MDMA generally comes in the form of small tablets, capsules, or white powder. It is common when buying MDMA to get a combination of any of the following : MDMA, MDA, MDE, Caffeine, Dextromethorphan, Ephedrine, Glyceryl guaiacolate, and phenylpropanolamine. A chemical analysis of a variety of "hits" of MDMA found from 0 - 100 mg of MDMA as well as a variety of the above substances. Trying to calculate dosages from tablets containing unknown quantities of MDMA can be difficult, but a good quality tablet of street ecstasy generally contains an average of between 75 and 100 mg MDMA. The chart below shows dosages for pure MDMA, measured in milligrams (mg).
Oral MDMA Dosages |
|---|
| Threshold | 30 mg |
| Common for small or sensitive people | 50 - 75 mg |
| Common for most people | 75 - 125 mg |
| Common for large or unsensitive people | 125 - 175 mg |
| Required by few (side effects increase) | 200 + mg |
|
Onset : 20 - 70 minutes (depending on form and stomach contents)
Duration : 3 - 5 hours
Normal After Effects : up to 24 hours
|
Overdose Effects:
Vomiting, headaches and dizziness may result from too high a dose of MDMA. Some people are considerably more sensitive to MDMA than others. Be careful if you are using MDMA for the first time or using material of an unknown purity and strength. Always start low.
The Psychological and Physiological Effects of MDMA on Normal Volunteers, by Joseph Downing, from Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Vol. 18/4 1986.
This study examined the effects of MDMA on 21 healthy volunteers, including 13 men and 8 women, between the ages of 20 and 58. Their average age was 39. The volunteers had all previously used MDMA, an average of 8 times. All thought they had benefited from it and had recommended its use to others. Doses were chosen by subjects and ranged from 0.8 to 1.9 mg/kg of subjects' body weight, averaging 165 mg. There were no added doses.
Downing notes that oral doses administered in therapy are less than 1 per cent of the LD50 (the dose that kills 50 per cent of rats or mice given the drug), implying a high margin of safety.
