BigTrancer
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*** EVERYONE READ - Info, Posting Guidelines and mini-FAQ ***
The New Bluelight -> Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East Drug Discussion Forum -> Info, Posting Guidelines and Mini-FAQ
Last Updated: 19 Aug 2008.
Revision history:
Forum Information
The Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East Drug Discussion Forum was created in an attempt to provide a forum for regionally specific discussion of drugs and health issues that arise from the recreational use of drugs. When The New Bluelight first started, the main Ecstacy Discussion forum had a high traffic load (which these days has become enormous), which often resulted in non-US specific posts disappearing from the first page of the topic list very quickly.
Posting Guidelines – The DO List.
1. Please read MDMA: The Essential Guide
In addition, please read this older FAQ. It's big and long and it has some of the best available information on MDMA that we've collected over the last two years.
2. DO search on Bluelight, Erowid and the wider internet for information about the topic you're considering posting, before you post your question. Chances are that by searching, you'll answer your own question and other questions you hadn't thought of yet.
3. DO post questions if/when your search results don't quite answer your query.
4. DO post pill reports that are as detailed as possible to www.pillreports.com
5. DO post as "on topic" as possible.
6. DO include references to factual information where possible.
7. DO keep posts discrete, and avoid advertising that you are in possession of illegal drugs. This board is open to the public, so anybody could be reading your words. There is no need to ask for information about the "bag of pills" you just got, it should suffice to say that those particular pills are available.
8. DO remember to include your location in the title of pill information requests (ie. "Pill Info Request – White Euro – Melbourne"). There may be variation between a batch of eg. White euro pills in Melbourne and a pill of similar appearance in Sydney. This doesn't mean you need to include the name of the party or venue you bought the pill - the nearest capital city should do.
9. DO include as MUCH detail as possible when reporting a pill, or requesting information. When requesting or providing information on an ecstasy pill, please include a detailed description of the pill you're refering to. Details such as the pill colour, bevelled/scored/speckled (if present), height/diameter dimensons, texture, and logo should all be included in your post.
10. DO respect all posters right to have (and express) their opinion without fear of judgement, as you would expect them to respect yours.
11. DO keep private conversations to email.
12. DO observe "netiquette": (Don't type all in CAPS etc.)
13. DO think before you post... you'd be surprised.
Posting Guidelines – The DON'T List.
1. DON'T solicit the sale of prohibited substances online. This means no dealing. Bluelight is an information resource, not a place to get or sell drugs. An extension to this guideline is that we don't allow sources for anything to be posted. This means no URLs for online supply, no listing of sources to buy or obtain ANYTHING.
2. DONT request information on the availability OR pricing of street drugs, pharmaceuticals or anything else. (Amended to include pricing 21/11/02 in line with standard Forum practise).
Any further threads on the topic of chemical glut/shortage/availability will be closed or deleted immediately. Please refrain from making these kind of threads, because it's all about who you know. The people who post these kind of threads leave themselves open to solicitation by email, and the people who respond with varying comments predictably reveal themselves to be in regular contact with drug dealers. I think people can see the logic in this one.
3. DON'T post without searching first; many topics have been covered and discussed in minute detail.
4. DON'T forget to include important information with each post, where relevant, such as location for pillreports/queries.
5. DON'T post the real names of other posters without their permission (or at all) – this includes impersonating another member.
6. DON'T ask for someone to email you on Aus Drug Discussion. This is often a very suspicious way to draw attention to yourself and even if it's just a social reason that you want to get in touch with the person, it's better to check their profile and email them on the address listed. If they don't list an email address then they will contact you if they want to, and otherwise will remain uncontactable. This is an important feature of the pseudo-anonymity afforded by choosing a BL nickname and concealing the email address. Clearly, if someone is making it hard to be contacted, this is the way it should stay.
7. DON'T immediately jump on someone for little slip ups - we all make mistakes. Point someone to this Guidelines thread if they seem to be naive to the way things work here.
8. DON'T flame for the sake of flaming.
09. DON'T get offended if your post gets deleted or edited. The moderators are just doing their jobs (99% of the time
). If your post disappears, feel free to email a moderator to find out why, but please DO NOT repost the same material. It has probably been deleted for a reason (which will be primarily to protect Bluelight, or you).
