Is it Possible to Age Out of MDMA?

What Has Your Experience Been?

MDMA isn’t called ecstasy for nothing. But lately I’ve heard from several of my peers that they can no longer enjoy the heart-opening magic of this medicine. The experience itself may be fabulous, but the subsequent physical and emotional downturn can be so unpleasant as to rule it out entirely.

Felice, a woman in her 70s from the Midwest, shared this with me in an interview for my book:

As I have gotten older, I just can’t take it without getting a huge hangover. And I really regret that. It’s kind of a pain in my heart, really, because it’s such a beautiful, joyful medicine.

Sadly, I’ve found this rings true for me as well.

Could age-related sensitivity to MDMA actually be a thing?

Of course, the MDMA hangover affects adults of all ages. And for certain older adults, MDMA may simply be off-limits entirely – particularly those with cardiovascular concerns.

Speaking with Ben Malcolm, AKA “the Spirit Pharmacist”, he reminded me that MDMA is a designer amphetamine, and that it raises the heart rate to levels that may preclude its safe use.

But what causes the hangover, I asked him. This is what Ben said:

Using MDMA puts real stress upon the body. And I think that’s true of MDMA for almost anyone, really. But as you age, you just don’t metabolize things as readily. You don’t bounce back from things like you once did.

MDMA releases serotonin, and one of the reasons people feel flat and hung over after MDMA is because of serotonin depletion. The other part of it is that some of the metabolites that are created when using MDMA are pro-oxidative or free radical types, which can actually cause cellular damage.

So the hangover may be due to either toxic metabolites or neurotransmitter depletion. It could also be just environmental. If you use MDMA and stay up all night and physically exert yourself, there’s probably a bit of a tax to that, versus being on the couch with eyeshades during the day.

How does older age fit into the picture?

Charley Wininger is the author of Listening to Ecstasy, which may be the definitive resource on experiencing MDMA in older life. In a recent conversation, he estimated that about 15% of the older adults in his community experience an MDMA hangover.

Wininger himself doesn’t experience any toxic comedown. The only adjustment he’s made after doing MDMA every quarter for the past 20 years has been to lower the dose he takes. He also makes sure to stay hydrated, uses a regimen of supplements, and sleeps for 12 hours the following day.

I also reached out to L, an underground facilitator who has served MDMA to hundreds, including some in their 80s. And while she is familiar with the hangover, in her experience, it only affects a small number of people. In general, she makes sure that those who journey under her watch stay hydrated with electrolytes, which can include drinking coconut water or even pickle juice.

An Informal Survey for Older Adults on MDMA

If you have experienced MDMA in older life and have any impressions to share, I’d love to hear from you! Have you had a difficult comedown? Do you have a tried-and-true method for nipping the hangover in the bud?

Please share your thoughts in the comments, or reach out to me at abbieros at proton dot me. Let’s learn together about this phenomenon!

In the meantime, the Spirit Pharmacist left me with this parting bit of wisdom:

If you’re waiting adequate times between MDMA sessions, and you’re taking moderate doses, and it knocks you down harder each time, and it takes longer to recover, then that’s probably the substance giving you the feedback that you just might graduate on to something else…

---

If you’re in the Washington, DC area this weekend, on Sunday, October 12th, I’ll be (wo)manning a booth at the Mycological Association of Washington’s annual Mushroom Fair at Brookside Gardens Visitor’s Center - talking about psilocybin and aging. Come say hello!

Thanks for reading The ELDEREVOLUTION Newsletter on Psychedelics in Older Life! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.