Dependence, addiction and overdose risk

Dependence and addiction

There is no conclusive evidence that ecstasy is physically addictive.  However, regular users can develop tolerance to the drug, meaning they must take more each time to feel the same effects. This increases the risk of overdose and negative side effects.

Regular users may become psychologically dependent on the drug, finding it difficult to cut down or stop using ecstasy when they go to dance parties or nightclubs, for example.

Overdose

An ecstasy overdose is characterised by very high body temperature and blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, hallucinations and convulsions. Death from ecstasy use is rare, but when the toxic effects of ecstasy are fatal it is usually due to heart attack, brain haemorrhage, blood clotting, kidney failure, overheating (hyperthermia), or drinking to much fluid (dilutional hyponatremia).

Overdose can also result when ecstasy pills contain unknown and unexpected substances in unknown or unexpected quantities. See the reducing the harm section to learn about lowering the risks from adulterated pills.