Short‑term effects
- Increased heart rate and risk of convulsions
- Higher blood pressure
- Sharp rise in body temperature that can lead to kidney failure or death
- Lowered inhibition (lessened control over actions, feelings or decisions)
- Increased risk for unsafe sex
- False feelings of affection
- Mild hallucination
- Confusion
- Depression
- Sleep problems
- Becoming anxious and agitated
- Paranoia
- Drug cravings
- Muscle tension
- Faintness and chills or swelling
- Involuntary teeth clenching
- Blurred vision
- Nausea and vomiting
Long‑term effects
- Lasting brain damage affecting thought, memory, learning, sleep and emotion
- Degenerated nerve branches and nerve endings
- Depression, anxiety, memory loss
- Sleep problems
- Reduced interest in sex
- Brain bleeding
- Psychosis
- Heart failure
I hear a lot of people talking about Ecstasy, calling it a fun, harmless drug. All I can think is, ‘If they only knew.’
“In five months, I went from living somewhat responsibly while pursuing my dream to a person who didn’t care about a thing—and the higher I got, the deeper I sank into a dark, lonely place. When I did sleep, I had nightmares and the shakes. I had pasty skin, a throbbing head and the beginnings of feeling paranoid, but ignored it all, thinking it was normal. Until the night I thought I was dying.
“Ecstasy took my strength, my motivation, my dreams, my friends, my apartment, my money and, most of all, my sanity. I worry about my future and my health every day. I have many mountains ahead of me, but I plan to keep climbing because I’m one of the lucky ones.” —Lynn
How much do you really know about Ecstasy?
Updated:
