MDMA can be taken orally (swallowed) or nasally (taken through the nose).

As a general rule, the more frequent the consumption and the higher the dosage, the stronger the undesirable effects. At the same time, the positive effects decrease.

The likelihood of unpleasant effects increases with doses of

• more than 1.5 mg per kg body weight in men (e.g. more than 90 mg in a 60 kg man)
• more than 1.3 mg per kg body weight in women (e.g. more than 78 mg in a 60 kg woman)

At these doses, the dopaminergic system in the brain is increasingly activated. Stimulating, speed-like effects take centre stage. Clarity and empathy disappear.

For nasal consumption, the dosage should be significantly lower.

After being absorbed into the bloodstream, part of the substance reaches the brain, where it unfolds its effects in certain areas. MDMA primarily causes an increased release of the neurotransmitters serotonin, noradrenaline and, to a lesser extent, dopamine.

When MDMA no longer influences the serotonin system after a few hours, the opposite feelings and states can occur. This can lead to tiredness, exhaustion, confusion, sadness and depressive moods.

The human brain needs up to four weeks after MDMA consumption to rebuild its normal serotonin level.

According to scientific findings, the intensive and regular consumption of MDMA can lead to a change in the serotonin system in the brain. Whether this change can be permanent has not yet been fully clarified. If MDMA is consumed regularly, it can lead to insecurity, anxiety, mood swings, sleep disorders, exhaustion and prolonged depressive moods.

A very high amount of serotonin is released during consumption. The brain needs several weeks to produce enough of it again. If no breaks are taken, the effect decreases because there is not yet enough serotonin in the brain. If the MDMA dose is then increased, negative consequences can occur.

Frequent use of MDMA can also cause persistent tiredness, stomach problems and, in women, a change in the menstrual cycle. In addition to the physical effects described above, regular use can lead to psychological dependence.

• Heart problems, high blood pressure, anaemia
• Thyroid diseases
• Liver or kidney damage
• Hepatitis
• Epilepsy
• Diabetes
• Pregnancy
• Mental health problems
• Restlessness
• Taking antidepressants

As a general rule, anyone who does not feel well physically or mentally should avoid MDMA.

It places a particularly heavy burden on the body and psyche when several substances are consumed at the same time or in quick succession. The effects are often unpredictable and can be different each time. The effects influence each other. This means that not only the effects of the individual substances occur simultaneously. It can lead to many other effects. In the case of mixed consumption, 1+1 does not equal 2.

• Ecstasy & Alcohol
  Both substances put a strain on the liver and kidneys and further dehydrate the body. The body temperature can rise dangerously high - symptoms of overheating can occur. The negative effects that occur when "coming down" from MDMA are intensified by alcohol. The entactogenic effects of MDMA (= feelings are perceived more strongly) are reduced.
• Ecstasy & antidepressants
  A combination of antidepressants (especially MAO inhibitors, tricyclics) and ecstasy can lead to an extreme concentration of serotonin in the brain. This can lead to seizures, epileptic fits, loss of consciousness and collapse.
• Ecstasy & Speed
  Speed and ecstasy put a strain on the body and mind. If both are consumed together, possible neurotoxic effects (= damage to nerve cells) can be intensified. The loss of fluids is particularly high. Negative feelings and depressive moods can persist for several days after coming down.
• Ecstasy & hallucinogens
  The simultaneous consumption of ecstasy and LSD or other hallucinogens increases the harmful effect of ecstasy on the serotonergic system in the brain. The combination of both substances can lead to depressive moods and impaired thinking (e.g. memorising and remembering)
• Ecstasy & Caffeine
  Caffeine - whether in coffee, tea, energy drinks or guarana - intensifies the stimulating ecstasy effect in the short term. However, the combination of substances is very stressful for the body. The risk of dizzy spells, tachycardia and other cardiovascular problems increases.

Ecstasy & Cannabis
If cannabis is consumed while "coming down" from MDMA, the effects of MDMA can occur again. This can lead to severe anxiety, hallucinations and panic.

If you consume MDMA despite the health and criminal risks, please also note the following:

Use drug checking. This is the only way to know whether it actually contains MDMA and how much.

Ecstasy tablets often contain a lot of MDMA. If drug checking is not possible, take a low dose. Never take more than a third of the tablet as a first dose.

Top up after two hours at the earliest

• • Tablets containing the questionable active ingredient PMA and/or PMMA continue to appear around the world. These substances only take effect much later and an overdose can have life-threatening consequences.
  • Some tablets are hard pressed. It takes longer for them to break down in the stomach and begin to take effect.

Eat light and easily digestible food a few hours before consumption. MDMA attacks the stomach lining. Do not consume it directly after a meal.

Avoid mixed consumption. The combination of MDMA with other psychoactive substances is particularly harmful to health.

High doses and regular consumption increase the risk of harmful effects on the brain. Take breaks from consumption. At least 4-6 weeks are recommended.

Do not dose higher than 1.5mg/kg (men) or 1.3mg/kg (women)

Drink approx. 0.5 litres of fluid per hour (non-alcoholic drinks). Drinks containing electrolytes such as sparkling apple juice or mineral water with a high sodium content are best. Drinking too much can be (life) threatening. There is a risk of too low a sodium concentration in the blood (hyponatraemia). This can happen if you lose a lot of fluid (e.g. ecstasy consumption + dancing = lots of sweating) and try to compensate for this by drinking too much tap water (= not containing electrolytes), for example. The consumption of ecstasy can lead to an inappropriate release of a hormone (ADH/AVP), especially in women, which can further intensify the effect.

MDMA (methylene-dioxy-methyl-amphetamine) belongs to the chemical group of phenethylamines. It is an amphetamine derivative.

MDMA is often found in crystalline form and in tablets (= ecstasy). Less frequently, it is sold in powder form (e.g. also in capsules).
Ecstasy is the scene term for tablets containing MDMA. These can also contain a range of other amphetamine derivatives and extender substances such as piperazines, research chemicals, various medications or substances of particular health concern such as PMA or PMMA. Crystalline MDMA, as well as MDMA in powder form, can also be diluted with other substances or contain other substances altogether.

MDMA was first produced in 1898 by the German doctoral student Haber. It was then patented in 1914 on behalf of the German chemical company E. Merck. Many reports claimed that it was tested as an appetite suppressant and first synthesised by E. Merck. However, these proved to be false reports. Until 1965, the substance was rather forgotten. In 1965 it was synthesised again by the chemist Alexander Shulgin at the University of California at Berkeley.

In the 1970s, MDMA was used by several thousand therapists in psychotherapeutic settings in the USA due to its effect of increasing feelings, empathy and self-acceptance. Successes were reported particularly in the treatment of post-traumatic stress syndrome, bulimia, in work with terminally ill patients and in couples therapy. The first articles on the effects of MDMA appeared in medical journals around 1976. In the late 1970s, MDMA under the name "ecstasy" or "X" began to appear in the USA outside of psychotherapeutic settings in bars and pubs. For some time, ecstasy is even said to have been available in bars in Dallas and Austin via credit card payment.

Following media reports about the "new drug" in the Texas area and the first medical incidents, MDMA was included in the "most dangerous" category I by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on 1 July 1985 on a trial basis for one year. This decision was confirmed by the U.S. authorities in 1988. In 1986, the U.S. caused the WHO to include MDMA in the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. As a result, all WHO member states were recommended to subject MDMA to the strictest legal control. In the years that followed, MDMA was included in the respective narcotics laws of all European countries. Around 1987, ecstasy travelled from the USA via Ibiza to England and Holland and played a decisive role in the emergence of the techno and rave movement in the following years.

MDMA is covered by the Narcotic Drugs Act (=SMG). The acquisition, possession, import and export, transfer to and procurement for others (transfer and sale) are punishable by law. Consumers who violate the SMG must expect a mandatory visit to a public health officer (in Vienna: the outpatient centre of the Addiction and Drug Coordination). There, health-related measures may be ordered and a drug test may be expected. If you adhere to these requirements, there will be no court proceedings.