Appearance Ecstasy is usually sold as small tablets or capsules. Yellow or white tablets are the most common but many other colours and designs such as pink, purple, blue, speckled and striped have been available. Some tablets also have embossed shapes on them, such as hearts, doves, robins, rabbits and champagne bottles. Ecstasy is usually swallowed. When swallowed, the effects start within approximately 30 to 90 minutes.
Ecstasy affects the production of seratonin, a mechanism which regulates the body s temperature.
It appears to cause a loss of control of normal body temperature. When the effects of ecstasy are combined with physical activity such as dancing, the user is likely to overheat and dehydrate. In order to combat dehydration and to rehydrate the body, people need adequate amounts of water. However, ecstasy is also thought to disturb the brain s ability to determine when a person has had enough to drink. Excessive water intake can result in a breakdown of cell structure which causes cells to swell up, burst and die.