Theory on reduced peak duration

Hi all,
I was thinking the other day about the peak from the latest batch of hq's only lasting ~2 hours, while still being quite a good peak. I came up with the following theory & thought I'd run it past you all.
I've noticed that the duration of the peak I get from pills has been reducing somewhat over the last six months, but the average strength of the peak hasn't really changed much (ie. a good pill is still good, it just doesn't last as long). I've noticed also that I've been feeling initial effects after around 20/30 minutes compared with 40/50 minutes previously. Could this be due to the use of a binding agent that dissolves more quickly in the stomach, so that the active ingredient is released much more quickly? Basically the whole "quicker release into bloodstream, quicker come-up, stronger reaction, quicker come-down" theory behind methods such as snorting & plugging.
The cynic in me suggests that because of this, the manufacturers can put less active ingredient into each pill but still manage to produce the same strength hit from it because the mdma is being released more quickly (this obviously assumes that the stomach absorbs all the mdma available to it at a given time). The peak is over quicker, so more pills are needed for the night. Pills that used to be a bargain for $35 are no longer so cheap...
I have considered the fact that it may be due to reduced serotonin levels, but that ignores the fact that I can still peak all night if I want to, it just takes more pills to do so. I don't consider it a tolerance issue either, because I've been "good" over the past six months and I can still peak relatively hard off a single pill (at least as hard as I could 12 months ago).
Thoughts? Similar experiences? Has this already been brought up before? (I only drop in from time to time now so may have missed it).
Anyway, it's just a theory for discussion, though if anybody has definite answers (either way) I'm very interested in hearing them.
Cheers,
Ben.
[This message has been edited by Ben (edited 03 May 2001).]

I'll add my bit about railing.
I don't believe in the whole "railing gives a drastically shorter peak". I've peaked hard of half a motorola railed for a solid 3 hours. The reason it may seem shorter is because u loose the most of the come up (or rather you come up in 5 seconds and then come up for a further 10 minutes, although I've had waves of coming up from railing for up to 2 hours of varying strength)...
I guarantee y'all that off a strong pill, after you've come down from it, you still have mdma (shorter for mdea, longer for mda, dunno about the other mdxx... any1 else know?),floating around in your axons n stuff, it's just they've had enough of squeezing ol seratonin into your synapse...
Railing, dropping, pluggin, whatever... it sticks around in your blood for a while after you come down...
Anyway, my point is, try railing people

Ben: shorter peaks may be due to increased tolerance? it might be becos your body is getting used to the effects of MDMA and the peak is shorter, i'm sort of thinking about drinking and weed n speed on my body, even though i have been good as well *shrugs* i like the conspiracy theory better though
Macht : can i still call you plugger though?? railer doesn't sound as cool...there's only one tony lockett.. *STOP*
Peace
rc1n

rc1n: you hit the nail right on the head. Ok think about this. When I got the first batch Melodies and had one, I was so knocked out so bad that it wasn't funny. Now if I had one it would just be like, "oh yeah, pretty good". We have been very lucky with all the pills that have been going around lately and I think "everyones" tolorences has gone up. Pills like the blue A's, ?'s, Hondas, MTV....etc if they were to come out when the 007's and buddha's were around they would have been the best pill around. I think what everyone needs to do to have a good roll with all these awesome pills is have a longer break, longer than usual.

I agree with what everyones said.
Motoman, we have been pretty spoilt as of late when it comes to quality pills. I remember last year, when there wasnt an MDMA bic to be found anywhere, and when someone did, they rolled SO hard, even if the pill wasnt of the quality we have been having lately.
I am on a break at the moment, simply because I have found my tolerance is huge, and my memory is completely ruined (I'm thinking permanent damage as well, and I'm WAY too young to be suffering from this)
As people have said Ben, maybe a break is dude? Say like 2 months or so. Personal choice though.
Oh, and nice to see a post from you dude, its been a while!!
horse

I hear ya horse...major memory fuck up for me too. I think there might need to be a huge break for everyone with all these strong suckers getting around. I don't care what anyone says....mdma pills fuck your head BIGTIME. I am gona pretty much strap myself to my bed for at least 1 month and not even look at a pill.

Yeah, I agree tolerance could be an issue, but it's not like I've been partying my hardest lately. Since December/January (heavy partying), I've only dropped every three/four weeks & it has usually been only one in the night - sometimes even half! Dropped two at rennaisance in early March (pokemons) & the peaks from those lasted probably 3.5 hours each, but most other pills I've had lately were only ok IMO (hey, I was weaned on the original green CU's & blue supermen before them, so I've got high standards )
Am not stinging for a break the way I have in the past (like early last year for example), although I'm finding myself getting more interested in the other areas of my life lately so I think a natural break will occur anyway. I had a break over October/November at any rate. It's for these reasons that I think tolerance is only part of it...
On the issue of permanent damage - I'm positive I've exposed myself to it too, & do have difficulty with certain mental tasks that I didn't previously. It's ok though - you learn to work with/around it (am still kicking arse at work ). Given a good two year break or so I'm sure that my brain will regenerate anyway. Even three month breaks have worked wonders in the past - it's all about exercising your brain!

