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Ecstasy: What Parents Need to Know

What It Is:



Users think the drug will make them feel good and enable them to keep going for days without rest. But people who use Ecstasy don’t realize how dangerous this drug actually is.

Ecstasy has become one of the most common illegal drugs sold on the streets. In the last few years, Ecstasy has sent many young people to emergency rooms because of its dangerous side effects. Ecstasy can kill.

Sometimes Called:


How It’s Used:


What It Does:

Ecstasy is both a hallucinogenic and a stimulant drug. It makes users experience a rush of good feelings (a high) and makes feelings much more intense, whether they’re good or bad. The drug’s effects usually last up to 6 hours.

Ecstasy increases heart rate and can cause dry mouth, clenched teeth, blurred vision, chills, sweating, or nausea. It can make some users feel anxious, confused, and paranoid, like someone is trying to hurt them or is plotting against them. Ecstasy may cause damage to brain cells that are involved in thinking and memory.

If a person takes Ecstasy, his or her body can dangerously overheat during dancing or other physical activities, which can lead to muscle breakdown, kidney, liver and heart damage, and even death. Taking the drug can cause seizures, brain swelling and permanent brain damage.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: January 2014