Life’s grrrrreat until you’re faced with an MDMA (aka Molly, X, ecstasy) hangover, crash or come-down. Here’s a deep dive into what causes it and some simple tips to keep the “Molly blues” away!

What is Molly or MDMA?

Molly, or ecstasy, is technically known as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (abbreviated as MDMA).

MDMA starts to work about 20 minutes after it is taken and the effects usually last for 3 to 4 hours. It can make people feel euphoric, energetic, confident and very affectionate towards others. Ecstasy is said to enhance the sense of pleasure and boost self-confidence. Its hallucinogenic effects include feelings of peacefulness, acceptance, and empathy.

This compound is known to make people feel heightened levels of joy, relaxation, closeness to others, and emotional openness. This drug also causes a surge in oxytocin (the “love hormone”), which plays a role in social bonding — and this can help explain the feelings of love, empathy, sociability, and interpersonal closeness that people experience while on MDMA. Fear and anxiety are also reduced.

Ecstasy also causes muscle tension and jaw-clenching. In addition to nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, and chills or sweating. It may be common for many people to experience an “afterglow” when the classic subjective effects of MDMA dissipate. This afterglow may consist in an increased feeling of well-being, calmness, and affection for others. However, not everyone gets an afterglow, and moreover, an MDMA crash may follow it even when it does occur. Many users also experience post-MDMA depression starting often on the second day after the experience and lasting for one to 5 days, although a small percentage of users report depressive symptoms for weeks afterwards.

These depressive symptoms include irritability, lack of motivation, extreme moodiness, unexplained crying, inability to focus on complex tasks, memory disruption, and sometimes lingering visual distortions.

The Molly “Blues”

The mechanism of action affects several different neurotransmitter systems, including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Using MDMA releases these transmitters in vast quantities in the brain and spinal cord.MDMA hangover occurs due to the way that this substance affects neurotransmitters in the brain.

MDMA causes its much-desired effects through a surge in the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Serotonin plays an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep, pain, appetite, and other behaviors. The increased levels of serotonin are likely what is behind the mood-boosting effects of MDMA. 

After releasing large amounts of serotonin, the brain becomes significantly depleted of this crucial neurotransmitter.  As the brain replenishes serotonin, a person will start feeling normal again. This experience is also sometimes delayed, which is why the term “Tuesday Blues” was coined.

It refers to the fact that someone can take MDMA on the weekend but not experience a crash until Tuesday. “Monday blues”, it seems, does not occur for everyone. It should be noted that the “blues” may persist for a few days after an MDMA session, although the symptoms will improve day by day.

For most people, within 10 to 24 hours upon ingestion, the drug will be metabolized to a sufficient point, and the effects will have started to wear off. The resulting depletion of neurotransmitters will slowly be reversed, and the person will gradually begin to feel better within a short period. 

The actual time that the hangover effects will take to wear off in any person will be variable depending on the individual, how much of the drug they used, if they combined the drug with other substances, and other factors.

Typically, most people will find that the intense discomfort is gone within one to two days. Residual effects may continue for several days. There are physical and psychological symptoms of an MDMA hangover.

Physical Symptoms of a MDMA Hangover

In terms of physical effects, you may experience the following during an MDMA crash.

  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Reduced appetite

Psychological Symptoms of a MDMA Hangover

Often, it is the psychological symptoms of the comedown that MDMA users find the most unpleasant.

These effects can include the following.

  • Depressed mood
  • Anxiety
  • Paranoia
  • Irritability
  • Social withdrawal
  • Impaired concentration and memory

Ultimately, the MDMA experience can be incredibly pleasurable, meaningful, therapeutic, and even life-changing, but it can come with costs. The MDMA hangover may be inevitable to some degree, but there are certainly ways to mitigate it.

When it comes to MDMA comedowns, people like to throw around the age-old one-liner: ”what goes up must come down”. Luckily for us, this may not be as true as once thought. Recent research from the Imperial College London has suggested that MDMA can potentially be taken in a way that avoids comedowns.

MDMA Hangover Cures 

  • GET MORE SLEEP: Sleeping it off is one way to deal with the effects of MDMA hangover. Typically, sleeping for eight hours or more may reduce the effects of the comedown. Since MDMA can keep you up, it may stop you from getting enough sleep. This sleep deprivation can then exacerbate the negative after-effects of MDMA, such as fatigue, low mood, and irritability. Anecdotal evidence has long suggested that many of the most common comedown symptoms may be the result of not enough sleep, rather than the MDMA itself. 
  • DRUG INTERACTIONS: Do not use MDMA with other drugs that also have the potential to produce hangovers like alcohol, benzodiazepines, SSRI’s or opiates.
  • HYDRATE: Hydrating with water or electrolyte-containing fluids may help your metabolism to run more smoothly. This may reduce the length of the hangover. Not drinking enough water can cause you to become severely dehydrated. When MDMA is used with alcohol, the effects can be more harmful Make sure to take regular breaks to cool down, and sip water slowly.
  • LIMIT USE: Use ecstasy less often to avoid potential hangover effects associated with the drug.
  • HEALTHY FOODS: Consider having a hearty and healthy meal about 4 hours before you take MDMA.
  • *SUPPLEMENTS: Take 5-HTP, magnesium, vitamin C, Lion’s Mane, green tea extract, grape seed extract, Acetyl-L-Carnitine (Please refer to the recommended supplements below).
  • CHILL & RECOVER: Please do NOT make any life-changing decisions until after your recovery. Trust us, it can wait till later!

1. Magnesium: Such an important one and something most of us are deficient in. Supplementing Magnesium will give your body the substance it needs to naturally protect its neurons from killing themselves due to exitotoxicity. Magnesium can also reduce or prevent teeth grinding, jaw clenching, and muscle tension.

2. Vitamin C: A common antioxidant found in fresh fruit and juices, especially citric fruits. Has been shown to prevent MDMA neurotoxicity and liver toxicity in
rats. As for vitamin C, ​it’s a great antioxidant used in making oxytocin, which gets depleted after MDMA use.

3. Lion’s Mane: helps with the anxiety & depression associated with the Molly Blues.

4. 5-HTP: is a nutrient your brain turns into serotonin. Since MDMA use depletes serotonin levels, 5-HTP may help you feel better in the days after use. Taking a little 5-HTP may prevent or treat the ‘Monday/Tuesday blues” aftereffects of MDMA use, such as depression and anxiety for a day or two after use (which is partly due to low serotonin levels). The Philosophers’ Stone makes a gummy called Molly Blues. Just leave it on your nightstand to consume when you wake up. They’re infused with 5-HTP, L-Theanine & Gota Kula. **DO NOT CONSUME 5-HTP 24 HOURS BEFORE MDMA INGESTION AS MAY INCREASE CHANCES OF SEROTONIN SYNDROME.

*Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition.