ABUSE MAGAZINE
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ABUSE FREE
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other drugs of abuse, a person’s genes, living
environment, and other factors play a role in
whether they are likely to become addicted
to MDMA.
What Are the Common Effects
of MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly)?
For most people, a “hit” of MDMA lasts
for 3 to 6 hours. Once the pill is swallowed,
it takes only about 15 minutes for MDMA to
enter the bloodstream and reach the brain.
About 45 minutes later, the person experiences MDMA’s “high.” That’s when the drug is
at its peak level. People who use MDMA might
feel very alert, or “hyper,” at first. Some
lose a sense of time and experience other
changes in perception, such as an enhanced
sense of touch. Others experience negative
effects right away. They may become anxious and agitated. Sweating or chills may
occur, and people may feel faint or dizzy.
MDMA can also cause muscle tension,
nausea, blurred vision, and increased heart
rate and blood pressure. Forceful clenching
of the teeth can occur, and individuals at
clubs have been known to chew on pacifiers
to relieve some of the tension.
But it doesn’t stop there. Even if a person
takes only one pill, the side effects of
MDMA—including feelings of sadness, anxiety, depression, and memory difficulties—
can last for several days to a week (or longer
in people who use MDMA regularly).
What Are the Dangers of Using
MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly)?
People who use MDMA can become dehydrated through vigorous activity in a hot
environment. It may not seem like a big
deal, but when MDMA interferes with the
body’s ability to regulate its temperature,
it can cause dangerous overheating, called
hyperthermia. This, in turn, can lead to serious heart and kidney problems—or, rarely,
death. MDMA can be extremely dangerous in
high doses or when multiple small doses are
taken within a short time period to maintain
the high. High levels of the drug in the blood
stream can increase the risk of seizures and
affect the heart’s ability to maintain its
normal rhythms.
10201 University Avenue • Clive, IA
Grimes
Child development Center
515-986-2292
Helping
to ‛DEVELOP’
an ‛ABUSE
FREE’ future for
our youth!
What Are the Long-Term
Effects of Using MDMA
(Ecstasy or Molly)?
We still don’t know whether MDMA
causes long-term brain damage in humans,
or whether the effects are reversible when
someone stops using the drug. A study of
animals showed that exposure to high doses
of MDMA for 4 days produced brain damage
that could still be seen 6 to 7 years later.
The good news is that the researchers found
that some of the nerve fibers grew back in
the same places. But, we still don’t know if
these new neurons work like the old ones.
It’s like cutting off a branch of a fruit tree:
The tree is still alive and can sprout a new
limb near the site of the cut, but it may not
bear as much fruit as the old one.
309 SE Main Street • Grimes, IA
441 SE Gateway Drive • Grimes, IA
515-986-0920
Helping to
provide an
ABUSE FREE
youth!
What Risks to the Brain
Can MDMA (Ecstasy or
Molly) Use Cause?
Messages travel through our brains
through nerve cells, or neurons. Researchers that study the brain think that MDMA may
affect neurons that use serotonin to communicate with other neurons. The serotonin
system plays a direct role in controlling our
mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and
sensitivity to pain. Another bit of bad news—
researchers have seen memory loss among
regular users of MDMA.
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Grimes, IA
515-986-1783
“We proudly support
preventative education for
our youth!”
abusemagazine.org | Iowa - 2014 |
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