10. DON'T post bragging about how much of a substance you've had. If someones claimed to have taken X amount of a substance we don't want to know if you've had more. Theres no need for a dick sizing competition so if thats all a thread is it will be closed. These threads have little chance of promoting any worthwhile discussion.
11. DON'T post brand or company names of "legal highs" substances. Moderators reserve the right to edit out the brand names of specific legal substances where reference to such would allow easy identification of the online store through a search engine. In general, brand names are not okay, specific product names are.
Best regards,
The Moderators.
Mini-FAQ for Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East Drug Discussion.
1. What is "Ecstacy?"
Traditionally, "ecstacy" tablets have one active chemical ingredient: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, ideally around 120mg thereof. However, today the term "ecstacy" is a blanket description for tablet of many shapes, sizes and colours. A random tablet bought on the street are as likely to contain adulterants such as caffeine, methamphetamine, ketamine and dextromethorphan as they are to be completely bunk.
2. What is MDMA?
3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetimine or MDMA as it is commonly known is a synthetic chemical. It was first developed in the early 1900's, but it wasn't until much later, around the late 70's that it was first used, initially as a psychotherapeutic drug. MDMA soon became increasingly popular, and was made illegal. By the mid-80's it had made it's way into the developing underground rave scene, and has been a part of this community ever since.
See also: Erowid's MDMA Vault.
3. Is there heroin or cocaine in "Ecstacy"?
It is very rare to find ecstacy pills adulterated with heroin or cocaine for a number of reasons. Firstly, the cost of including these ingredients in a pill is prohibitive for manufacturers. Secondly, both heroin and cocaine are very moderately orally active. This means that the dose of heroin or cocaine required to have an appreciable effect on a user would likely be larger than any common ecstacy pill. There are occasionally pills tested around the world containing trace amounts of these adulterants, which proves that you can never say 'never', however the fact that your pill didn't make you dance all night is no indication that it contained heroin.
Some people use the terms 'smacky' and 'cokey' to describe the
effects of certain pills. This is plainly a misuse of jargon, and leads people into the common misconceptions that heroin and cocaine are common in pills. To put it another way – even if there was cocaine in a pill, and it was enough to have a noticeable effect, it would probably cost you over $100 to buy it.
See also: What gets sold as Ecstasy that isn't MDMA?
4. How do I know what's in my pill?
In short, you don't. There is no failsafe way to quantitatively identify the contents of an unknown pill short of gas chromatography. Since these machines cost exhorbitant amounts of money and usually only exist in industrial/university chemistry laboratories, we must resort to qualitative testing. That is, chemical reagent identification with products such as EZ-Test. Certain websites such as Bluelight's Pillreports, EZ-Test's PillTest.com, and DanceSafe in the USA regularly publish EZ-Test results on pills that are sent in for analysis.
5a. What is EZ-Test?
EZ-Test, or "pill testers" as they are colloquially known, are bottles of testing fluid used to screen ecstacy pills for adulterants. Usually, a small sample of powder is scraped from a pill for testing, and a drop of the testing fluid is applied to the sample. Any colour change that occurs in the testing fluid can indicate the presence of certain active ingredients, thus giving an indication of the contents of the pill.
Traditionally, testers contained a solution of concentrated sulphuric acid and formaldehyde, known as Marquis Reagent. Some vendors add methanol to slow the speed of the colour change reaction. With a basic Marquis tester, a colour change to purple/black indicates the presence of "ecstacy-like" compounds (ie. MDMA, MDEA, MDA). A colour change to orange can indicate the presence of "speed-like" compounds (ie. amphetamine, methamphetamine), and a colour change slowly grey to black while releasing vapour may indicate the presence of dextromethorphan (DXM). Recently other testers have become available which contain different reagents (such as Mandelin Reagent, Simon's Reagent, Robadope's Reagent). These testers are suitable for further investigation of the content of an unknown pill, however it would be prudent to mention that Marquis reagent is the first choice for adulterant screening in ecstacy pills.
See also: FAQ on Testing Kits
5b. Where can I get an EZ-Test in Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East?
EZ-Test brand testers can be mail-ordered directly from the manufacturer at www.eztest.com or by clicking the advertising link for EZ-Test found on Bluelight webpages. EZ-Test contribute an amount from the sale of each tester bought using those links back to The New Bluelight.
