When you take Ecstasy, the vesicles release enormous amounts of serotonin into the synapse. This significantly increases serotonin receptor binding (more serotonin in the synapse means a greater chance for some of them to bind to the receptors). This increased receptor activity leads to significant changes in the brain's electrical firing and is primarily responsible for the MDMA experience (i.e. empathy, happiness, increased sociableness, enhanced sensation of touch, etc.). Notice also that there is some dopamine in the synapse as well (the blue things). MDMA also causes dopamine release (from dopamine cells), but lets not discuss that yet. Keep it in the back of your mind (no pun intended) because it will come up later when we get into neurotoxicity. For now, just notice that the dopamine receptors have also been activated.

The effects of a normal dose of ecstasy last about four to six hours. We will be looking at what happens in the brain during the various stages of an ecstasy experience, as well as some changes that may occur in the brain after long-term, frequent use. But now let's take a look at the "reuptake transporters" (those yellow "H" looking things). To understand how ecstasy works over time in the brain, it is important to know what these things do.