Disclaimer: Attention! MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine) is a drug that was banned in Germany a long time ago. It is illegal to produce, sell or possess it. Even carrying the substance can have serious consequences. MODERNmind does not glorify the use of drugs or substances banned in Germany. This lifestyle blog is intended to educate and inform. It is also intended to show what therapeutic possibilities could arise in the future through microdosing with MDMA!
3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine - better known by the abbreviation MDMA - is one of the best-known and most popular active ingredients when it comes to experimenting with chemical substances. Due to its euphoria-inducing effect, MDMA has been making its way into the club scene since the 1980s, as it energizes, euphorizes and can trigger a feeling of connection. However, various studies suggest that MDMA could also be used in a therapeutic setting and there is a clear growing interest when it comes to microdosing MDMA. Although there have been many studies on microdosing with hallucinogens such as LSD, little research has been published on the effects and dosage of MDMA microdosing. We have therefore compiled the most important information for you here so that you can form your own opinion on microdosing with MDMA.
What exactly is microdosing and how does microdosing with MDMA work?
Microdosing is the ingestion of tiny amounts of intoxicants. The aim is not to produce a complete high, but rather to use the positive effects of the substance in everyday life without the often hallucinogenic effects as a side effect. Depending on the dosage of MDMA, the following symptoms can occur, among others
- Feelings of happiness
- More intense perception
- Increased need for contact
- Sexual arousal
- Reduced inhibition threshold
- Emotional openness
This is due to the fact that MDMA causes an increase in the body's own neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline and also inhibits the reuptake of serotonin. Serotonin is also commonly referred to as the "happiness hormone", as it is one of the hormones that trigger positive states in the body. As a large part of the body's own supply of this hormone is released when MDMA is taken, you experience an intense state of happiness that lasts for several hours.
MDMA is not a psychedelic, so it does not cause hallucinations. However, side effects such as headaches, nausea and cramping jaw muscles can occur. In addition, the body must first replenish the serotonin released during intoxication. Therefore, after the effects of MDMA have worn off, there may be a deficit that lasts for several days and an associated drop in mood. By microdosing MDMA, most users want to avoid these negative side effects and still benefit from the positive effects in everyday life: a better mood, a feeling of greater connection to others and reduced stress in social situations.
Microdosing: How much MDMA is taken?
The exact amount of MDMA microdosing depends on several factors, so it is not possible to make a general statement. Microdosing usually involves doses that correspond to around one tenth to one twentieth of the amount that triggers a full high in the body. For an adult, this value is 60-120 mg, depending on body size, weight and condition. A microdose of MDMA would therefore correspond to 3-12 mg.
When microdosing with psychedelics, there is a so-called threshold dose, which is the dose at which you start to feel minimal psychedelic effects. This threshold is the starting point of your microdose plan and should not be exceeded. Since MDMA is not a hallucinogenic substance and therefore not a psychedelic, it is somewhat more difficult to determine the correct dosage for microdosing with MDMA. It is important that you listen to your body and observe the effect closely. Are they what you expect? Do you feel uncomfortable? It is best to keep something like a microdosing diary and write down exactly how much you take and what effect it has on you. This will help you to find the right amount of MDMA for microdosing.
Microdosing: How often should you take MDMA?
With microdosing, MDMA is taken at regular intervals over several weeks or months. It is recommended not to take it every day, but only every second or third day, for example, and then take a longer break after 10 weeks. This is known as the "Fadiman Protocol", named after Dr. James Fadiman, who is known as the father of microdosing. His research only relates to microdosing with psychedelics, but you can start the frequency of microdosing with MDMA according to his instructions and then find a rhythm that suits you. Here too, please observe what effect the intake has on you and adjust the intervals accordingly. However, there is also information that does not recommend taking MDMA more often than once a week. This is due to the fact that MDMA as a drug has a very strong effect on the body and psyche.
MDMA microdosing: effects and side effects
As there are no official studies on the microdosing of MDMA at this time, it is unfortunately not possible to say too much about long-term effects and side effects. What is clear, however, is that the active ingredient MDMA itself is not harmless. The body quickly builds up a tolerance to MDMA, which means that the dose must be constantly increased in order to achieve the same effect. This leads to the body developing an addiction just as quickly and withdrawal symptoms occur if the substance is not taken.
