With substances like ecstasy, also known as MDMA, understanding how long they stay in your system is a common concern. Ecstasy, known for its euphoric effects, is a drug often used in social settings. As is true with other substances, it doesn’t just disappear after the high fades.
Knowing how long it lingers in your body can be important for several reasons, including your health, safety and recovery. We’ll dive into the details of how long ecstasy typically stays in your system and what the effects are.
What Happens When You First Take Ecstasy?
When you first take ecstasy or MDMA, which is a synthetic drug, it can have both stimulant and hallucinogenic effects. It can enhance mood, sensory perception and energy.
The short-term effects can include the following:
1. Ingestion and Onset
Ecstasy is typically taken as a pill, although less commonly, it can be snorted or injected. Once ingested, it takes around 30 to 45 minutes for the effects to kick in. The drug is absorbed into the blood through the digestive system.
2. Euphoria and Energy Boost
As MDMA starts affecting your brain, it triggers brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine to be released.[1]
Serotonin is the big one here—it’s the chemical responsible for feelings of well-being and happiness.
Since MDMA causes serotonin to surge, it’s why you’ll feel euphoria, emotionally close to others and the overall boost in energy. Sometimes, due to these effects, ecstasy is called the love drug.
3. Increased Sensory Perception
Users may experience an increased sensory perception. Colors appear bright, sounds more vivid, and touch can feel more intense. This effect is one reason MDMA is popular in settings with music, like festivals and nightclubs.
4. Emotional Warmth and Empathy
Along with euphoria, using ecstasy can make you feel more open and connected with other people and more empathetic. You could feel a strong bond with not only friends but strangers.
5. Stimulation and Physical Effects
Since MDMA is a stimulant, it raises body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate.[2] Users may have a burst of energy that contributes to prolonged periods of physical activity. Some users will also grind their teeth or clench their jaws.
6. Peak and Comedown
Peak ecstasy effects usually last 3-4 hours. After the peak, users will start to feel a comedown as the drug’s effects wear off. This can lead to fatigue, mild depression or anxiety because the brain’s neurotransmitters are depleted—especially serotonin.
7. Aftereffects
In the hours and days following use, individuals can experience a crash. Symptoms include irritability, sadness, and a lack of motivation. Some people also feel physically and mentally exhausted. These effects are due to serotonin depletion.
How Long Does Ecstasy Stay in Your System?
The length of time ecstasy stays in your system depends on different factors, including:
- Dosage: The more MDMA you take, the longer it will stay in your system. Higher doses take more time for the body to metabolize and excrete the drug.
- Frequency of use: If you use MDMA regularly, it can accumulate in the system and lead to longer detection times. If you use it often, the body can take longer to clear the substance.
- Metabolism: If you have a faster metabolism, you may process and eliminate MDMA faster than people with slower metabolisms. Age, activity level and general health can influence metabolism.
- Body fat and composition: MDMA is stored in fat cells. If you have a higher body fat percentage, you might keep the drug in your system longer than you would with lower body fat.
- Liver function: Since your liver breaks down MDMA, any impairment in how it functions can slow the metabolism and excretion of the drug.[3]
- Hydration levels: Staying hydrated helps flush out drugs, including MDMA, faster since it’s primarily excreted through urine. Dehydration can slow the process down. The acidity of your urine can also affect how quickly you excrete MDMA.
- Age: Younger people tend to metabolize drugs faster than older adults, so age can be a factor in how long ecstasy stays in your system.
How Long Does Ecstasy Show Up in Drug Tests?
Ecstasy can be detected in different drug tests for varying lengths of time. Here’s a breakdown of how long it’s typically detected in most common types of drug tests:
Urine
Urine tests are the most common type of drug testing. Ecstasy can show up in a urine test for a few days after use, usually 2-4 days. Heavy or chronic use can extend the detection window up to a week.[4]
Blood
Blood tests aren’t as common for drug screening as urine tests but are used in certain situations. In a blood test, the use of MDMA or ecstasy will usually show up for 1-2 days after use.
Saliva
The detection window in a saliva test is 1-2 days after use. Saliva tests are becoming more frequently used because they’re non-invasive and easy to administer. MDMA can be detected in saliva shortly after its use, remaining detectable for up to 48 hours.
Hair
Hair tests have the longest detection window. They’re not common but can show the use of MDMA for three months or longer.
How Does This Affect Detox?
If you’re struggling with ecstasy abuse, you may be concerned about the detox process. Since MDMA can stay in your system for several days, the detox process can be extended for some people. If MDMA has accumulated in the body due to frequent use, the detox process can be more intense. Acute detox symptoms like cravings and mood disturbances can be especially challenging.
Although MDMA detox isn’t usually life-threatening, medical supervision can be helpful, especially in managing psychological symptoms.
Contact our team at The Best Treatment to learn about our detox and addiction treatment programs, which can help you reclaim your life.
References:
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly)
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): Ecstasy/MDMA
- National Institute of Health (NIH): The pharmacology and toxicology of “ecstasy” (MDMA) and related drugs
- NIH: Urinary MDMA, MDA, HMMA, and HMA Excretion Following Controlled MDMA Administration to Humans