MDMA, more commonly known as Ecstasy, is a dangerous synthetic drug. Its complex effects mimic both mescaline hallucinogens and methamphetamine stimulants. It gives the user a false sense of energy and confidence, which leads to doing stupid and dangerous things. After the “high”, the user will be dehydrated, exhausted, and sleepy. Continued use of MDMA will cause much damage to the body health. Keep reading to find the long-term effects of MDMA.

Long-Term Effects of Using MDMA

1. Effects on the Heart

Ecstasy has many negative effects on the user’s heart. These include tachycardia, hypertension, and the indirect effects on the heart caused by the suppression of thirst, appetite, and sleep. The acute effects may even lead to cardiotoxicity and heart failure.

2. Effects on Blood

The use of MDMA can result in high blood pressure, panic attacks, faintness, and in extreme cases, seizures and unconsciousness. Ecstasy suppresses the appetite, which is harmful to diabetics. The user usually does not feel the need to rest, which can lead to low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.

3. Effects on the Liver and Lungs

A small number of Ecstasy users have been seen to have liver damage. Liver damage may be caused by a compromised immune system. It is still unknown whether liver toxicity is caused by the Ecstasy or by the other compounds found in the tablets. Collapsed lung cases have also been linked to use of Ecstasy. Users may experience exercise-induced asthma.

4. Effects on the Brain

The long-term effects of MDMA also include serotonin deficiency in the brain. The transport vessels that carry serotonin in the brain will atrophy with sustained use of Ecstasy. Studies have shown that MDMA can cause brain damage, including a shrinking of the brain, and a decrease in the hippocampus volume. The hippocampus becomes swollen and atrophied. A dysfunctional and damaged hippocampus is connected to memory loss diseases like Alzheimer’s.

5. Effects on the Nose, and Mouth

Snorting Ecstasy will cause chemical burns in your nose and mouth. Excessive use creates holes in your nose. Your nose will become soft from the drug eating the cartilage. Nosebleed is another common effect of MDMA.

6. Effects on Sexual Health

Ecstasy use will cause serious female problems. Women users may experience menstrual irregularity, increased menstrual pain, reduced ovarian reserves, and ovulatory dysfunction. Yet you may become pregnant. Use protection to prevent unwanted pregnancies or diseases transmitted by sex. Ecstasy use has a dramatic effect on the fertility of men. Male users often experience poor sperm count, reduced libido, and abnormally-shaped sperm.

7. Effects on Pregnancy

Using Ecstasy while pregnant allows the drug to pass through the mother’s bloodstream into the developing fetus’s bloodstream. Scientific evidence from both human and animal tests shows that exposing the fetus to Ecstasy leads to many problems, including altered brain development in the first trimester, newborn behavior changes, and delaying of the normal motor functions in the mid and late stages of pregnancy.

8. Mental Health Effects

More long-term effects of MDMA are emotional and psychological damage, such as strong emotional reactions, extreme anxiety, depression, and paranoia. You may also experience sleep interruptions and insomnia, disordered thinking, delusions, and panic attacks.

9. Other Effects of MDMA

• Long-term abuse of MDMA can lead to kidney failure, nausea, weight loss, and muscle aches.
• Using MDMA will also cause eye problems such as blurred vision, dilated pupils, and wide-open eyes.
• You are more likely to engage in unprotected sex, which increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs.
• You risk contracting HIV, hepatitis, skin abscesses, or blood poisoning if you are injecting Ecstasy using shared needles.
• You will experience hyperthermia, or higher body temperature.
• After taking Ecstasy, you will experience hallucinogenic flashbacks that can occur weeks, or months, or years later.

Treatment for MDMA Abuse

There is help available for Ecstasy addicts. Often, the long-term effects of MDMA abuse are reversible. A detoxification process is the first step. The drug is slowly flushed out of the person’s system. When the person is drug-free, a comprehensive treatment program is implemented. These treatment programs can vary, but many of them include some or all of the following:

• A holistic approach utilizes many natural healing aids such as chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, massage, diet and exercise, meditation, yoga, and counseling.
• Behavioral therapy strives to change the person’s thought processes, replacing negative behaviors and thoughts with positive ones. The person learns to cope with the stresses and problems of daily life in a productive manner rather than with drugs.
• Residential treatment centers offer a structured program in a safe and caring environment. This is the choice of many addicts as it removes them from their destructive environment.
• Faith-based programs teach the recovering person to ask God for help in overcoming the addiction, and to learn to trust in Him to meet his/her daily needs. Twelve-step program is one popular type of faith-based programs.
• Wilderness therapy takes the recovering addicts into the outdoors to learn survival skills while hiking and camping. Learning to survive in the wilderness builds self-respect and confidence, eliminating the need for drug use.