MDMA, also known as Ecstasy - chemical name (3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), is a synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. MDMA possesses chemical variations of the stimulant amphetamine or methamphetamine and a hallucinogen, most often mescaline. MDMA is a "mood elevator" that produces a relaxed, euphoric state.

Ecstasy was first produced in 1913 by a German company possibly to be used as an appetite suppressant. MDMA has no approved medical use in the U.S. It was originally intended as a weight-loss (anorectic) drug, but because of its side-effects MDMA was never marketed. Chemically, it is an analogue of MDA, a drug that was popular in the 1960s.

In the late 1970s, MDMA was used to facilitate psychotherapy by a small group of therapists in the United States. Illicit use of the drug did not become popular until the late 1980s and early 1990s. Before it was made illegal in 1985, MDMA was used by psychiatrists as a therapeutic tool. Studies are currently underway in Spain and Israel assessing MDMA's effectiveness in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). There is much controversy over the use of MDMA for this purpose, which is beyond the scope of this article.

MDMA is frequently used in combination with other drugs. However, it is not often consumed with alcohol, as alcohol is believed to diminish its effects. According to Arizona injury lawyer, it is most often distributed at late-night parties called "raves," nightclubs, and rock concerts. As the rave and club scene expands to metropolitan and suburban areas across the country, MDMA use and distribution are increasing as well.

MDMA is taken orally, usually in tablet form; sometimes capsule form, in doses ranging from 50 to 150 mg. A normal dose is around 100 - 125 mg. 'Black market' ecstasy tablets vary widely in strength, and often contain other drugs. The size of the pill is not necessarily related to the dose. Its effects peak at about four hours and last approximately four to six hours.

How much does it cost?
It costs as little as 25 to 50 cents to manufacture an Ecstasy tablet in Europe, but the street value of that same Ecstasy tablet can be as high as $40, with a tablet typically selling for between $20 and $30. (Source, the US, DEA, 2002) Several of our readers have reported finding it for as low as 10 dollars a tablet and as high as 40 dollars for one tablet, depending upon their location in the U.S. In Europe the cost can be a bit less.

Users report that the experience is “very pleasant and highly controllable”. Even at the peak of the effect, people can usually deal with important matters. The effect that makes MDMA different from other drugs is empathy -- the sensation of understanding and accepting others.

At “raves” it’s common for “Ravers” to take an additional 1/2 or 1 tablet approximately 6 hours into the party. Some users will take more. Users of the drug say that it produces profoundly positive feelings, empathy for others, elimination of anxiety, and extreme relaxation. Doses of MDMA are often "piggybacked" on each other in a series over just a few hours leading to severe overheating and cardiac emergencies which require medical intervention.

MDMA is also said to suppress the need to eat, drink, or sleep, enabling users to endure two to three day parties. Consequently, MDMA use sometimes results in severe dehydration or exhaustion. While it is not as addictive as heroin or cocaine.

MDMA can cause other adverse effects including:

anxiety and paranoia
hallucinations -- some say this is not true.
chills and or sweating
increases in body temperature
tremors
involuntary teeth clenching
muscle cramping and nausea
blurred vision
MDMA users also report aftereffects of anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks and depression.
Death -- MDMA overdoses can be fatal, as they may result in heart failure or extreme heat stroke.

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