Facts About Ecstasy/Molly/MDMA

A popular “party drug” or “club drug” Molly is an illicit drug abused by millions of people every year. Though it often has a reputation of being less harmful than other types of drugs, MDMA has the potential for long-term health consequences and death in rare cases.

What Is Molly?

Molly is an illicit drug that’s known as a “party drug” or “club drug.” Most of its users are teenagers or young adults. Molly is one of the street names for the drug 3, 4 – methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Other names Molly goes by include ecstasy, MDMA, X, E, love drug, and Adam.

People who use Molly say it makes them feel:

Less inhibited
More energetic
Emotionally “warm”
More sexual
Giddy
Perception and time are distorted

Molly is often used at raves, music festivals, or clubs. MDMA’s chemical make-up is close to that of hallucinogens and stimulants. The drug is usually snorted or swallowed.

How Long Does MDMA Stay in Your System?

People who use Molly say the high usually lasts between three and six hours. The detection time for Molly varies by the type of drug test. Urine, blood, saliva, and hair are the four ways you can test for MDMA in your system.

Hair testing – Your hair can test positive for MDMA in a hair follicle test for up to three months.
Urine tests – Typically, urine tests can detect MDMA in your system for 24 to 72 hours, but sometimes you can test positive for up to a week.
Saliva tests – A swab or spit test can detect MDMA in your system for up to 48 hours.
Blood tests – A quick way to test for Molly is through blood. You can test positive for MDMA within minutes of injecting the drug. The detection window for MDMA with a blood test is usually up to two days.

These detection windows are general estimates. There are factors that can affect how long MDMA stays in your system like:

Acidity of your urine
Last time you took the drug
How much Molly you took
How your body absorbs and processes the drug

Is Molly Addictive?

An addiction to Molly is more psychological in nature, though it’s possible to have physical withdrawal symptoms without the drug. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that though research on MDMA addiction is lacking, some people experience symptoms that may indicate a substance use disorder like:

Cravings
Tolerance to MDMA (i.e., needing more to get the effects of Molly)
Withdrawal symptoms
Continuing Molly/MDMA/Ecstasy abuse despite negative consequences

Any drug like MDMA that impacts neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine has the potential for abuse. These chemicals are linked with your brain’s reward system, which is what gives you the “high” feeling and makes you want to use the substance again. One of the key warning signs of molly addiction, or an addiction to any drug, is continuing to use it even though it’s interfering with your relationships, work, school, or mental and physical health. If MDMA is just one of the substances you are abusing, this also indicates a substance use problem.

What Does Molly Look Like?

Molly is usually in a pill or capsule form. The pills come in all different colors and have imprints on them like hearts, smiley faces, butterflies, and other pictures. These imprints are tied to different “brands” and formulas for the drug. Many people crush MDMA into a powder or make it into a liquid to snort, swallow, or inject.

Is Molly Dangerous?

Abusing Molly overtime or taking Molly in short intervals can put you at risk for:

Increased blood pressure
Increased heart rate
Paranoia
Muscle cramps
Blurred vision
Hyperthermia
Confusion
Depression
Teeth clenching
Tremors
Anxiety
Brain damage
Kidney, heart, and liver failure
Memory and learning issues
Death

Do You Need Drug Rehab for Molly?

Using any substance to the point that it negatively impacts your life, or you feel concerned about your use is a sign that alcohol or drug addiction treatment is a good idea. MDMA can have serious physical and emotional effects, and if you’re also abusing other drugs, the long-term effects are even worse.

Another reason why time at an addiction treatment center is beneficial is because there are factors that are driving your substance use that need to be addressed by behavioral health professionals. Substance use disorders are often fueled by conditions like trauma and co-occurring disorders such as depression and anxiety. If you don’t tackle the reasons why you feel the need to abuse drugs and alcohol, you’ll continue to do so. A dual diagnosis treatment center is a place where both addiction and mental health disorders are treated. This can make the difference in relapse or long-term recovery.

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