Know Your Stuff: Being safer with MDMA
- Salient Magazine
- 1 minute ago
- 5 min read
MDMA (molly, MD, or 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine when it’s in trouble) is an empathogen that increases the feel-good chemicals in your body, mainly serotonin.
KnowYourYes
MDMA increases empathy and enhances sensations like touch and taste, so it is important to remember that consent is key! Your boundaries might get a little fuzzier than normal, so before taking any substance, keep these things in mind:
“What does my yes look like?” What will you say yes to? Is yes even on the table? Or is it all a no? Figuring this out before you take your MDMA will help avoid any Type 4 fun situations
Do you have a safe person around to help if things go too far in one way or the other?
Set and setting
How do you feel? Are you tired, hangry, or PMS-y? Where are you, and what’s happening around you? Safety looks different at a house party, in the middle of the bush while camping, or at a music festival. Make sure you can get back to home base safely, and have someone you trust hold your phone and keys.
MDMAybe?
MDMA comes in powder, crystals, or pressed pills in a range of colours. This means you can’t tell whether what you’ve got is MDMA just by looking at it.
At-home test kits
Reagent kits are better than nothing. They’ll show you the substance in your sample that is present in the highest concentration, but they’ll only show you one ingredient. The best way to have confidence in what’s in your bag is to bring it to a licensed checker and have them run it through an FTIR spectrometer. This will shoot infrared light through your sample, tell you about the substances in it, and whether there’s anything harmful hiding.
We’ve got clinics in Newtown on the first Saturday of every month, and our BFFs at DISC run daily clinics from Tuesday to Saturday at DHDP on Willis Street, so there’s always somewhere in Wellington to get your gear checked.
Find a clinic: https://thelevel.org.nz/drug-checking-clinics
Speaking of doses…
Once you’ve had your stuff tested, it's time to weigh your dose on actual milligram scales. Most of the MDMA-related harm we’re seeing now is from people getting their dose wrong and overamping because they’ve accidentally taken too much. This feels like:
Racing heartbeat
Shallow, rapid breathing
Shortness of breath
Overheating
Paranoia
Muscle cramps
Seizures
Not all MDMA batches are the same, so start with a low dose and wait at least 45 minutes for effects before considering a re-dose. You can always take more, but you can't remove what's already in your system.
You can get milligram scales at Cosmic for between $25 and $40
Routes of administration
The thing about MDMA is that it’s a pretty caustic substance, and its crystals are chunky, which is why snorting MDMA HURTS. If you NoseYourStuff, it is important to crush your gear as finely as possible, so there’s less risk of those crystals cutting the soft tissue in the nasal passages and creating ways for viruses to get into your body. We’re not here to yuck anyone’s yum, but swallowing your MDMA will hurt less, give you a longer, stronger roll, and you won’t lose half your dose in your nose hairs. They’re there to keep things from getting into your sinuses, after all.
One drink per hour/DJ set
Hydration is more of a balancing act with MDMA than you’d think. MDMA affects your hypothalamus, causing you to retain more water than usual. If you’re out dancing, you’re going to get hot and thirsty and lose some fluid through your sweat, but you might still be at risk of overhydrating. This fluid buildup is known as hyponatremia and can be fatal in extreme cases, so keep your fluid intake to one cup of water or electrolytes per hour, or per DJ set.
Coming down
After taking MDMA, it can take a few days to recover as your brain rebuilds serotonin. Be kind to yourself if you feel more fragile or tired. Rest, rehydrate, snack, and watch comforting media while you recalibrate. If you're feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to talk to a professional. It's important to prioritize your mental health.
Mauri Ora (Victoria University’s Student Health & Wellbeing) - 04 463 5308 Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202Anxiety NZ – 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY)
MDMA and alcohol are not friends
Polydrug use (when you take two or more drugs at once, and yes, alcohol is a drug) increases your risks, because you’re adding the risks of each substance together when you take them. This means there’s more things you need to keep in mind.
Alcohol is a depressant and MDMA is a stimulant, which can mask the other’s effects. MDMA can prevent you from feeling clumsy as the alcohol takes effect, while alcohol can stop you from feeling jittery on MDMA. This mix may lead people to think they can take more since they don’t feel the usual effects, but it still puts stress on their heart, lungs, and central nervous system.
When one drug wears off, the leftover effects can be intense. If MDMA fades first, you may suddenly feel nauseous or impulsively reach out to your ex. If alcohol wears off first, anxiety might hit hard. If you choose to drink before taking MDMA, do so early in the night and wait at least two hours before using MDMA to allow the alcohol to clear from your system.
Serotonin syndrome
Serotonin syndrome occurs when excessive serotonin builds up in the brain. MDMA works by increasing the amount of serotonin released, which affects your heart, lungs, and central nervous system (among other things). If you have too much MDMA you can release more serotonin than these systems can handle all at once. Call an ambulance if:
You start vomiting or have diarrhoea
You have muscle tremors or seizures
You feel anxious, paranoid, or angry
You overheat or develop body aches
Your heartbeat races and you can’t catch your breath
Watch our Tiktok about Serotonin syndrome - @knowyourstuffnz
SSRIs and MAOIs slow down how quickly your brain absorbs serotonin. So when you take MDMA when you’re on SSRIs, the MDMA dumps out large amounts of serotonin, but your meds keep the serotonin from being absorbed in at an equal rate. So the serotonin sits between your brain’s synapses waiting to be taken up and recycled and you don’t feel any of the euphoric effects MDMA is known for.
This can make you want to take more if you’re chasing that feeling, but all it does is increase serotonin in your system, which increases the load on your heart, lungs, nerves, and, well… everything. Serotonin syndrome can be fatal, so if you are on SSRIs or MAOIs, you might want to skip the MDMA.
