MDMA

The term MDMA, or Methylenedioxymethamphetamine to give it its proper name is probably more commonly known as ecstasy and this drug has been one of the most popular and highly used drugs of the past two decades. MDMA is easily recognized as one of the worlds most famous and prestigious designer drugs and the number of people who have used this form of medication in safety remain high. There is a huge relationship between MDMA and rave culture and this has been linked since the 1990s. There was huge political background that influenced the onset of this form of medication and it ties in with the youth culture of the day.

Illegal raves and warehouse parties were cropping up all over the country in the United Kingdom as the government and police forces combined to introduce new laws in order to crack down on these types of all night parties. MDMA was the drug of choice for the vast majority of party goers around this time as it enabled them to dance and party all night. Around 30 minutes after taking an ecstasy tablet, the user would begin to feel the effects coming up on them and this would last for a period of between three to six hours depending on how many pills or drugs were taken. Many users took a lot of MDMA in one go to prolong the effect and this helped party goers remain active for the entire night. There was a gradual comedown associated with use of MDMA and studies have shown the effects being known as “The Tuesday Blues” which affected those party goers who used the drug extensively over the weekend.

In addition to ecstasy, some of the other names given to MDMA can include:

* E
* Pills
* Brownies
* Mitsubishis
* Rolex’s
* Dolphins
* XTC

And much more depending on the imprints found upon the MDMA tablet. There are many pleasurable effects to be had whilst using MDMA and some of these positive affects encourage many users to dabble with this form of medication.

There is an immense sense of energy buzz or “rush” that can come to users of MDMA. This energy boost makes people feel alert and alive. This is a key factor in why people who go clubbing and partying choose to use MDMA to prolong their ability to dance all night. There is a lot of excitement experienced by people when the effects of the drug combine with music that usually is played at these events and many people are capable of dancing throughout the night and long into the next day whilst using MDMA.

It is also said that using MDMA helps people to feel more aware of their surroundings and help them feel in tune with what is happening around them. MDMA is an extremely positive drug and everything can feel much more intense and vibrant to a person who is using this form of medication. Whether it’s a party going person wanting to experience everything happening around them or just someone who wants to lose some of their inhibitions, use of MDMA can help many people get in touch with their most natural feelings.

Users of MDMA are also prone to feeling emotions of love and happiness with everyone around them and there is no doubt that ecstasy encourages peace and happiness in people. Compared to many drugs, there is no violent after effects of using MDMA and many people use this form of medication to experience a more positive outlook on life. It makes it easier to approach people and the club scene when ecstasy first appeared was noted for the positive and friendly attitudes that it inspired in its patrons. This stands at a great contrast compared to the reaction of people who spend an evening drinking alcohol or other banned substances. The effects and changes in mood and attitude brought by MDMA are extremely positive and are viewed by many people as a great aspect.

This is shown by how many people feel more talkative when taking MDMA. Again, this makes it much easier to chat to people you meet in clubs or all night dance parties and has helped people who suffer from shyness or a lack of confidence. As the MDMA encouraged people to talk to strangers, it creates a happier vibe and reduces the tension and problems associated with some all night events. The conversations that are usually had when using MDMA may not be the most sensical and would appear nonsensical to other people who were not using this medication but for people who are using MDMA, it can be extremely fun and enjoyable.

All of these different positive aspects combine to create an extremely upbeat and positive attitude amongst users of MDMA and this creates such a different outlook compared to many people’s everyday lives that using the drug is highly sought after. Using MDMA changes many people’s lives for the better and whether it is allowing them to dance and party all night or just offering people a chance to get in touch with their more natural feelings, there is little doubt that this form of medication comes highly recommended by a great number of users across the world.

With many people regularly using this medication every weekend over a considerable period of time, debate rages over how addictive MDMA can be. Like most forms of medication, it is possible for people to create and build up a tolerance of MDMA and this manifests itself in a number of ways. The most obvious way is that it requires a larger dose size to experience the buzz or rush that people got from MDMA the first couple of times they used. This leads to people using an increased number of MDMA which will, over time, create a cyclical effect where people continually increase the amount of drugs they take. As it is also a social drug, it is very easy for people to become locked into relationships with friends or associates where MDMA is used every weekend and it becomes hard for people to stop taking this drug. This can eventually lead to a physical dependency where users continue to buy and use MDMA even when they can see that it is causing them harm or damage.

