature may be the cause of this health issue.
