What Is in MDMA? Composition, Therapeutic Use, and More

This temporary flooding of the brain with serotonin leads the consumer to experience the mood-elevating, stimulating, walking-on-clouds effects of the drug. While serotonin is a neurotransmitter, it’s also known as “the happy hormone” as it plays a central role in regulating well-being. Compared to LSD, MDMA also increases plasma concentrations of oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone,” as it promotes social bonding, trust, empathy, and sexual attraction.

• Studies are conflicting on MDMA use and its affects on memory and cognition.
• It is the most well-known and widely-used member of the entactogens, a diverse group that includes MDA, methylone, 4-MMC, and 6-APB.
• In 2017, MAPS won breakthrough approval from the FDA for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• See this article and this article about clinical research into medical uses for MDMA.
• Tolerance to many of the effects of MDMA develops with prolonged and repeated use.

However, because MDMA affects brain chemicals, some researchers think it could have lasting effects on areas, such as cognition and mood. It’s important to note that recreational use is often much more frequent and higher in dose than therapeutic use. When used in a therapeutic setting, MDMA may enhance many aspects of talk therapy. Repeated studies show that MDMA can make it easier for someone to approach therapy with vulnerability and an open mind.

Effects

Always conduct independent research (e.g. Google, DuckDuckGo, PubMed) to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe to consume. Upon a single administration, it takes about 1 month for the tolerance to be reduced to half and 2.5 months to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). It is strongly recommended that one use harm reduction practices when using this substance. Diuretics such as alcohol may exacerbate these risks further due to causing excessive amounts of dehydration.

In more concrete terms, the drug has a unique touchy-feely pharmacological profile that increases feelings of emotional empathy, closeness with others, and prosocial behavior. The current studies aren’t in agreement as to whether MDMA can cause addiction. MDMA is often called molly or ecstasy and is frequently taken in pill or capsule form. Some people who use MDMA do report symptoms of addiction, including continued use despite negative consequences, tolerance, withdrawal, and craving, according to the NIH. Research in animals indicates that MDMA is neurotoxic and may affect the brain.

There are ongoing clinical studies to test how well this treatment might work. It’s part of a wider group of chemicals called phenethylamines, known for their hallucinogenic and stimulant effects. The drugs methamphetamine and cathinone (bath salts) are also part of this group. MDMA is classed as a Schedule 1 controlled substance and is illegal in the United States.

Participate in MDMA Study

See this article and this article about clinical research into medical uses for MDMA. Dr Bronner’s has generously donated, though millions more in funding is needed. Evidence suggests MDMA is well-suited to treat a wide range of other disorders too, such as depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, suicidality, substance use disorders, and eating disorders. MDMA was first synthesized by Merck, a German pharmaceutical company, back in 1912 as a medicine to control bleeding. The compound slipped into disuse and fell off the radar until the late ‘70s, when a group of underground psychotherapists investigating psychedelic therapy stumbled across it. MDMA became increasingly popular in their underground therapy sessions; these trailblazing psychotherapists found it helped patients to open up and achieve insights into their problems.

Visual effects

NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counseling, or legal consultation. Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation. MDMA, or 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine, is a synthetic molecule of the substituted amphetamine class.

Tolerance to many of the effects of MDMA develops with prolonged and repeated use. This results in users having to administer increasingly larger doses to achieve the same effects. In the United Kingdom, MDMA was made illegal in 1977 by a modification order to the existing Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Although MDMA was not named explicitly in this legislation, the order extended the definition of Class A drugs to include various ring-substituted phenethylamines.282283 The drug is therefore illegal to sell, buy, or possess without a licence in the UK. Penalties include a maximum of seven years and/or unlimited fine for possession; life and/or unlimited fine for production or trafficking.

How does MDMA affect the brain?

It is typically sold illicitly as colorful tablets with imprinted logos, capsules, powder, or liquid. Some researchers and organizations consider MDMA to be a psychedelic drug because it can also mildly alter visual and time perception. MDMA’s effects may include feeling more energetic and alert and having an increased sense of well-being, warmth, and openness toward others. MDMA is typically produced and consumed in its racemic form (known as SR-MDMA) which consists of equal parts S-MDMA and R-MDMA.

• MDMA is a drug that’s commonly thought of as a party drug and is known for producing feelings of pleasure, energy, and positive emotion, along with altered sensory perception.
• Since MDMA is currently an illegal substance, many reports about its health effects are anecdotal, and study results are often controversial.
• It can be administered orally, sublingually, buccally or via insufflation (“snorting” or “sniffing”).
• MDMA was first synthesized by Merck, a German pharmaceutical company, back in 1912 as a medicine to control bleeding.
• Evidence suggests MDMA is well-suited to treat a wide range of other disorders too, such as depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, suicidality, substance use disorders, and eating disorders.
• While you can still find Molly in the club, these days, MDMA is experiencing a reinvention as a medicine for mental health disorders.
• In addition to firing up these fundamental neurotransmitters in the brain, MDMA also lowers activity in the amygdala, the region of the brain that kicks off fear and propels the “fight or flight” mechanism.

Additionally, some researchers have suggested that MDMA might be useful as a treatment for some mental conditions, such as PTSD and disordered eating. MDMA is more likely to lead to a serious emergency, like an overdose, if it’s been cut with another drug. If someone is overdosing, it’s important to get them medical attention right away. Damage to brain serotonin neurons can occur; serotonin is thought to play a role in regulating mood, memory, sleep, and appetite.

Users are advised to pay close attention to their water intake, drinking neither too much nor too little, and to take care not to overexert themselves to avoid heat-stroke, which can be fatal. Crystals or powder (commonly called Molly) is a white to brownish substance which can be dissolved, crushed, put into gel capsules or edible paper (“parachutes”). It can be administered orally, sublingually, buccally or via insufflation (“snorting” or “sniffing”). It is highly mdma wiki advised to use harm reduction practices if using this substance.

Toxicity and harm potential

For example, a metabolite of MDMA called alpha-Methyldopamine (α-Me-DA, which is known to be toxic to dopamine neurons7518) was thought believed to be involved in the toxicity of MDMA to serotonin receptors. Recent evidence suggests the safe and potentially effective use of MDMA to treat the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.310 Unlike other treatments for mental illness, MDMA would be intended to be used infrequently and alongside psychotherapy in treatment. In Australia, MDMA was rescheduled on 1 July 2023 as a schedule 8 substance (available on prescription) when used in the treatment of PTSD, while remaining a schedule 9 substance (prohibited) for all other uses. Permits for research uses on humans must be approved by a recognized ethics committee on human research. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for people with PTSD as a breakthrough therapy.