MDMA also has a negative effect on various bodily functions. For example, MDMA causes high blood pressure and reduces the ability to regulate body temperature. Possible further consequences are hypertension, nausea, epileptic seizures and panic attacks, loss of appetite, headaches, sweating and others. An overdose of MDMA is also possible and can be life-threatening. Regular use can lead to insomnia, difficulty concentrating, depression, impulsivity and heart disease. However, this information all relates to high dosing, as is often practiced in clubs.
Frustrating research situation on microdosing with MDMA
A total of six studies from 2019 examined the effect of MDMA in psychotherapeutic settings to see whether therapy, supported by MDMA, can help to heal post-traumatic stress disorder. This was tested by giving a group of patients doses of MDMA between 75 and 125 mg with therapeutic support. At the same time, a control group was given placebos with 0 mg and smaller amounts of MDMA between 25 and 40 mg(note: this is not yet a microdose!).
All participants reported adverse effects such as anxiety, dizziness and other symptoms. Regardless of the main outcome of the studies, it was also shown that the control group was more likely to report some adverse effects such as fatigue and headaches.
Even if these studies were not primarily concerned with investigating the effects of an MDMA microdose, they may nevertheless be an initial indication that lower quantities of MDMA do not automatically equate to a lower health risk. On the contrary: while the positive effects on the general mental health of the PTSD patients were significantly weaker in the control group, they still reported some of the negative effects and in some cases even more of these than the patient group. The complete summary of the studies on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can be found in the archive of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
MDMA and microdosing: Germany
Despite the unclear situation, you may now be wondering whether you can microdose in Germany and where you can buy MDMA for microdosing - and the answer is once again difficult. In principle, MDMA is listed in Annex I of the German Narcotics Act, which means that both trafficking and possession are punishable by law. Accordingly, you cannot officially buy MDMA anywhere. However, as is so often the case, the illegal network of the drug trade supplies needy or interested potential users with everything they need, so it is also possible to buy this drug on the street. For several reasons, however, extreme caution is required here:
On the one hand, there is clearly criminal liability, which needs no further explanation. On the other hand, the production of MDMA offered on the street is not controlled, which means that the degree of purity is often more than questionable and, in addition to the known health side effects of MDMA, there are other unknown factors. Ecstasy in particular, the pill form of MDMA, very often contains extenders and other drugs. As a private individual, it is also impossible to prove how many milligrams of MDMA are contained in the pills or crystals, as there is no reliable data available. So if you don't have a laboratory at home, you won't be able to know the exact composition, quality or quantity of the MDMA.
Our conclusion on microdosing with MDMA
There are no studies on microdosing with MDMA to date and most of the information available is based either on studies on microdosing psychedelics or individual reports from private individuals. There is therefore no general consensus on the correct approach when it comes to microdosing with MDMA. As there is also a risk in Germany of obtaining contaminated MDMA and making oneself liable to prosecution, self-experimentation is not advisable.
It makes more sense to stick to microdosing with LSD, which has already been much more thoroughly researched, as we offer in our store. As it is an LSD derivative, the research is also completely legal.
Perhaps there will be further studies on microdosing MDMA and safer use recommendations in the future, but this is not currently the case. Since the data available to date indicates that the risks outweigh the positive effects and that taking MDMA can lead to both short-term and long-term damage to health, our conclusion is: Stay away for now, before the data or studies provide much more certainty!
International references & studies on the subject:
- Psychobiologic effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in humans: methodological considerations and preliminary observations
- Hallucinogens in Mental Health: Preclinical and Clinical Studies on LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine
- MDMA (Ecstasy) Abuse Research Report
- Does ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) induce subjective feelings of social connection in humans? A multilevel meta-analysis
- A systematic study of microdosing psychedelics
- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of PTSD: study design and rationale for phase 3 trials based on pooled analysis of six phase 2 randomized controlled trials
- What are the effects of MDMA
- The pharmacology and toxicology of "ecstasy" (MDMA) and related drugs