Pill content, dose and resulting plasma concentrations of 3,4‐methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in recreational ‘ecstasy’ users

Abstract

MDMA is the major active drug in ecstasy pills, but there is a high degree of variation in doses. Use of multiple pills over the course of one session is common and results in a sustained increase in MDMA plasma concentrations over a number of hours. This is likely to lead to a much greater exposure of the brain to MDMA than would be predicted from controlled single-dose pharmacokinetic studies.