Studies have also been taken into what long term effects are associated with using MDMA but nothing has been agreed one way or another. There is definitely evidence which suggests that using MDMA can create a level of damage in a person’s brain which will lead to them having long term problems. There has been some suggestion that using MDMA can eventually cause problems like:

* Depression
* Alterations in personality
* And memory loss

It is not surprising that MDMA is known to cause depression in some of its users and this is closely linked to the positive effects it has. There is an old saying that what goes up must come down and even though this is commonly used to describe gravity, it also has been known to describe the effects of using MDMA. The highs and rushes of using this form of medication is well document and leaves a positive effect on people who use it but unfortunately there is a come down that comes after using this medication. As already stated, there is an issue known as the “Tuesday Blues” which many people associate with using MDMA. This is where a weekend user will be noticeably depressed on the Tuesday evening as the positive aspects wears away and the body reacts to the drug being absent from its body.

Some people point to this is an indication that users of MDMA will be more likely to commit suicide due to their depressed state but this is yet to be backed up by medical proof. There is no doubt that there is a comedown effect associated with this form of medication but many users accept this and know that there is some price to pay for experiencing the highs they get when MDMA kicks into their blood stream.

Like all forms of medication, there are negative aspects and issues to be associated with MDMA but being aware of any negative affects and being able to prepare and combat them will leave any user more prepared to take care of any eventuality. Some of the down points from using MDMA can include:

* Many people experience physical side effects that can leave them with dilated pupils, tightening of the jaw muscles which caused them to grind their teeth or gurn, their body temperature rises and sometime their heart beats faster.
* Some of the Short term effects that are associated with MDMA use can be a rise in anxiety levels, a person suffering from panic attacks, a person suffering from confused episodes and possibly even falling into psychotic states.
* Due to the way that MDMA is used, created and sold there is absolutely no guarantee of knowing what’s in MDMA until you’ve swallowed the drug. This can lead to a person suffering other side effects from using drugs and perhaps even experiencing an allergic reaction some So, there may be negative side effects from other ingredients in the tablet.
* It is very common for users of MDMA to experience some form of comedown after using this medication.
* It is widely accepted that MDMA affects the temperature control of the body. Considering that many people use MDMA to be able to party all night, dancing for long periods is a common occurrence and when this occurs in a hot atmosphere, there is a greater chance of a person suffering from overheating and dehydration. This is why users of MDMA are regularly encouraged to take in water although this can carry its own dangers.
* However, there is a danger of taking in too much liquid when on MDMA and this has caused a few fatalities with people being found to have an excessive amount of water in their body. Many people find that they are unable to pass urine as easily as they could when not taking any form of medication and this is because there is an effect of MDMA that prevents this from happening. It is a said that a pint of water or other non-alcoholic drinks every hour is the correct level for a user of MDMA to drink in order to remain safe.
* Some of the areas of the body which can be affected from using MDMA include the heart, kidneys and liver and these areas can experience a reduction in their working quality of expected life span if use of MDMA causes any damage.
* A great number of long-term users of MDMA have said that notice getting colds, flu and sore throats more frequently than when they never took this form of medication. It is possible that this may be attributed to remaining awake for long periods of time, certainly in excess of 24 hours, which is able to place a person’s immune system under intense and extreme pressure.
* Medical research exists to suggest that dehydration and exhaustion issues that are commonly associated with MDMA can activate urine infections such as cystitis in women.
* Proper care and attention should be afforded to anyone with a heart condition, who suffers from blood pressure problems, is affected by epilepsy or even asthma as all of these people can have an extremely dangerous reaction to MDMA.