In Australia, locally produced testers called E or Marquis, and E2 or Mandelin can be purchased from shops that normally sell smoking paraphernalia, and some record and clothing shops stock these products.
Testers may also be purchased from local harm minimisation groups.
EZ-Test brand testers (Classic and Xtreme) may be purchased online within Australia for fast delivery and no customs hassle.
From: www.ez-test.com.au
See also our 5-HTP and Reagent vendor summary thread: 5-HTP and Reagents
6. What drug combinations should be avoided when using MDMA?
Due to various chemical interactions within the human body, it is very hazardous to combine certain drugs with MDMA. Some notable examples of dangerous combinations are:
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) - risk of serotonin syndrome
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) - diminishes effect of MDMA
Dextromethorphan (DXM) - risk of serotonin syndrome, hyperthermia, heart failure.
Paramethoxy-amphetamine (PMA) - high risk of hyperthermia/overheating.
Paramethoxy-methamphetamine (PMMA) - high risk of hyperthermia/overheating.
See also: Dangerous combinations FAQ
DXM FAQ
PMA FAQ
7. What is the difference between MDMA, MDEA, and MDA?
Chemically, they're all different kinds of a chemical group called 'phenethylamines'. Subjectively the differences are as follows:
MDMA – lovey, floaty, euphoric, empathic, visuals at high doses, duration 4-6 hours.
MDEA – stoney, heavy, shortness of breath, duration 4-6 hours.
MDA – some euphoria, noticeable visuals, energetic, duration 8-12 hours.
Please see www.erowid.org -> Plants & Drugs section for in-depth information.
Also see: MDA FAQ
8a. What are some of the side effects of MDMA?
From Erowid: Onset = 20-90 minutes, Coming Up = 5-20 minutes, Plateau = 2-3 hours, Coming Down = 1-2 hours, After Effects = 3-24 hours.
Positive side-effects: extreme mood lift, increased willingness to communicate, increase in energy (stimulation), ego softening, feelings of comfort, belonging, and closeness to others, feelings of love and empathy, forgiveness, increased awareness & appreciation of music, increased awareness of senses (eating, drinking, smell), profound life-changing spiritual experiences, neurotically based fear dissolution, sensations bright and intense, urge to hug and kiss people.
Neutral side-effects: appetite loss, visual distortion, rapid, involuntary eye jiggling (nystagmus), mild visual hallucinations (uncommon), moderately increased heart rate and blood pressure (increases with dose), restlessness, nervousness, shivering, change in body temperature regulation, strong desire to do or want more when coming down.
Negative side-effects: (increase with higher doses and frequent use): inappropriate and/or unintended emotional bonding, tendency to say things you might feel uncomfortable about later, mild to extreme jaw clenching (trisma), tongue and cheek chewing, and teeth grinding (bruxia), difficulty concentrating & problems with activities requiring linear focus, short-term memory scramble or loss & confusion
muscle tension, erectile disfunction and difficulty reaching orgasm, increase in body temperature, hyperthermia, dehydration (drink water), hyponatremia (don't drink too much water), nausea and vomiting, headaches, dizziness, loss of balance, and vertigo, post-trip Crash - unpleasantly harsh comedown from the peak effect, hangover the next day, lasting days to weeks, mild depression and fatigue for up to a week, severe depression and/or fatigue (uncommon), possible strong urge to repeat the experience, though not physically addictive, possible psychological crisis requiring hospitalization (psychotic episodes, severe panic attacks, etc) (rare), possible liver toxicity (rare), possible neurotoxicity (controversial), small risk of death. Approximately 2 per 100,000 users have extreme negative reactions resulting in death. (rare)
8b. Is there anything I can do to lessen these side effects?
By maintaining a healthy body and mind, and being well-nourished and fit prior to the MDMA experience, you will give yourself the best chance of minimising the negative side effects. Minimising the dose you take, and maximising the amount of time between doses (ie. once a month or so) will give you the least negative reactions. Since MDMA causes your brain to use up serotonin, repeating the dose before the brain has fully recovered will result in less of a euphoric and empathic experience, and exacerbate the speedy edginess that may be felt. You can take supplements such as 5-HTP to help replenish serotonin in the brain, and multivitamins and other "post-loading" aids are explained in the main FAQ. Antioxidants are also essential to minimise the neurotoxic damage caused in the brain by free radicals.
