Ecstasy pills in recreational settings often contain MDMA, but many also include other drugs like MDEA and methamphetamine. The amount of MDMA per pill varies widely, from 0 to 245 mg. Users typically consume between half a pill and five pills in a session, with total MDMA doses reaching up to 280 mg. Plasma concentrations of MDMA rise with the number of pills consumed and the cumulative dose. Taking multiple pills over several hours leads to sustained high MDMA levels in the blood, exposing the brain to the drug for longer than single-dose studies would suggest.
Abstinent ecstasy users show abnormally large tremor during movement compared to non-drug users, while resting tremor remains unaffected. The study measured tremor with an accelerometer in abstinent ecstasy users (n=9), users of amphetamine-like drugs (n=7), cannabis users (n=12), and non-drug users (n=23). During finger movement, tremor amplitude was significantly greater in ecstasy users (frequency range 3.9-13.3 Hz) but not in cannabis or amphetamine users. Peak tremor frequency did not differ between groups. The finding suggests chronic ecstasy use may produce lasting motor effects, though further research is needed to determine if this increases risk of movement disorders.