Ecstasy

What happens in the liver?

Some of the MDMA molecules pass through the capillary walls and enter the liver cells. Liver cells contain vast amounts of enzymes. These are a kind of workers that help convert or break down substances.

The liver enzymes also break down some of the MDMA molecules. Ultimately only about 35 percent of these are broken down in the liver. The rest remain intact and will be eliminated from the body in their original form.

Some of the breakdown products (metabolites) of MDMA produce psychoactive effects themselves. For example, about 8 percent of the MDMA in the body is converted to the metabolite MDA. This breakdown product is still very similar to MDMA and also exerts effects on the brain.