9. Ecstacy makes you dehydrated, but how much water is required/too much?
If you're at a club, dancing and moving about, you'll probably need to sip water regularly, when you feel thirsty. A good rule of thumb is about 300mL (or one small bottle) of water per hour. If you're in a very hot environment, or dancing hard, you may feel thirsty more often, but avoid gulping large amounts of water. It is possible to develop water intoxication, which can lead to people drinking huge volumes of water which causes a condition known as hyponatremia. This condition is life-threatening, and has led to the death of at least one MDMA user.
10a. What is 5-HTP?
The acronym 5-HTP indicates 5-hydroxytryptophan, a naturally occurring chemical that is used by your brain to make 5-HT, otherwise known as 5-hydroxytryptamine, or serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that your brain uses to make you feel happy. When you ingest MDMA, your brain uses up its reserves of serotonin during the experience, which can leave you feeling depressed, or unable to feel happy for several (4-8 days) afterward. By taking 5-HTP supplements, you allow your brain to recover faster from the depletion of serotonin, which should allow you to get back to normal mood fluctuations and sleeping patterns faster.
5-HTP can be found in many foods such as bananas and turkey meat, for example.
Please read the 5-HTP FAQ
More information about using 5-HTP to recover from the use of MDMA can be found in the Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East Drug Discussion Forum FAQ.
10b. Where can I get 5-HTP?
Unfortunately, 5-HTP is not available in Australia. However, it can be legally imported for personal use. Officially as of the January 2002, the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia says that it is permitted to personally import up to 3 months' supply at any one time, and up to 15 months' supply in any 12-month period.
5-HTP is sold from a number of online health stores; these are easy to find simply by searching the internet. For convenience and delivery speed, a vendor closer to Australia is probably quicker, but shopping around will get you a better price. Typical costs for 5-HTP are of the order of AUD$60 for a bottle of 100 capsules, each containing extract of griffonia simplicifolia equivalent to 100mg of 5-HTP. There is no specific Recommended Daily Intake for 5-HTP, so what constitutes 3-months' supply is a little debatable. Many online vendors require credit card payment.
See our 5-HTP and Reagent vendor summary thread: 5-HTP and Reagents
11. What was that thing in 8b (above) about neurotoxic brain damage?
Neurotoxicity is an often-debated subject on Bluelight and in the wider scientific research community. Unfortunately an in-depth treatment of neurotoxicity from MDMA is beyond the scope of this mini-FAQ. For further information please see What are the long term after effects?.
12. What is "dropping" (or snorting/ bombing/ banging/ plugging/ railing/ parachuting/ shelving/ tang/ whacking/ chasing the dragon/ shafting, et cetera)?
The slang names for various ways to ingest drugs are many and varied. Basically you can put drugs into your body in a number of ways; orally, nasally, rectally, smoked, intramuscularly and intravenously. Each method has merits and drawbacks, but typically the faster the effects come on, the quicker the overall experience and the more intense the high. It is generally accepted that the more intense methods of drug administration are also more habit forming because they give more pleasure in a shorter period of time.
See also: Methods of Administration.
13. What is "GHB" (or DXM/ 2C-B/ ketamine/ LSD/ crack/ yaba, et cetera)?
Your friend, and ours, in all questions of drug basics is Erowid. By simply pointing your browser to www.erowid.org and selecting "Plants & Drugs", you open up a vast library of information that will help you educate yourself on the basics about most psychoactive drugs of interest.
14. Why does XLR8’s pussy tingle the morning after a big night rolling?
Research teams are working around the clock to find a solution to this conundrum.
15. You haven’t answered my question.
That's not a question at all. But regardless, if you haven't found the answer to your question in this mini-FAQ, please have a read of the main FAQ (linked above), or click the search button (at the top right of most Bluelight forum screens). From there you can search for your answer within the posts on Bluelight.
All the best in your search for information, BigTrancer
The New Bluelight -> Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East Drug Discussion Forum -> Info, Posting Guidelines and Mini-FAQ
Last Updated: 19 Aug 2008.
