Ecstasy is the street name for the drug 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, usually shortened to MDMA. You typically buy it as a pill that has been cut with hallucinogenic drugs including such as LSD, methamphetamine, or with other drug and non-drug substances. When you take the pill, you never know exactly what you are ingesting. An Ecstasy high starts about 30 minutes after it is taken, peaks near the 60-minute mark, and gradually reduces over the next several hours.
Behaviors: While on Ecstasy, you may notice your inhibitions going away. You might want to physically touch people around you, talk to strangers and be very outgoing. This lack of inhibition could lead to unsafe sexual practices, which puts you at risk for STD's, Hepatitis C and HIV. In addition, you might put yourself in physically unsafe situations with people you don't know.
Energy: One of the reasons this drug is so popular at dance clubs is because while on it, you feel like you can dance forever. People that take Ecstasy report getting immense joy from moving to the music and are able to spend hours doing just that. Crowded clubs and hours of non-stop dancing can cause you to become dehydrated and over-heated, which is dangerous anytime, but particularly so if you are on Ecstasy.
Over-heating: For reasons not entirely understood, Ecstasy causes your body temperature to rise. How much it rises depends on how much Ecstasy you take. This increase in body temperature, added to being in a warm, crowded, club and your desire to constantly dance, sets the stage for hyperthermia, a medical condition that can be very serious and sometimes fatal.
Physical Effects: In addition to the high you will get from Ecstasy, you may also experience blurred vision, increased sweating, nausea, an elevated heart rate and a rise in blood pressure. In addition, if you do become hyperthermia, there can be damage to your liver, kidneys and heart. You also may be unable to sleep, develop a jaw-clenching and un-clenching habit and experience moderate muscle cramping.
Behaviors: While on Ecstasy, you may notice your inhibitions going away. You might want to physically touch people around you, talk to strangers and be very outgoing. This lack of inhibition could lead to unsafe sexual practices, which puts you at risk for STD's, Hepatitis C and HIV. In addition, you might put yourself in physically unsafe situations with people you don't know.
Energy: One of the reasons this drug is so popular at dance clubs is because while on it, you feel like you can dance forever. People that take Ecstasy report getting immense joy from moving to the music and are able to spend hours doing just that. Crowded clubs and hours of non-stop dancing can cause you to become dehydrated and over-heated, which is dangerous anytime, but particularly so if you are on Ecstasy.
Over-heating: For reasons not entirely understood, Ecstasy causes your body temperature to rise. How much it rises depends on how much Ecstasy you take. This increase in body temperature, added to being in a warm, crowded, club and your desire to constantly dance, sets the stage for hyperthermia, a medical condition that can be very serious and sometimes fatal.
Physical Effects: In addition to the high you will get from Ecstasy, you may also experience blurred vision, increased sweating, nausea, an elevated heart rate and a rise in blood pressure. In addition, if you do become hyperthermia, there can be damage to your liver, kidneys and heart. You also may be unable to sleep, develop a jaw-clenching and un-clenching habit and experience moderate muscle cramping.