Whilst many people are quick to point out dangers that are associated with MDMA user, there is a constant overlooking of positive aspects with MDMA and its history which has long indicated many positive aspects of using this form of medication. MDMA use can be traced back to around the start of the precious century where two German chemists created and patented this form of medication. The medical sues for MDMA were not widely known or advertised in its early period but this form of medication received a boost in the 1950s when its popularity soared in America.

A great number of psychiatrists used this form of medication on their patients and were happy with progress that many people had from using MDMA. With the positive effects and aspects of MDMA use having already been discussed, it is easy to see why people experiencing emotional difficulties could seek solace and assistance in this form of medication. Use of MDMA spread amongst the psychiatric profession with many peoples experiencing a positive outcome in their life and an upturn in how their life was going.

Although use of this form of medication dipped and MDMA was then later outlawed in recent years, a batch of scientist based in the United States of America has started a controversial study into whether MDMA can be used to help people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. This is obviously an emotive and dangerous subject that causes great argument on both sides of the debate but there appears to be genuine scope for using MDMA to help people who have genuinely suffered bad times.

These trials of MDMA focused on whether their ability to help people relax and converse more freely would be any use in assisting people who have experienced rape or sexual abuse. These victims inevitably find it difficult to discuss their problems and this causes many of these crimes to go unsolved. This is not a positive state of affairs and therefore anything which can be done to help these sufferers express their opinions and memories of the situation should be encouraged. MDMA users would readily point to differences in their attitude and demeanor when using this form of medication and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that it could have a positive aspect on these people and their lives.

There has been a fair amount of debate over the safety and merits of MDMA in recent times and there are many who believe the problems and issues that people believe exits in MDMA are not valid arguments. There is no doubt that there is a lot of rumor mongering and people wishing to invent and repeat scare stories when it comes to MDMA and its users. An top ranking police official in the United Kingdom recently gave an interview where he reiterated his that MDMA was safer than aspirin and that Government research into deaths that were caused by this form of medication would back up his belief. There is a growing awareness that MDMA, in comparison with many other drugs and medical substances, does not have as many deaths or serious ailments aligned to it as some.

There may not be too many other police officials who would be willing to come out and support MDMA as openly as the major official who backed the drug but there is no doubt that privately, many officials have a belief that MDMA is far safer than many of the drugs that are available to people. Considering the overall impact that can be had by drugs, it is not sensible to view them all as being as bad as each other and there is definitely a lot to be gained from looking at the respective merits and valid points of each drug. This means that although MDMA does have some issues which would cause problems for some users, in comparison to a great number of drugs they could be abusing, there are likely to be less dangerous outcomes associated with MDMA.

The effect had by using MDMA is obviously affected by how it is introduced to a persons blood stream and many other aspects. MDMA is commonly taken in the form of a pill, but a rising number of people are choosing to use MDMA in other forms such as a powder or crystals. Its active ingredient is Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), although it is virtually impossible to place a finite figure on the amount of MDMA in each pill as there is a great variation from pill to pill.

The total number of deaths that have been caused by MDMA is hard to define, as a lot depends how this figure is calculated or measured. According to some official UK government reports, there were a total of 42 deaths related to MDMA drugs in 2006. The vast majority of those involved using MDMA in association with a number of other drugs, which skews the figures more. Using drugs as part of a cocktail increases the likelihood of death or negative aspects and it is unclear whether these deaths would have occurred if MDMA had been taken alone. These are important issues when trying to determine the seriousness of a drug and it can have a large influence on determining the true extent of the problems that can be associated with using MDMA.

A much smaller figure of 16 deaths were reported after the use of an MDMA drug by itself. This figure can be reduced even further as only a small amount of fatalities have occurred from direct poisoning from MDMA. A sizable proportion of MDMA related deaths come from overheating or dehydrating in a nightclub that is extremely hot. There is also the common problem of people taking too much liquid when they use MDMA and this can play a serious part in their untimely deaths. This form of death gathered a vast amount of press publicity and reaction in the United Kingdom back in 1995 when a female died after drinking fatal amounts of liquid after using MDMA. Many people believe that this should ensure there is proper advice and information given to potential users of MDMA to ensure they are made aware of the guidelines they should follow when using this form of medication. Those who back MDMA use convincingly argue that all of these deaths could be avoided with the provision of health warnings that would accompany proper regulation regarding using MDMA and related drugs.

