Depression, memory problems, anxiety, mood fluctuation, poor concentration, infections, tremors/twitches, and weight loss are all more common among people who have used Ecstasy more often. In a survey of 282 Ecstasy users, memory problems attributed to the drug were reported by 19% of novice users (1–9 occasions), 52% of moderate users (10–99 occasions), and 73% of heavy users (100+ occasions). The incidence of psychobiological problems attributed to Ecstasy use increases directly with the number of times it has been used.
Regular ecstasy users report more everyday memory lapses, specifically in remembering to do things in the future (prospective memory), compared to non-users. Thirty regular ecstasy users (taking the drug 10 or more times per month) and 31 ecstasy-free controls completed the Prospective Memory Questionnaire, which measures self-rated errors in short-term habitual, long-term episodic, and internally cued prospective memory. Ecstasy users reported significantly more errors across all three aspects, even after accounting for other drug use. No differences were found in the use of memory aids. These findings suggest prospective memory dysfunction may relate to serotonergic and frontal lobe deficits in chronic MDMA users.
Among 49 undergraduate volunteers, self-reported Ecstasy use closely matched MDMA traces found in hair samples. Both self-report and hair analysis predicted lower happiness and higher stress ratings. Self-reported use, but not hair analysis, was also linked to lower tension. The findings suggest the Internet can effectively complement traditional laboratory studies on recreational drug effects.