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MDA is the shortened name for 4-Methyl-2, 5-dimethoxyamphetamine, an illegal drug made from a combination of mescaline and amphetamines commonly called STP during the 1960s. The drug ecstasy is derived from MDMA, and the two substances have similar side effects.
Cause
Side effects from MDA stem from the way the drug affects your brain. When you take MDA, the chemical interferes with certain receptors or spots on your brain, which causes your body to release large amounts of a brain chemical called serotonin, in turn, causing the drug's side effects.
Effects
People take MDA due to the fact that the drug causes intense hallucinations, explains the Greater Dallas Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Other possible side effects of the drug include confusion, depression, insomnia and severe anxiety.
Time Frame
Hallucinations from a large dose of MDA may last for 8 to 10 hours, reports the Greater Dallas Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
Dependence
A 2001 study at the National Institute on Drug Abuse and published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology found that MDA's derivative MDMA poses a risk for chemical dependence.
Risks
MDA poses a risk for hyperthermia, a life-threatening condition where your body is unable to regulate your body temperature, warns the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In addition, MDA poses a risk for brain cell death.
Source:
National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA InfoFacts: MDMA (Ecstasy)
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