Revision history:
- Removed venue/events guideline (formerly DON'T #9), if promoters want a name removed, please report the post - 19/08/08
- Added 'No posting of company names of pseduo-legal substances' - 12/05/07
- Added 'No Dick Sizing' (see DONT list #11) - 20/4/05
- Converted all UBB links to VB and added links to several new FAQs located in Bluelight's Drug FAQs section (07/06/03)
- Added 5-HTP and Reagent sources link (see MiniFAQ #5b, #10b). - 18/05/03
- General amendedment excluding venue details from drug discussion (see DON'T list #9). - 07/02/03
- Drug price requests excluded from Aus Drug Discussion (see DON'T list #2). - 21/11/02
- Pill reporting guidelines amended to include more suggested details (see DO list #9). - 10/10/02
- Personal email requests now excluded from Aus Drug Discussion (see DON'T list #6). - 10/10/02
- Included EZ-Test Australia link (see MiniFAQ #5b). - 10/10/02
Forum Information
The Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East Drug Discussion Forum was created in an attempt to provide a forum for regionally specific discussion of drugs and health issues that arise from the recreational use of drugs. When The New Bluelight first started, the main Ecstacy Discussion forum had a high traffic load (which these days has become enormous), which often resulted in non-US specific posts disappearing from the first page of the topic list very quickly.
Posting Guidelines – The DO List.
1. Please read MDMA: The Essential Guide
In addition, please read this older FAQ. It's big and long and it has some of the best available information on MDMA that we've collected over the last two years.
2. DO search on Bluelight, Erowid and the wider internet for information about the topic you're considering posting, before you post your question. Chances are that by searching, you'll answer your own question and other questions you hadn't thought of yet.
3. DO post questions if/when your search results don't quite answer your query.
4. DO post pill reports that are as detailed as possible to www.pillreports.com
5. DO post as "on topic" as possible.
6. DO include references to factual information where possible.
7. DO keep posts discrete, and avoid advertising that you are in possession of illegal drugs. This board is open to the public, so anybody could be reading your words. There is no need to ask for information about the "bag of pills" you just got, it should suffice to say that those particular pills are available.
8. DO remember to include your location in the title of pill information requests (ie. "Pill Info Request – White Euro – Melbourne"). There may be variation between a batch of eg. White euro pills in Melbourne and a pill of similar appearance in Sydney. This doesn't mean you need to include the name of the party or venue you bought the pill - the nearest capital city should do.
9. DO include as MUCH detail as possible when reporting a pill, or requesting information. When requesting or providing information on an ecstasy pill, please include a detailed description of the pill you're refering to. Details such as the pill colour, bevelled/scored/speckled (if present), height/diameter dimensons, texture, and logo should all be included in your post.
10. DO respect all posters right to have (and express) their opinion without fear of judgement, as you would expect them to respect yours.
11. DO keep private conversations to email.
12. DO observe "netiquette": (Don't type all in CAPS etc.)
13. DO think before you post... you'd be surprised.
Posting Guidelines – The DON'T List.
1. DON'T solicit the sale of prohibited substances online. This means no dealing. Bluelight is an information resource, not a place to get or sell drugs. An extension to this guideline is that we don't allow sources for anything to be posted. This means no URLs for online supply, no listing of sources to buy or obtain ANYTHING.
2. DONT request information on the availability OR pricing of street drugs, pharmaceuticals or anything else. (Amended to include pricing 21/11/02 in line with standard Forum practise).
Any further threads on the topic of chemical glut/shortage/availability will be closed or deleted immediately. Please refrain from making these kind of threads, because it's all about who you know. The people who post these kind of threads leave themselves open to solicitation by email, and the people who respond with varying comments predictably reveal themselves to be in regular contact with drug dealers. I think people can see the logic in this one.
3. DON'T post without searching first; many topics have been covered and discussed in minute detail.
4. DON'T forget to include important information with each post, where relevant, such as location for pillreports/queries.
5. DON'T post the real names of other posters without their permission (or at all) – this includes impersonating another member.
6. DON'T ask for someone to email you on Aus Drug Discussion. This is often a very suspicious way to draw attention to yourself and even if it's just a social reason that you want to get in touch with the person, it's better to check their profile and email them on the address listed. If they don't list an email address then they will contact you if they want to, and otherwise will remain uncontactable. This is an important feature of the pseudo-anonymity afforded by choosing a BL nickname and concealing the email address. Clearly, if someone is making it hard to be contacted, this is the way it should stay.
7. DON'T immediately jump on someone for little slip ups - we all make mistakes. Point someone to this Guidelines thread if they seem to be naive to the way things work here.
