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Ecstasy35that felt after taking cocaine or methamphetamine. Otherpsychological effects of Ecstasy include increased excitement,laughter, relaxation, and talkativeness, and decreased feelingsof anxiety, alienation, and aggression.Because Ecstasy can produce mild hallucinations, it isoften referred to as a psychedelic drug having effects similarto those of LSD. Unlike other psychedelic drugs, however,Ecstasy does not produce vivid perceptual and visual distortions,like walls and ceilings turning into liquid. Rather, theperception of colors, sound, music, and touch appears to beintensified by Ecstasy. In addition, the perception of time maybe slowed or otherwise altered.Despite the pleasurable effects Ecstasy produces in manyindividuals, some people report negative psychological effectswhile on the drug, including feelings of confusion, depression,anxiety, paranoia, and depersonalization. These problems canalso occur when the person “comes down” from the high andthe drug begins to wear off. Insomnia and irritability oftenoccur as well.In spite of the pleasurable effects that it brings about,Ecstasy is nevertheless a very dangerous drug. Ecstasy canproduce sharp increases in body temperature (called malignanthyperthermia), which can lead to excess sweating, dehydration,and heat exhaustion, especially when the drug is taken atdances and clubs where room temperatures are abnormallyhigh. Malignant hyperthermia is the most common cause ofdeath associated with Ecstasy use. Another common cause ofEcstasy-related death is hyponatremia. Hyponatremia occurswhen a person drinks too much fluid (in an attempt to avoiddehydration), which results in kidney failure, swelling ofthe brain, and coma. Ecstasy also increases heart rate andblood pressure, thereby increasing the risk of heart attack,stroke, or brain hemorrhage. Other common physical sideeffects of Ecstasy include dilated pupils, jaw clenching andgrinding of the teeth (which is why many users chew on