Other Names: pills, beanies, E, XTC, X, Ecces, MDA, MDMA

I've just scored my first Mitsie. Planning to take it this weekend but I've never tried E before - how can I tell what effect it'll have?

You can't. Effects are highly unpredictable. Brands are often ripped off and no guarantee of quality. Pills may contain no MDMA whatsoever, lots of pure MDMA, or anything from caffeine, speed and ketamine to fishtank-cleaning tablets, dog worming pills & medicine for Parkinson's disease. Only way to find out what you're getting is use an E-testing kit.

Why does Ecstasy feel so nice?

Because it floods your brain with serotonin - that's the pleasure chemical you produce when you fall in love. It makes you feel 'loved-up,' connected, open to and in love with everyone, happiness, confidence, relaxation.

E also gives you a massive energy buzz so you want to dance for hours. Music sounds fantastic, colour, light and feelings seem more intense. Plus a heightened sense of touch coupled with loss of inhibition - hence tendency to end up stroking complete strangers' hair in clubs (or is that just me?)

Sounds wicked - I'll have some!

Hold on, there's a downside too. Ecstasy effects also include

• Sweating, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness & clenchy jaw when 'coming up.'
• Involuntary muscle spasms cause twitching and gurning (mmm…sexy).
• Risk of bad trips (paranoia, panic attacks).
• Can cause short-term memory loss.
• Overdose is rare but possible.
• There have been over 80 Ecstasy-related deaths in the UK.
• Ecstasy screws up body's temperature regulation - the dangers are mainly in heatstroke, mixing with alcohol & drinking too much water.
• E puts huge strain on heart, liver & kidneys. Use has been linked to liver & kidney problems and early onset of Alzheimers.
• If you're a girl it can increase your risk of genito-urinary infections.
• Jury still out on effect of long-term Ecstasy use on brain but some research suggests link with memory & sleep problems, major depression & other mental health problems & even brain damage.

What are comedowns all about?

Think of it like a bank - you take an E and withdraw all your serotonin cash from your brain. So you have to pay it back. You brain needs a few days to replace its stores of happy juice - in the meantime the mid-week blues leave you tired, depressed, run-down, drained, anxious & suffering mood-swings.

You can make life easier for yourself by eating healthily before and after taking E, getting a good night's sleep afterwards, drinking OJ and taking Vitamin C which contains antioxidants that may help neutralise toxic effects on brain (though we don't know for sure yet), eating turkey, chicken, milk, apples, bananas, yoghurt & chocolate (they contain tryptophan which your body uses to make serotonin) plus taking 5-HTP (supplement found in health food shops) - another serotonin building block.

Brave out the comedowns - don't use other drugs to get you through them- downers like Valium can be physically addictive & skunk can make anxiety/paranoia worse.

I take it all the time but it doesn't give me the same high anymore…what to do?

Give it a rest for a while. Tolerance builds up with regular use so you need more to get same high & comedowns are worse. Can be psychologically addictive - you live for the weekends when you can do it next - the Ecstasy high is so great that real life seems grey and boring in comparison. Best to leave at least a month between each use.

It's my girlfriend's birthday this weekend so I'm planning to sort us all out some E's for the party…

Careful. Ecstasy is a class A drug like heroin & crack. So sorting your mates out counts as supplying a class A drug. If you're caught the police are likely to charge you and you could land yourself a life sentence. If you've got a bag of E's everyone will be your friend but the consequences of being caught are severe.

Any tips on safer indulging?

• Score from someone you know, not in a club as you don't know what your'e getting.
• Make sure you don't over-heat - take regular chill-out breaks if dancing and sip a pint of non-alcoholic fluid - water, fruit juice, isotonic drinks - per hour.
• Don't neck your drink all at once - it's steady intake that helps.
• Eat well before and afterwards to help body recover.
• Steer clear of strange tablets you've never seen before.
• If trying E for first time start with half or quarter of a pill, then wait.
• Do not mix with other drugs especially alcohol - it dehydrates you further & may mix badly with unknown dodgy stuff in your pill, it also stops the MDMA working properly so you wont have the same level of high.
• DON'T double drop - take one at a time & wait an hour before taking another.
• Never take more than two in a session - they may be cheap and plentiful but the more you take the more risks you run of overheating and fucking up your brain - also they may have different strengths & impurities.
• Avoid driving on Ecstasy - you may feel fine but it can make you cocky and take risks.
• If you or a mate experience the following - can't sweat, can't pee, fainting, vomiting, dizziness & cramps - get help immediately - they are symptoms of serious heat stroke.