Just to throw a spanner in the works, I peaked the hardest and longest I have in quite a long time, and had the overall best 'roll' ever from one of those red hondas on the weekend... And this is after 2 previous weeks of partying hard... Now I know the hondas are good, but that good? ...and what happened to tolerance there? ...Buggered if I know what happened, but it was damn good!
I'm taking a little break now, tho that last experience kinda says I don't need too... I'm not gonna listen to that voice tho, might get me into trouble

Ben- it's all about a little shit of a thing called receptor downregulation. The cells in your brain that respond to release of serotonin (5-hydroxy tryptamine) get sick and tired of coping with massive signal overload caused by E releasing huge amounts of 5HT. The receiving cells change and have less "ports" (receptors) available over time to receive the serotonin signal.
Upshot: even if your pill has the same amount of mdma and causes the same 5HT release, the received signal will be less and the effect less. Hope this makes sense.
Remedy: take a break; your cells will eventually regrow the normal number of receptors. Then find some superb pills and go absolutely nuts!
More info: check out www.dancesafe.org for the ecstasy slide show.
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"You drive," he said. "I think there's something wrong with me." - Hunter S. Thompson, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

how could your tars, you said that the alpha's were the best ever, only to go and renounce our little grinning session for one of those damn hondas..

as all things considered, i don't thinks bens observations have a hell of a lot to do with tollerance (setatonin receptor downgrading/downregulation) as by the sounds of things you've been quite nice to your poor brain and have limited the frying that some of the other pill monkeys often dish out..
think that there may be a fairly valid comment there on pill strength. the last batch of melodies were by far the 'hardest and fastest' pill i've had, which seems to be the general concensus around the bl grapevine. i don't know whether this can be attributed to a binding agent issue or by synthesis variations of actuall chemical compound variences,, ie mdxx.
but at least there is such a beautiful supply of good pills around at the moment, i fear that tollorance will be something that we may all have to run away from..
it sure would be interested to actually get the binding agent analysed via thin film or gas chromatography to figure out where there has been any change, or it is simply a placebo effect of higher mdxx concentrations. so, budding chemists out there with a TFC kit wanna give it a go?
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dv8

Ohh, those yellow melodies... One of those completely broke me. Hot damn.
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The woods are dark and deep, and you have miles to go before you sleep...

Hey Ben, how goes it
All I can say is, I hear ya! I know exactly what you mean. I havent been going hard at all this year. I just had a huge one last weekend, but before that the most I'd had in one night was 1.5 on NYE! I've had pills maybe 1 every 4 weeks since then (sometimes only half aswell) yet I too feel that pills aren't lasting as long. They're still fucking great when they come on, really nice good quality pills i've had recently too (red honda's, MTV, BB's, peach motorola's (from last year) HQ's.
And yeah, generally find the "roll" shorter too.

I also find that if you have a really good pill that because you peak so hard and the peak is much higher that when you do come down, you feel that you arent rolling anymore but its just because you were so high before. Where as with slightly crappier pills you dont ever get as high and notice the after glow more. Just me rambling after having too much G or some truth?

Nickstar, I was thinking a little along those lines too.... and also...with pills you know exactly what to expect, the only thing you can't tell is how much you will peak...
so..the more you do, the more you may become attuned to the slight effects of comedown.. whereas in the earlier days you just enjoyed all of the ride?...
hehe..or am I rambling from not enough G..damn, it's only 9am..too early to start...

well...i think...uhhhhh...
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.crap...i forgot ummmmm...
yeah...MELBOURNE needs a break... we have been going too hard and too long this summer/autumn...the awsome parties this year just dont seem to stop! remember this time last year??? it was dead!!! just my 2...whats the word...ummm...cents!!!

Hey mona. Going great guns, thanks for asking. Moving to Europe indefinitely in 7 weeks time, so have been working my skinny arse off & saving heaps of money. You still stuck in Bathurst? (btw, you have been good - only 1.5 on NYE?!)
Straylight: I understand what you're saying, & have experienced that before, which is why I feel that if it was solely due to tolerance I wouldn't be able to roll so hard off a single pill. I agree that it does play a part though.
My theory on the binder was only that, and I really don't know enough about chemistry to claim that it has any merit, but it's the only thing I could think of to explain it.
Nickstar - you have a good point, and it happens to me too. It's just that the peak went away an hour before it was "supposed" to...
Thanks for all the replies people! It has been most interesting.

Ben...Europe...indefinitely..in 7 weeks...GODDAMMMMMMM.... this means.....we need to have a PARTY.....
..bluelight farewell party at our place?
all welcome..