Mixing ecstasy and alcohol is a dangerous practice that can have serious consequences. MDMA, or ecstasy, is a powerful stimulant that can significantly increase heart rate and blood pressure. When combined with alcohol, the risk of adverse side effects like dizziness, confusion, and even seizures can be increased. Therefore, mixing MDMA and alcohol is never a good idea.
Vertava Health offers both alcohol addiction treatment and ecstasy addiction treatment to help folks who misuse the substances. Contact 844.470.0410 to learn more about treatment options.
What Is Ecstasy?
Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, is a powerful stimulant drug that can produce feelings of euphoria, heightened sensory perception, and increased energy. After using ecstasy, people often experience feelings of emotional closeness, making them relate to others with greater empathy and extroversion. Ecstasy lowers a person’s inhibitions, making social interactions easier.
Ecstasy can also produce unpleasant physical effects, such as:
- Jaw-clenching or teeth grinding
- Detachment (depersonalization)
- Scattered thoughts
- Restless legs
- Hot flashes or chills
- Sweating
- Headache
- Nausea
Ecstasy can also lead to serious health consequences, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, severe dehydration, anxiety attacks, or even seizures.
Because of these risks, it is important to avoid mixing ecstasy and alcohol.
The Dangers of Mixing Alcohol and Ecstasy
Alcohol has a comparable effect in reducing social anxiety and causes similar symptoms. Both substances may lead to memory loss (blackout or amnesia) if used in excess. When a person uses ecstasy and alcohol together, they are more likely to experience these negative effects, and several other unique consequences may arise.
Unsafe Behavior
When a person combines ecstasy and alcohol, their inhibitions are lowered, but they do not feel as drunk. This is dangerous because it gives them the impression that they are not as impaired as they actually are. It can lead them to do irresponsible things, like driving under the influence.
Lowered inhibitions and increased feelings of emotional connection may also lead to unsafe sexual behavior, like unprotected sex with a stranger.
Alcohol Poisoning
If someone doesn’t realize how drunk they are because ecstasy distorts their perception, they may continue to consume alcohol, not realizing when they’ve had enough. This not only increases the risk of unsafe behavior and blackout but also may result in alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol poisoning is a serious condition with symptoms like vomiting, seizures, severely slowed breathing, dangerously low body temperature, and loss of consciousness. Without medical attention, it may result in a coma or death.
Overheating And Overdose
Ecstasy makes it difficult for the body to regulate temperature. When taken in high doses or in warm environments, such as a club or house filled with people, this may lead to hyperthermia (overheating). This condition can cause muscular breakdown or sodium imbalance that may result in kidney failure or brain swelling. Either result can be life-threatening.
Some people take overlapping doses to make the high last longer. This can cause the drug to build up in someone’s system. Consuming alcohol, in addition to this, increases the risk of hyperthermia and overdose.
Dehydration
Ecstasy and alcohol are both linked to dehydration. This is, in part, because of physical reactions to the substances. The surge in energy from ecstasy means more movement (and more sweat). Alcohol increases urination, ridding the body of water more quickly.
Dehydration can contribute to an unpleasant hangover. It may also cause someone to drink excessive amounts of fluids. Ecstasy causes the body to retain fluids, so too much hydration may lead to electrolyte imbalance and brain swelling. This can cause brain damage, coma, or death.
Unknown Substances
Ecstasy is often found to be laced with other substances, such as cough medicine, synthetic cathinone (“bath salts”), and cocaine. These drugs cause additional complications when combined with alcohol.
Cocaine mixed with alcohol, for example, produces a toxic substance called cocaethylene, which is extremely dangerous to the human body. Laced ecstasy poses a higher risk of overdose, as the substance may be stronger than a person expects.
Long-Term Effects of Using Ecstasy with Alcohol
Ecstasy causes the brain to produce greater amounts of serotonin, the chemical responsible for managing mood, sleep, pain, and appetite. The drug also prevents the brain from reabsorbing this chemical, allowing a surplus that causes a surge in pleasurable feelings.
- After someone takes ecstasy, their brain no longer has reserves of serotonin to keep them calm and happy. When the ecstasy wears off, they are left with extremely low serotonin levels, making them depressed. This may last for days after taking the drug.
- Alcohol also stimulates serotonin release and increases the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which maintains calm in the brain. Long-term, heavy alcohol use decreases GABA receptors, making it difficult for the brain to self-regulate. While some people drink alcohol to reduce anxiety, it can harm the brain’s ability to deal with stress.
- With prolonged use of both ecstasy and alcohol, a person may experience long-term cognitive impairments. This may include difficulty learning new things, creating new memories, or recalling the past. Brain damage may be reversed if a person stops using ecstasy and alcohol, but it may also be permanent.
- Both ecstasy and alcohol can also take a toll on the heart and may cause high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, inflammation, and heart attack. Using these substances simultaneously puts even more stress on the heart.
Treatment can vary depending on the severity of ecstasy and alcohol use. At a minimum, detox from these substances will be necessary. Treatment may also include counseling or medication for any mood or cognitive disorders that have developed.
Find Treatment for Ecstasy and Alcohol Use at Vertava Health
Mixing MDMA and alcohol can lead to serious health issues and potentially fatal consequences. If you or a loved one are struggling with an addiction to ecstasy or alcohol, the experts at Vertava Health can help you get the support and treatment you need to start living the life you deserve. Contact 844.470.0410 to learn more about treatment options.
