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Ecstasy
and water have a delicate relationship.
(They
all mean not enough water)
Dehydration
is a serious threat for Ecstasy
users. Ecstasy is a stimulant and increases heart rate,
blood pressure, body temperature and makes the user feel
"up," energized and ready to dance all night.
But
it is also an anorectic, suppressing feelings of both hunger
and thirst.
Ecstasy
users will need water but won’t realize it because they
are not thirsty and dehydration may result.
(The body's reaction to excessive water)
Over
hydration is also a threat for Ecstasy
users. The drug interferes with the body’s ability
to handle water, resulting in SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate
diuretic hormone secretion) and hyponatraemia (an abnormal
decrease of sodium levels).
Instead
of excreting excess water, the body absorbs the water and
dilutes the blood. Sodium levels drop cells expand, and
the brain begins to swell.
There
has been at least one woman who died from over hydration
after taking Ecstasy, according to the New York City Poison
Control Center.
Experts
say ecstasy users should drink 2-4 cups
of water an hour, depending upon how active they are. They
should sip, not gulp, the water and they should eat salty
foods or drink isotonic beverages (like Gatorade) to keep
sodium levels up.
Sources:New
York City Poison Control Center, DanceSafe, Dr. Herbert
Clever, and the National Institutes of Health
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