Though a large amount of attention has been focused on MDMA related deaths, it also have the ability to cause non life threatening damage to the brain, though there is no conclusive evidence or proof regarding this topic. The effect of MDMA on a persons heart means that people who are known to have a heart condition, suffer from high blood-pressure problems, are known to have epilepsy issues or even suffer from asthma can have dangerous reactions to MDMA. There are also some minor negative issues associated with using Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and these can include experiencing a slight sensation of nausea, having a dry mouth or sweating more than usual. These are all aspects which would further encourage a person to drink water which means they would be inclined to increase their fluid intake. This makes it more likely that a person on MDMA would take more water on board than they would normally drink and this can clearly lead to potential issues and problems.

MDMA is generally used by clubbers to provide assistance to keep them dancing all night. The peak period of use for MDMA use was at the very height of rave culture back in the early 1990s, but regular use has fallen since this golden era in MDMAs history.

MDMA or Ecstasy, as the name would blatantly suggest, is a form of medication with slight hallucinogenic properties, not very different from the ones commonly associated with LSD, which helps to create an intense feeling of euphoria. This makes MDMA an extremely popular drug, particularly with people who like going clubbing. MDMA or ecstasy can usually be found in pill form, and it sometimes has an ‘E’ stamped into it. This type of branding has made it possible to forge and it is not uncommon for an aspirin to have an E carved into it to be sold as an MDMA tablet. In a dark nightclub where people wish to conclude a transaction without drawing attention to themselves, it is easy to see why this may happen on a frequent basis. These shorter name terms are unsurprising given that the full medical name of this substance is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. This would be extremely difficult for the vast majority of users to ask for which is why the shortened name of MDMA is used on a far more common basis.

Given its great impact on modern life, there have been numerous tales and myths surrounding MDMA and it is vital to note, first of all, that there are a number of untruths, disagreements and urban myths surrounding the discovery of MDMA. It was originally patented as a diet pill way back in 1913, and it was not developed as a truth serum by the US military in 1953.

The modern form of MDMA, Ecstasy has become increasingly infamous or notorious since the early 1980s, when many users have experienced great times from using this form of medication whereas some users have had less pleasurable experiences.

The minimum dose that needs to be taken for MDMA to have any noticeable effect is 30mg, and this is for the average person. It is recommended that a medium dose of MDMA is 125 to 150mg. Taking over 200mg of MDMA will make the side effects of this form of medication become noticeable and there is an increased risk of fatality if the dose level is increased further. Although there is no way of telling how much medical produce is contained within each pill, there is an estimation that the average MDMA pill contains between 75 to 100mg of MDMA.

Though MDMA is not a drug that carries physically addictive qualities, it has the ability to become disproportionately important and necessary in a person’s life, and regular use or consumption of MDMA can become compulsive or habit-forming. Tolerance to MDMA can build up if many pills are taken compulsively but if the user abstains for a period of time, the dependency and tolerance can diminish.

Quite often MDMA is cut with a number of other substances in order to reduce costs. It is not unusual for Heroin, caffeine or ketamine to have been mixed and combined with MDMA and sold as ecstasy. Frequently, MDMA users will become addicted to these additional substances, and not the MDMA itself. It is far more common for ecstasy to be cut with amphetamines.

If an individual has a normal level of tolerance to ecstasy and MDMA substances, they will begin to experience the effects between 20 and 90 minutes after taking their medication. The impact and noticeable effect varies from person to person depending on what they already have in the stomach, on any amount of physical exertion they are experiencing (for instance, dancing at a rave) and on a whole host of additional factors that can normally impact or affect digestion.

This progression from beginning to feel a slight drug-induced twinge all the way up to the full effects will take anywhere between five and 20 minutes and this is followed by the user enjoying a high for about three hours. This high is usually followed by some form of come down and coming back down from MDMA can sometimes take several hours and it is not uncommon for the hangover to last a whole day or more.