8. DON'T flame for the sake of flaming.
09. DON'T get offended if your post gets deleted or edited. The moderators are just doing their jobs (99% of the time
). If your post disappears, feel free to email a moderator to find out why, but please DO NOT repost the same material. It has probably been deleted for a reason (which will be primarily to protect Bluelight, or you).10. DON'T post bragging about how much of a substance you've had. If someones claimed to have taken X amount of a substance we don't want to know if you've had more. Theres no need for a dick sizing competition so if thats all a thread is it will be closed. These threads have little chance of promoting any worthwhile discussion.
11. DON'T post brand or company names of "legal highs" substances. Moderators reserve the right to edit out the brand names of specific legal substances where reference to such would allow easy identification of the online store through a search engine. In general, brand names are not okay, specific product names are.
Best regards,
The Moderators.
Mini-FAQ for Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East Drug Discussion.
1. What is "Ecstacy?"
Traditionally, "ecstacy" tablets have one active chemical ingredient: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, ideally around 120mg thereof. However, today the term "ecstacy" is a blanket description for tablet of many shapes, sizes and colours. A random tablet bought on the street are as likely to contain adulterants such as caffeine, methamphetamine, ketamine and dextromethorphan as they are to be completely bunk.
2. What is MDMA?
3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetimine or MDMA as it is commonly known is a synthetic chemical. It was first developed in the early 1900's, but it wasn't until much later, around the late 70's that it was first used, initially as a psychotherapeutic drug. MDMA soon became increasingly popular, and was made illegal. By the mid-80's it had made it's way into the developing underground rave scene, and has been a part of this community ever since.
See also: Erowid's MDMA Vault.
3. Is there heroin or cocaine in "Ecstacy"?
It is very rare to find ecstacy pills adulterated with heroin or cocaine for a number of reasons. Firstly, the cost of including these ingredients in a pill is prohibitive for manufacturers. Secondly, both heroin and cocaine are very moderately orally active. This means that the dose of heroin or cocaine required to have an appreciable effect on a user would likely be larger than any common ecstacy pill. There are occasionally pills tested around the world containing trace amounts of these adulterants, which proves that you can never say 'never', however the fact that your pill didn't make you dance all night is no indication that it contained heroin.
Some people use the terms 'smacky' and 'cokey' to describe the
effects of certain pills. This is plainly a misuse of jargon, and leads people into the common misconceptions that heroin and cocaine are common in pills. To put it another way – even if there was cocaine in a pill, and it was enough to have a noticeable effect, it would probably cost you over $100 to buy it.
See also: What gets sold as Ecstasy that isn't MDMA?
4. How do I know what's in my pill?
In short, you don't. There is no failsafe way to quantitatively identify the contents of an unknown pill short of gas chromatography. Since these machines cost exhorbitant amounts of money and usually only exist in industrial/university chemistry laboratories, we must resort to qualitative testing. That is, chemical reagent identification with products such as EZ-Test. Certain websites such as Bluelight's Pillreports, EZ-Test's PillTest.com, and DanceSafe in the USA regularly publish EZ-Test results on pills that are sent in for analysis.
5a. What is EZ-Test?
EZ-Test, or "pill testers" as they are colloquially known, are bottles of testing fluid used to screen ecstacy pills for adulterants. Usually, a small sample of powder is scraped from a pill for testing, and a drop of the testing fluid is applied to the sample. Any colour change that occurs in the testing fluid can indicate the presence of certain active ingredients, thus giving an indication of the contents of the pill.
Traditionally, testers contained a solution of concentrated sulphuric acid and formaldehyde, known as Marquis Reagent. Some vendors add methanol to slow the speed of the colour change reaction. With a basic Marquis tester, a colour change to purple/black indicates the presence of "ecstacy-like" compounds (ie. MDMA, MDEA, MDA). A colour change to orange can indicate the presence of "speed-like" compounds (ie. amphetamine, methamphetamine), and a colour change slowly grey to black while releasing vapour may indicate the presence of dextromethorphan (DXM). Recently other testers have become available which contain different reagents (such as Mandelin Reagent, Simon's Reagent, Robadope's Reagent). These testers are suitable for further investigation of the content of an unknown pill, however it would be prudent to mention that Marquis reagent is the first choice for adulterant screening in ecstacy pills.
