You’ve heard all about Ecstasy (MDMA) and maybe you scored great on the “Club Drugs A-Z” matching game. But do you know the latest facts about E? Even though the verdict is still out on the official research, the fact is that more and more long-term users are turning up with serious — and permanent — health problems. There’s a lot of information floating around out there. What’s the TRUTH? We believe knowledge is power... here’s what you need to know now so you can make your own call:

Because E is a stimulant, it increases the body’s temperature. Put someone on E in a hot, crowded club, and get them dancing for an hour, and you’ve got one seriously overheated individual who may or may not even realize the danger they’re in. It’s not enough to stay hydrated; constant cooling down is imperative. Overheating and dehydration are the most common reasons why Ecstasy-users end up in the ER.

In high doses, a sharp increase in body temperature (a condition known as malignant hyperthermia) can lead to muscle breakdown and kidney and heart failure.

Even drinking water while dancing on E can be hazardous: guzzling too much water can lead to hyponatremia— when consuming too much water causes sodium levels to drop so much that the water is absorbed into the brain cells, causing them to swell— which can be fatal. So water is important to stay hydrated when you’re rolling, but remember— too much of anything is a bad thing!

Some long-term users of E have reported muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, and chills or sweating.

Ecstasy interferes with the brain’s release of serotonin, which is responsible for regulating your mood. This can cause depression, sleep problems, severe anxiety, and paranoia— and these symptoms can crop up sometimes weeks or months after eating E.

Research shows that MDMA damages the parts of the brain used for learning and memory. One study shows that regular users of Ecstasy scored lower on memory tests.

Because Ecstasy is not legally manufactured, you never know the actual dosage of a tab, or whether it’s laced with something else toxic. Scary.