The short-term effects of MDMA use are ones of euphoria and a general well-being. As a consequence of these short term benefits of using MDMA, the user finds that they open up to other people, who they may never have met before, a lot more and it is not uncommon for people to talk to strangers.

It is extremely common for a MDMA users appetite to wane on a large scale and so will their attention to thirst. There are a great number of reasons why people who would MDMA and similar drugs to help them through their evening. Assistance with staying up all throughout the night has already been listed as a key reason for using MDMA and there are many clubbers who want to be able to dance throughout the night and having some form of medication can help them last a few extra hours.

Like many forms of drugs these days, there is also the possibility of purchasing a herbal version of MDMA and of course, there are many highly pleasurable aspects that come from taking herbal medication and this appeals to many users. Many users of this type of substance state they experience a pleasant form of euphoria, especially when they listen to music and are dancing. It can provide a physical stimulation to a person and offer them a feeling that is the equivalent of feeling intoxicated.

Like some of the positive feelings that are aligned to ecstasy and MDMA, a great number of users say this style of substance offers them increased levels of sensitivity and many tingling sensations. There is no doubt that there is a huge market for any form of herbal medication or stimulus and that will always be the case. As with all forms of medication, knowing the correct way to use them and still look after yourself will enable anyone to get the best from whatever drug they choose to take.

As popular as MDMA is, and it looks likely to remain popular, and celebrity use and culture ensures MDMA is a strong factor in it remaining so popular, there will always be some debate over how dangerous MDMA can be. The positive nature of MDMA coupled with how quickly MDMA intensity fades can ensure a user craves more and more MDMA to experience previous highs. MDMA will always remain the drug of choice for a great number of clubbers and there is unlikely to be a reduction in MDMA usage occurring in the near future. Improved education and better ways of weaning off users could prove to be a valuable asset in reducing users of MDMA but for now, any true solution to these issues looks to be a long way off. That said, more and more people appear willing to advocate MDMA use which means that there is unlikely to be any great finding or hope of stopping this positive form of medication.

As already discussed, many people are quick to mention the negative aspects of using this form of medication. It is true that there are numerous side effects and negative issues that comes with using this form of medication but is very easy to forget that there are a great number of positive points to be taken from using antidepressants in an attempt to improve a person’s life. No one should underestimate how unpleasant depression can be for a person and the fact it can greatly impact and affect a person.

One major concern for users of MDMA is that they do not know exactly what they are taken. MDMA that are sold on the streets are invariably “cut” with other material in order to create larger profits for the people selling drugs. Some of the additional ingredients included in street drugs such as heroin may include:

· Flour

· Ground glass

· Talcum powder

· Rat poison

· Domestic cleaning powder

There is no way of knowing what is contained within street bought medicine and many people risk their lives due to what is being used to produce more drugs. If more people were aware of what their medication truly consisted of, there would be a massive drop in demand for these substances.

One of the issues that have really developed the market for MDMA has been online commerce and possibilities that this brings to consumers. A vast amount of popular products offering hallucinatory effects and benefits are now being offered to customers and a great number of people are seeking to purchase their MDMA in this manner. Websites can offer great information and advice about MDMA which means that many users should be going online to find out information before they use MDMA.

There is no doubt that there are many opinions regarding MDMA and there will never be a universal agreement on MDMA. That said, the number of users who experience and enjoy MDMA safely each weekend indicates that it is extremely possible to take drugs, enjoy yourself immensely and have a fantastic time

With decades of use, there is little doubt that MDMA is extremely popular with people and it will continue to be so. Ignoring negative issues of substance abuse and problems, there are many instances to point to positive aspects of MDMA use. Whatever reason people have for purchasing MDMA, there are many positive effects to enjoy from using these drugs.

Some of these positive effects associated with this form of medication include the ability for people to become more confident or overcome shyness. These may not seem like great afflictions but for people genuinely suffering from these conditions, life can be a living hell with difficulties every time they have to meet people or interact with others. Using medication like this can really help a person to get out and meet new folk or at least engage in more conversations and activities with people. If using this form of medication can improve a person’s life then it should be greatly encouraged.