The prominence of the drug ecstasy, also called MDMA, has allowed recreational scenes across the world with its appeal of heightened euphoria and sensory improvement. In many cases, it can have some psychedelic effects and this is the reason it gets associated with LSD.
Despite MDMA’s illegal status in several countries, ecstasy stays widely accessible mainly at nightlife and music festivals. This enhancement in availability has resulted in increasing concerns over its potential for being abused and curiosity about the question: how long does ecstasy stay in your system?
Ecstasy started becoming popular as one of the club drugs during the 1980s but now it is being used in a varied range of settings. MDMA -3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine or Ecstasy can cause various harmful impacts and in some cases, it can be fatal. The amount of time it stays in your body relies on various factors.
What is Ecstasy or MDMA?
MDMA or Ecstasy is one of the illegal synthetic drugs that people make use of to experience feelings of well-being, changed perception and euphoria. It has hallucinogenic or stimulating properties and its street names are Molly, Beans, Clarity, hug drug, XTB etc.
How long does ecstasy stay in your system?
People in general experience the effects of ecstasy 30-45 minutes post taking the drug. Based on the size of the dosage the effects and duration usually vary. The effects it produces can last between 4-6 hours but sometimes lasts for days or some weeks. People taking ecstasy often take 1 or 2 tablets at a time. They might take an extra tablet when the effects of the first dose start tapering, thereby putting an effect on the length of time that ecstasy stays in your system and enhancing the potential risks of the adverse side effects.
Side effects of ecstasy
The euphoria is a feeling of overwhelm and happiness.
- Being sensitive to touching
- Enhanced energy as well as alertness
- Feeling the requirement of stimulation
- Paranoia
- Feeling confused
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Hot flashes
- Dehydration
- Elevated rate of heart
- Tremors
- Enhanced tension in muscles
- Brain swelling
- Loss of Consciousness
- Failure of kidney
- Clenching of teeth
- Heart disease
Half-life of MDMA
Ecstasy has a half-life of around 8 hours which means it takes the body about 8 hours to decrease the initial MDMA concentration in the blood by 50%. After hat. Another 50% of the amount still is there in the body. In addition, it takes about 5 half-lives for 95% of ecstasy to get removed from the body, which is equal to 40 hours.
Duration of ecstasy staying in your system
How long Ecstasy stays in your system usually varies. Varied MDMA drug tests have varied windows for detection. These usually vary depending on the dose and any other factors but generally, ecstasy will still be detectable post ingestion.
- In blood, ecstasy remains detectable for up to 71 hours
- In saliva, it also stays up to 71 hours
- In urine, it stays up to 120 hours
- In hair till many months based on the length of the hair and from where the sample has been taken from the head.
What are various factors that affect the duration of ecstasy in your system?
Keeping a knowledge of various factors that affect the duration of ecstasy in your system helps in making some informed decisions about overall wellness and health. Not all metabolize substances at the same rate, but the duration of time till which ecstasy stays in your body varies based on factors like
- Amount of dose and how frequently it has been used: The dose you have taken and how often you have taken can have an effect on at what rate MDMA is getting metabolized.
- Specific factors: This can include the overall physical health, weight, intake of fluid, dietary factors and exercise level.
- Genetic variations: It is responsible for controlling an important enzyme liable for breaking down substances such as ecstasy, and also plays an important role in how long ecstasy stays in your system.
Conclusion
Ecstasy addiction is mainly treated by making use of cognitive behavioural techniques. All those methods are made to assist people in modifying thoughts and behaviours that contribute to substance use and make them aware of healthy ways to cope with stress and any other life issues. People can get cognitive behavioural therapies in specific counselling sessions or at time of group therapy. Being a part of mutual support groups is a helpful adjunct to cognitive behavioural treatment, as you get support from those who are involved in the process of recovery.
Ecstasy also called MDMA is one of the renowned drugs that is used at many parties as well as music festivals. It creates impacts such as euphoria, enhanced energy level and changed perceptions of sensory. But knowing how long ecstasy will stay in your system is vital for many reasons like health concerns as well as drug testing.