See also: FAQ on Testing Kits
5b. Where can I get an EZ-Test in Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East?
EZ-Test brand testers can be mail-ordered directly from the manufacturer at www.eztest.com or by clicking the advertising link for EZ-Test found on Bluelight webpages. EZ-Test contribute an amount from the sale of each tester bought using those links back to The New Bluelight.
In Australia, locally produced testers called E or Marquis, and E2 or Mandelin can be purchased from shops that normally sell smoking paraphernalia, and some record and clothing shops stock these products.
Testers may also be purchased from local harm minimisation groups.
EZ-Test brand testers (Classic and Xtreme) may be purchased online within Australia for fast delivery and no customs hassle.
From: www.ez-test.com.au
See also our 5-HTP and Reagent vendor summary thread: 5-HTP and Reagents
6. What drug combinations should be avoided when using MDMA?
Due to various chemical interactions within the human body, it is very hazardous to combine certain drugs with MDMA. Some notable examples of dangerous combinations are:
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) - risk of serotonin syndrome
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) - diminishes effect of MDMA
Dextromethorphan (DXM) - risk of serotonin syndrome, hyperthermia, heart failure.
Paramethoxy-amphetamine (PMA) - high risk of hyperthermia/overheating.
Paramethoxy-methamphetamine (PMMA) - high risk of hyperthermia/overheating.
See also: Dangerous combinations FAQ
DXM FAQ
PMA FAQ
7. What is the difference between MDMA, MDEA, and MDA?
Chemically, they're all different kinds of a chemical group called 'phenethylamines'. Subjectively the differences are as follows:
MDMA – lovey, floaty, euphoric, empathic, visuals at high doses, duration 4-6 hours.
MDEA – stoney, heavy, shortness of breath, duration 4-6 hours.
MDA – some euphoria, noticeable visuals, energetic, duration 8-12 hours.
Please see www.erowid.org -> Plants & Drugs section for in-depth information.
Also see: MDA FAQ
8a. What are some of the side effects of MDMA?
From Erowid: Onset = 20-90 minutes, Coming Up = 5-20 minutes, Plateau = 2-3 hours, Coming Down = 1-2 hours, After Effects = 3-24 hours.
Positive side-effects: extreme mood lift, increased willingness to communicate, increase in energy (stimulation), ego softening, feelings of comfort, belonging, and closeness to others, feelings of love and empathy, forgiveness, increased awareness & appreciation of music, increased awareness of senses (eating, drinking, smell), profound life-changing spiritual experiences, neurotically based fear dissolution, sensations bright and intense, urge to hug and kiss people.
Neutral side-effects: appetite loss, visual distortion, rapid, involuntary eye jiggling (nystagmus), mild visual hallucinations (uncommon), moderately increased heart rate and blood pressure (increases with dose), restlessness, nervousness, shivering, change in body temperature regulation, strong desire to do or want more when coming down.
Negative side-effects: (increase with higher doses and frequent use): inappropriate and/or unintended emotional bonding, tendency to say things you might feel uncomfortable about later, mild to extreme jaw clenching (trisma), tongue and cheek chewing, and teeth grinding (bruxia), difficulty concentrating & problems with activities requiring linear focus, short-term memory scramble or loss & confusion
muscle tension, erectile disfunction and difficulty reaching orgasm, increase in body temperature, hyperthermia, dehydration (drink water), hyponatremia (don't drink too much water), nausea and vomiting, headaches, dizziness, loss of balance, and vertigo, post-trip Crash - unpleasantly harsh comedown from the peak effect, hangover the next day, lasting days to weeks, mild depression and fatigue for up to a week, severe depression and/or fatigue (uncommon), possible strong urge to repeat the experience, though not physically addictive, possible psychological crisis requiring hospitalization (psychotic episodes, severe panic attacks, etc) (rare), possible liver toxicity (rare), possible neurotoxicity (controversial), small risk of death. Approximately 2 per 100,000 users have extreme negative reactions resulting in death. (rare)
8b. Is there anything I can do to lessen these side effects?
