What are long term effects of ecstasy consumption?
Ecstasy users may encounter problems similar to those experienced by amphetamine and cocaine users, including addiction. Physical effects include muscle tension, eye wiggles, auditory effects, next-day fatigue, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, and chills or sweating. Increases in heart rate and blood pressure are a special risk for people with circulatory or heart disease. Ecstasy-related fatalities at raves (extended all night parties) have been reported. The stimulant effects of the drug which enable the user to dance for extended periods, combined with the hot, crowded conditions usually found at raves can lead to dehydration, hyperthermia, and heart and kidney failure. An overheated, dehydrated body slowly “bakes” the internal organs and shuts down body functions. Death can result from overheating which causes kidney or cardiovascular failure. Data suggest that MDMA may be toxic to the brain. Dr. George Ricaurte, an associate professor of neurology at
