According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, statistics gathered in 2012 tells us that there was an estimated 9.2 percent of people, ages 12 and older, who have used an illicit drug or abused a medication within a 30 day period. It reflects an increase from 2002 of 8.3 percent, while this is an alarming statistic it brings to light a need for awareness among teens and young adults. MDMA is a synthetic psychoactive drug, typically in tablet form, today known as “Molly”, formerly known as ecstasy. MDMA pools the properties of two drugs and mimics the effects of amphetamines and mescaline combined. While the most common side effects are many, there are some that may be overlooked and could have serious consequences. It is very important you are aware of the commonly overlooked side effects and the harm they can cause.
Common MDMA Side Effects
You should be aware that even if you only take one tablet, you might feel the side effects for several days or it can even take as long as a week for some of the side effects to disappear. Some of those include:
- Blurred vision
Commonly Overlooked Side Effects
Most of these symptoms are seen in people who take repeated doses or high doses of MDMA. You should always bear in mind that each person is unique, whether it be one single dose or multiple doses, how the drug will effect them may be very different.
- Hyperthermia-when the body temperature elevates to a point of dangerous. It is best described as your body not being able to control its internal temperature.
- High Blood Pressure-otherwise known as hypertension, it means that the pressure in your arteries is higher than it should be.
- Cardiac Arrhythmias– they are disturbances that happen in the normal rhythm of the heartbeat. While there are many types of arrhythmias a persistent one can be life threatening.
- Rhabdomyolysis– is the rapid breakdown of the skeletal muscles in the body, their contents then leak into the bloodstream, which can lead to kidney failure or other organ failure.
- Hyponatremia-an electrolyte imbalance that occurs when the sodium level in the blood is reduced. This can happen as a result of an increased, almost unquenchable thirst from taking MDMA, you drink so much that your body can’t handle the intake of all the water.
While the effects on each person can be different, any of these effects may or may not happen. In some cases people have actually taken only one dose and it has caused cardiac arrest. You must also be aware that adding any other type of drugs or alcohol with MDMA enhances the effects. It is very difficult to treat the side effects that occur with combining drugs.