4 days ago
Viral simulation reveals the shocking effect of MDMA on the body...after teenager dies from overdose at gig
A viral video revealing the shocking impact of the party drug MDMA on the body has stirred up attention on social media, attracting more than half a million views.
The clip visualises, in granular detail, the damage the drug can do to your body within seconds.
These risks include blurred vision, muscle cramping, seizures, and even heart failure—which can be fatal.
Commenting on the video, social media users shared their shock, with some sharing their experiences of frightening reactions on the drug.
One user who had collapsed and hit their head on the ground a day after taking MDMA said: 'That seizure warning is f***king real alright!'
Official figures estimate that around 170 people suffer MDMA-related deaths in the UK every year.
Meanwhile, an estimated 2.4 million people, including 347,000 teenagers, take the drug, also known as ecstasy, according to studies.
The video comes months after the inquest into the death of 17 year-old Emily Stokes, from Kent, who died after taking staggering levels of MDMA at a gig in Margate.
Ms Stokes was found to have 5,500 micrograms of MDMA per litre of the teenager's blood – more than three times higher than the level that has been fatal in other drug overdose cases.
The inquest was also told that a batch of the drug circulating in the area at the time was laced with lethal fentanyl.
The viral simulation video, posted by animators Thought Café, begins by explaining how the drug—which can land you seven years in jail for possession—works to alter the brain.
It explains that MDMA increases levels of the 'feel good' hormone serotonin in the brain, which boosts physical energy, euphoria, empathy and feelings of intimacy.
'Neurologically speaking, it tickles all the right spots in your brain,' the voice on the video says.
'The active chemical ingredient enters brain cells and kicks the release of serotonin into overdrive. Soon enough MDMA has you feeling like a champion.'
However, he explains, the drug doesn't create serotonin—which plays an important role in influencing mood, behaviour, learning, memory, and other functions.
'It only increases the rate in which existing serotonin is released. This means you will essentially be dipping into your body's reserve tank.'
The animation shows the body's reserve bank of serotonin in the brain draining—and the consequent sudden comedown as the character, who took the party drug, falls into a spiral of darkness.
'Four hours into your trip, most of your brain's existing serotonin reserves have been depleted. Welcome to the comedown—a lethargic and depressed massive neural sorrow,' the video explains.
'Over several days your brain works to replenish its capacity for the ecstasy you experienced just a short while ago.
'A few days of feeling sad is not the only thing to consider—there are serious dangers and risks to taking any drug, including MDMA, from blurred vision and muscle cramping to seizures and even heart failure.'
Experts say regular use of the party drug can put you at risk of life threatening side effects.
If you repeatedly take this drug, which depletes the hormone serotonin, responsible for regulating your mood, you're at a higher risk of anxiety and depression.
The NHS warned selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and some other medications can dull the euphoria from MDMA, tempting people to take more.
This is dangerous as it raises your risk of developing a serious condition called serotonin syndrome.
Symptoms include agitation or restlessness, insomnia, confusion, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, dilated pupils, muscle problems, sweating, and diarrhea.
It can even be life threatening in severe cases, which can present as a high fever, tremor, seizures, irregular heartbeat, and unconsciousness.
