Water Issues with MDMA use Dehydration, Over-Hydration & Heat Stroke by Erowid
Overview of problem:
One of the persistant problems with MDMA use is that of the hyperthermia (heat-stroke / over-heating). Several factors add to this effect, including MDMA's pharmacological effect of increasing body temperature, the strong physical stimulation experienced by most users, and the euphoria and comfort of the experience which can cause users to overlook their level of exertion. Many Ecstasy users have been told that they need to make sure they are drinking enough water to stay on the safe side of this problem, but as a result, some users encounter the somewhat less recognized problem of over-hydration which causes hyponatremia (literally "low salt") also called "water intoxication".
The human body (as with other animals) maintains an equilibrium of electrolytes including salt in the bloodstream as part of its normal operation. Sweating causes the body to lose salt, but the primary cause of hyponatremia in Ecstasy users is drinking enormous amounts of water, which dilutes the salt in the body to a dangerous level. Unfortunately as the electrolytes get out of balance, body systems start to fail and (because of the blood brain barrier), the sufferer starts to exhibit signs of crisis such as diarrhea, over salivation, stupor, vomiting, muscle tremors, confusion, frequent urination, and other general symptoms of illness, and their brain begins to swell. This swelling is called a 'brain edema' or 'cerebral edema' and can (and does) lead to brain damage, paralysis, and death.
j/k. Still it seems ficken weird though. =)
