![[mdma.png]] MDMA has tremendous potential for emotional healing as studies on even treatment resistant PTSD able to be sent into remission after only 3 sessions. This isn't particularly accessible and when it is safety is a factor so I'm sharing what I've learned for harm reduction information purposes. # Testing: 1) Dancesafe has drug testing kits for increasing confidence the substance is actually MDMA https://dancesafe.org/product/mdma-testing-kit/ 2) A simple way to increase confidence is ask other people who tried from the same substance/source how their experiences went and if they had any issues. 3) While on pause last I checked [there are labs](https://www.drugsdata.org/) that can test purity. # Dosage - MDMA releases large amounts of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine which leads people to worry about lasting damage or a crash/drop afterward. I was initially concerned but have not found this to be the case. Most of the cases seem to come out of party culture where excessive doses, not sleeping, poor nutrition, other drugs, dehydration, etc all pile on and I believe are the actual culprits. Because safety is a key part of what makes this substance work I do think having them available is something that provides a measure of control and thus feeling of safety. - This is a well studied substance and well understood at doses around 75-125 mg. One such [scientific study](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269881117691569) of over 100 people found: "No serious adverse events occurred." However it is a stimulant that causes load on the cardiovascular system with increased blood pressure and body temperature which is a risk for some people. I was unable to measure an increase in body temperature even to 99 F/37 C and only felt comfortably warm. - The MDMA dose is the most important factor in safety I know of. I have repeatedly read that doses past ~125 mg don't increase enjoyment or the depth of the experience. I tested doses as high as 180 mg with no improvement and multiple side effects. The high doses came with teeth grinding and jaw clenching the while time, trying to not destroy one's teeth isn't fun. - A high precision scale accurate to a thousandth of a gram is effective for controlling dose if properly calibrated. I got one for less than $40 and appreciate knowing the dose with high precision. - When taken orally food noticeably blunted the effects and resulted in a less beneficial experience for me. I prefer to eat a protein heavy snack like eggs 3-4 hrs beforehand and have some snacks available in case of hunger during the experience (MDMA does suppress hunger so might not be needed). # Supplements - Simplified supplements I use each time (source linked from substance name): - with dose: 1 g [tryptophan](https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-l-tryptophan-500-mg-120-capsules), 1 g [tyrosine](https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-l-tyrosine-750-mg-90-capsules-2) - during session: [electrolytes](https://www.vitacost.com/nuun-sport-hydration-single-tube-tropical-fruit) - 3 hrs before bed: 3 mg [melatonin](https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-melatonin-3-mg-plus-theanine?ta=melatonin&t=melatonin), 1 g tryptophan, 1 g tyrosine - Supplement protocol I use for first dose with new source: - 3 hrs before: 600 mg acetyl-l-carnitine ([this one also has ALA](https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-alpha-lipoic-acid-acetyl-l-carnitine-hcl-60-capsules)), 500 mg [vitamin c](https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-c-including-rose-hips-500-mg-100-tablets), 1/8 tsp [magnesium](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GW5NX9C) - With dose: 300 mg ALA, 500 mg vitamin c, - 90 min in (set reminder timer): 300 mg ALA, 500 mg vitamin c, electrolytes (magnesium, potassium, sodium) - 3 hrs before bed: 3 mg melatonin, 300 mg ALA, 1200 mg tryptophan, 600 mg NAC - Keep water easily accessible in case of feeling thirsty as dehydration can happen. - I prefer to keep [activated charcoal](https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-activated-charcoal-260-mg-90-capsules) around because of evidence it helps [in cases of poisoning](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6620762/) Poison control [is the place to go ](https://www.poison.org/)if a bad dose/poisoning is suspected, I have personal experience with them being helpful. # Useful resources 1) Thirdwave has an article that covers MDMA well https://thethirdwave.co/psychedelics/mdma/ 2) I appreciate Dancesafe for their harm reduction efforts including [info on MDMA ](https://dancesafe.org/ecstasy/). They also have a list of [medication interactions and contraindicated health conditions](https://dancesafe.org/mdma-contraindications/). 3) Erowid's resources are quite comprehensive and also include many direct experience reports from people https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma.shtml