Health 1050 Dr. Ibarra MDMA GUSTAVO DUENAS

MDMA (­methylenedioxy­ methamphetamine)  A synthetic, psychoactive drug that has similarities to both the stimulant amphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline.

acute effects  Heightened perceptions  Simulations  Reduced appetite  Elevated mood

Chronic use  When people use Ecstasy repeatedly or long term, there may be changes in their brain chemistry that suggest that the serotonin neurons are damaged. One major clue is that serotonin itself and its metabolites (remind students that serotonin that is taken back up into the terminal is metabolized by enzymes) are diminished in the brains of animals treated with ecstasy. Moreover, the best evidence that we have so far is that even seven years after a brief exposure to ecstasy, serotonin levels in monkey brains have not fully returned to normal. This is described in the next image.

How Is MDMA Abused?  MDMA is taken orally, usually as a capsule or tablet

molecular  The popular term Molly (slang for “molecular”) refers to the pure crystalline powder form of MDMA, usually sold in capsules. The drug’s effects last approximately 3 to 6 hours, although it is not uncommon for users to take a second dose of the drug as the effects of the first dose begin to fade.

Chronic use  On rare but unpredictable occasions, this can lead to a sharp increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), which can result in liver, kidney, or cardiovascular system failure or even death.

What does MDMA do to the brain?  MDMA affects the brain by increasing the activity of at least three neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine

Serotonin release  Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep, pain, appetite, and other behaviors.

History  Since the early 1990’s MDMAhas become prominent among the new club drugs especially popular at dance clubs and all night rave parties.

Rave  “ A large party featuring performances by DJ’s … occasionally live performers playing electronic music …. Speaking to ravers it is a party that is based on the drug MDMA.

Different names  E, XTC, X, Essence, Clarity, Adam

Health effects  Ability to make decision is impaired  Ability to be social increases.  After the drug takes place you will be stressed out and may feel anxiety for the next couple of hours.  High increase in water intake

Price  MDMA can range from 5 dollars a pill to around 85 dollars.  Higher Price means for Higher quality

There are many names  Names examples are  Superman  Blue diamonds  Purple dolphins  Red power pill  Green twitters  Flying super marios

brain damage  Brain damage can occur because of dehydration. When you are using ecstasy make sure to stay hydrated or you can damage your brain cells.

The difference  Molly and ecstasy are different forms of the drug MDMA  Molly is a pure form of MDMA without the meth Chemicals.

Ecstasy  Ecstasy gives you the feeling of euphoria and releases dopamine in the brain which give that warm tingling feeling, and causes users to sweat.

Life-threatening effects after multiple doses or "stacking"  Some people take multiple doses of ecstasy in one night ("stacking"). This might be due to the reinforcing effect of the drug wearing off over time. Often, if something feels good, one wants to do it again! Unfortunately, increased doses also increase the adverse effects, and some of these can become life-threatening. For example, repeated doses or a high dose of ecstasy can cause heat injury due to hyperthermia, hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heart beat), muscle breakdown and renal failure due to salt and fluid depletion. Indicate that these dangerous effects can be produced by ecstasy acting in the brain. Again, the hypothalamus is very important, because it regulates heart rate and blood pressure, fluid retention and kidney function and, of course, body temperature. If the body temperature gets too high, it can cause brain damage or even kill a person.

In conclusion  MDMA isn’t for everyone and before you decide to take any drug make sure that you know your limits. In some cases there have been incidents in the rave scene where there is overdosing.

Work cited  "Drug Facts: Club Drugs (GHB, Ketamine, and Rohypnol)." Drug Facts: Club Drugs (GHB, Ketamine, and Rohypnol). N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar  "The Neurobiology of Ecstasy (MDMA)." 2: Long-term Effects of Ecstasy: Neurotoxic? N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar   "MDMA (Ecstasy) Abuse." What Does MDMA Do to the Brain? N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar   "Drug Facts: MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly)." Drug Facts: MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly). NIDA.gov, n.d. Web. 11 Feb   "MDMA (Ecstasy) Abuse." A Brief History of MDMA. NIDA.gov, n.d. Web. 09 Mar 