Questions About Ecstasy for a School Project?

Question by TwistedMind: Questions about ecstasy for a school project?
okay so i have this project on ecstasy and the symptoms if someone takes it etc.
so here are my questions:
what does ecstasy even do?
how long does the trip last?
how can you tell for appearance if someone has been using?
does it cause brain damage?

thanks people! when i get an A i’ll give you some credit (:

Best answer:

Answer by Jefferson
For a school project, you’ll probably need to cite reliable sources, which would not include strangers from yahoo answers, but I’ll do my best to help you out.

Ecstasy is the street name for MDMA, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Although its chemical structure is similar to methamphetamine, and the chemical name contains the word “methamphetamine”, the way it acts on brain chemistry is unique and the effects are nothing like methamphetamine. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter primarily responsible for feelings of love and happiness, as well as other things such as sleep and appetite. One of the main actions of MDMA is to cause your brain to release massive quantities of serotonin. This causes the feelings people are looking for when they take MDMA, such as extreme euphoria, feelings of closeness to others, feelings of love and acceptance. MDMA also to a lesser degree prevents the reuptake of dopamine, which causes a boost in self confidence and reduces inhibitions. You can read about the mechanisms of MDMA in this article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC48544/pdf/pnas01079-0309.pdf

The duration of primary subjective effects of MDMA depend largely upon the dose taken. The “ideal” recreational dose is considered to be around 125 milligrams. At this dose, the primary effects last around 4-6 hours. Lower doses won’t last as long, but higher doses won’t significantly increase the length of the experience. 125 milligrams seems to be the “sweet spot” where full desired effects are achieved with an acceptable duration, while increasing the dose generally only increases undesired side effects. The half-life of MDMA is about 9 hours, meaning that half of the drug is metabolized in about 9 hours after ingestion, despite the fact that the effects wear off in about 4 hours. You can read about MDMA half-life among other things in this article: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_article2.shtml

Although you may not necessarily be able to tell that somebody has taken MDMA simply by talking to them, some of the side effects can give it away if you know what you are looking for. MDMA causes the pupils to dilate, often until the eye is very nearly entirely black with only a thin line of color around the edge. While under the influence of MDMA, pupils will not contract when exposed to bright light as they usually would, so police offers will use this as a test if they suspect somebody is intoxicated. Also, MDMA causes people to grind their teeth, so many users chew gum to help satisfy this urge, so somebody vigorously chomping on gum can be a sign. In addition to these physical signs, the psychological effects can cause people to be very open emotionally. People high on ecstasy may go around hugging strangers and telling their friends about how much they love them. Ecstasy also enhances tactile sensations, so touching and being touched feels extra good. People high on ecstasy may frequently run their fingers through their hair or across their arms and legs. People on ecstasy also commonly massage each other. You can read more about ecstasy side effects in this article: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_effects3.shtml

Whether or not MDMA causes brain damage is still a hotly debated topic and no consensus has been reached. It is certain that MDMA use can cause changes to brain chemistry, but these changes seem to be temporary and resolve after people quit using. In the short term, MDMA depletes serotonin, which can lead to temporary depression. Here is a link to a database of articles about MDMA neurotoxicity: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_neurotoxicity.shtml

There’s so much information about MDMA available, but I hope I helped narrow it down at least a little.

Oh, by the way, this article is particularly good: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_neurotoxicity1.shtml

Answer by hehehloriii
the effects of ecstasy last at the most 6 hours. it makes you feel happy, and everything seems wonderful to you. It makes you clench your jaw, talk alot and wanna dance and move alot. yes it can cause brain damage iif you do it too much, and you cannot tell if someone does e.

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