By maintaining a healthy body and mind, and being well-nourished and fit prior to the MDMA experience, you will give yourself the best chance of minimising the negative side effects. Minimising the dose you take, and maximising the amount of time between doses (ie. once a month or so) will give you the least negative reactions. Since MDMA causes your brain to use up serotonin, repeating the dose before the brain has fully recovered will result in less of a euphoric and empathic experience, and exacerbate the speedy edginess that may be felt. You can take supplements such as 5-HTP to help replenish serotonin in the brain, and multivitamins and other "post-loading" aids are explained in the main FAQ. Antioxidants are also essential to minimise the neurotoxic damage caused in the brain by free radicals.
9. Ecstacy makes you dehydrated, but how much water is required/too much?
If you're at a club, dancing and moving about, you'll probably need to sip water regularly, when you feel thirsty. A good rule of thumb is about 300mL (or one small bottle) of water per hour. If you're in a very hot environment, or dancing hard, you may feel thirsty more often, but avoid gulping large amounts of water. It is possible to develop water intoxication, which can lead to people drinking huge volumes of water which causes a condition known as hyponatremia. This condition is life-threatening, and has led to the death of at least one MDMA user.
10a. What is 5-HTP?
The acronym 5-HTP indicates 5-hydroxytryptophan, a naturally occurring chemical that is used by your brain to make 5-HT, otherwise known as 5-hydroxytryptamine, or serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that your brain uses to make you feel happy. When you ingest MDMA, your brain uses up its reserves of serotonin during the experience, which can leave you feeling depressed, or unable to feel happy for several (4-8 days) afterward. By taking 5-HTP supplements, you allow your brain to recover faster from the depletion of serotonin, which should allow you to get back to normal mood fluctuations and sleeping patterns faster.
5-HTP can be found in many foods such as bananas and turkey meat, for example.
Please read the 5-HTP FAQ
More information about using 5-HTP to recover from the use of MDMA can be found in the Australia/Asia/NZ/Middle East Drug Discussion Forum FAQ.
10b. Where can I get 5-HTP?
Unfortunately, 5-HTP is not available in Australia. However, it can be legally imported for personal use. Officially as of the January 2002, the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia says that it is permitted to personally import up to 3 months' supply at any one time, and up to 15 months' supply in any 12-month period.
5-HTP is sold from a number of online health stores; these are easy to find simply by searching the internet. For convenience and delivery speed, a vendor closer to Australia is probably quicker, but shopping around will get you a better price. Typical costs for 5-HTP are of the order of AUD$60 for a bottle of 100 capsules, each containing extract of griffonia simplicifolia equivalent to 100mg of 5-HTP. There is no specific Recommended Daily Intake for 5-HTP, so what constitutes 3-months' supply is a little debatable. Many online vendors require credit card payment.
See our 5-HTP and Reagent vendor summary thread: 5-HTP and Reagents
11. What was that thing in 8b (above) about neurotoxic brain damage?
Neurotoxicity is an often-debated subject on Bluelight and in the wider scientific research community. Unfortunately an in-depth treatment of neurotoxicity from MDMA is beyond the scope of this mini-FAQ. For further information please see What are the long term after effects?.
12. What is "dropping" (or snorting/ bombing/ banging/ plugging/ railing/ parachuting/ shelving/ tang/ whacking/ chasing the dragon/ shafting, et cetera)?
The slang names for various ways to ingest drugs are many and varied. Basically you can put drugs into your body in a number of ways; orally, nasally, rectally, smoked, intramuscularly and intravenously. Each method has merits and drawbacks, but typically the faster the effects come on, the quicker the overall experience and the more intense the high. It is generally accepted that the more intense methods of drug administration are also more habit forming because they give more pleasure in a shorter period of time.
See also: Methods of Administration.
13. What is "GHB" (or DXM/ 2C-B/ ketamine/ LSD/ crack/ yaba, et cetera)?
Your friend, and ours, in all questions of drug basics is Erowid. By simply pointing your browser to www.erowid.org and selecting "Plants & Drugs", you open up a vast library of information that will help you educate yourself on the basics about most psychoactive drugs of interest.
14. Why does XLR8’s pussy tingle the morning after a big night rolling?
Research teams are working around the clock to find a solution to this conundrum.
15. You haven’t answered my question.
That's not a question at all. But regardless, if you haven't found the answer to your question in this mini-FAQ, please have a read of the main FAQ (linked above), or click the search button (at the top right of most Bluelight forum screens). From there you can search for your answer within the posts on Bluelight.
All the best in your search for information, BigTrancer
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