PMA

Effects are similar to those experienced with other stimulants including ecstasy and other amphetamines:

• increase in energy,
• minor visuals ².

Symptoms with a higher dose include:

• hallucinationswhere someone sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels things that don't exist outside of their mind,
• convulsionswhen your body shakes violently without you meaning it to,
• respiratory distress ².

• Doses of less than 50 milligrams (usually one pill) causes symptoms like ecstasy; increased breathing, body temperature, pulse rate and blood pressure, erratic eye movements, muscle spasms, nausea and heightened visual stimulationcan be defined as any changes in a person's energy levels which are interpreted as stimulating and encouraging when it comes to movement and physical activities such as running, walking, cleaning, socializing, dancing, and climbing More.
• Dosages over 60-80 mg (lower than those used regularly for ecstasy) are considered potentially lethal. They can cause cardiac arrhythmiavariation or irregularity of the rhythm of the heart More (irregular heartbeat) and arrest, breathing problems, pulmonary congestion, kidney failure, hypothermia, vomiting, convulsionswhen your body shakes violently without you meaning it to, coma and death ¹¹.

PMA and PMMA as they are not considered to have any recreational value as they produce only mild stimulanta drug that acts on the Central Nervous System, increasing some rates of function such as heart-rate and euphoric effects and moderate visual distortions. However, it is thought most people who have used these drugs purchased them believing they were MDMA pills. PMMA is reportedly weaker than PMA but more “ecstasy-like” ⁹.

The long-term effects of PMA and PMMA have not yet been established but some research indicates they may have similar long-term effects to ecstasy ¹, ¹³.

• Stimulationcan be defined as any changes in a person's energy levels which are interpreted as stimulating and encouraging when it comes to movement and physical activities such as running, walking, cleaning, socializing, dancing, and climbing More – In terms of its effects on the user’s physical energy levels, PMA is commonly regarded as moderately stimulating and energetic exclusively at lower dosages.
• Abnormal heartbeat – Accelerated and abnormal heartbeats are extremely common with PMA.
• Appetite suppression.
• Dehydration.
• Dizziness – This effect is significantly more common with PMA than it is with methamphetamine or MDMASee Ecstasy More ⁴.
• Dry mouth.
• Heightened senses (sight, hearing and touch) ¹.
• Increased bodily temperature – The most common cause of death from PMA is due to severe hyperthermiaThis is a condition in which the body's temperature is higher than normal More.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Increased heart rate.
• Increased perspiration ⁴.
• Muscle spasms ¹.
• Nausea and vomiting – This is common at any dose.
• Pupil dilation.
• Rapid breathing – People commonly report “not being able to breathe”.
• Seizuresthe outward effect can vary from uncontrolled jerking movement (tonic-clonic seizure) to as subtle as a momentary loss of awareness More – This is significantly more common with PMMA than with almost any other substance.
• Teeth grinding.
• Temporary erectile dysfunction.
• Vasoconstrictionnarrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels (in particular the large arteries and small arterioles).
• Vibrating vision – This effect is generally more frequent than with MDMASee Ecstasy More ⁴.

• Anxiety or Anxiety suppression – This depends greatly on the dosage, as higher dosages are almost guaranteed to bring anxiety, due to all the adverse effects.
• Cognitive euphoriastate of intense well-being, happiness, and excitement More or cognitive dysphoriaexperiencing little or no joy in their life – This depends greatly on the dosage, as higher dosages are almost guaranteed to bring dysphoriaexperiencing little or no joy in their life, due to all the adverse effects.
• Dream suppression.
• Time distortion.
• Wakefulness ⁴.

At moderate to high dosages, PMA is capable of producing typically mild or moderate visual distortions, which are usually more common and pronounced than with MDMA, but significantly less when compared with most psychedelics, such as 2C-B or LSD ⁴.

• Seeing colours and shapes.
• Irregular eye movements ¹

Suppressions

• Double vision ⁴.

Distortions

• Drifting (melting, breathing, morphing and flowing) – This effects is more pronounced than it is with MDMA.
• Tracers ⁴.

• Abnormal heartbeat
• Appetite suppression
• Dehydration
• Dizziness
• Increased body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate
• Increased perspiration
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rapid breathing
• Seizuresthe outward effect can vary from uncontrolled jerking movement (tonic-clonic seizure) to as subtle as a momentary loss of awareness More
• Teeth grinding
• Vasoconstrictionnarrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels (in particular the large arteries and small arterioles)
• Vibrating vision
• Anxiety
• Double vision

In the days after using PMA/PMMA, you may experience:

• difficulty concentrating,
• anxiety, irritability and depression,
• restless sleep and exhaustion,
• loss of appetite,
• paranoiasuspicion, distrust or fear of other people (feeling suspicious and frightened) ¹, ¹⁴.

If you take a large amount or have a strong batch, you could overdose.

PMA and PMMA can cause death. Call an ambulance straight away by dialling 999 or triple zero (000) if you, or someone else, has any of the following symptoms (Emergency services are there to help and can provide instructions over the phone):

• extremely high body temperature,
• convulsionswhen your body shakes violently without you meaning it to and seizuresthe outward effect can vary from uncontrolled jerking movement (tonic-clonic seizure) to as subtle as a momentary loss of awareness More,
• difficulty breathing,
• nausea and vomiting,
• kidney failure,
• severe hyperthermiaThis is a condition in which the body's temperature is higher than normal More,
• coma ¹, ¹⁵.

It is possible to build up a tolerancethis is the process by which the receptors in your brain become habituated to the action of a drug. When tolerance is reached, more of the drug is required to achieve the same effect. With benzodiazepines, and probably with many other classes of drugs as well, tolerance is virtually always associated with some degree of physical dependence. If you find that you are experiencing tolerance, this is a clear warning sign that you may have formed a dependence. More to PMA/PMMA, which means you need to take larger amounts of it to get the same effect. However, there have been no reports of any physical withdrawal symptoms and dependence. There is potential for psychological dependence to develop (desire to keep taking the drug despite the risks) ¹, ¹⁶, ¹⁷.

PMA and PMMA are less euphoric but more toxiccapable of causing injury or death at lower doses than MDMA and can also take longer to take effect. This has led people to believe they were taking low dose MDMA pills and redosing leading to overdose. They can cause life-threatening hyperthermiaThis is a condition in which the body's temperature is higher than normal More and serotonin syndrome even at moderate doses. Risks are increased if mixed with other stimulanta drug that acts on the Central Nervous System, increasing some rates of function such as heart-rate drugs or with alcohol ⁹.

Long term risks are not yet fully known ⁹.

• Alcohol – Drinking alcohol on stimulants is considered risky because it reduces the sedativeOne of a diverse group of drugs manufactured for medical purposes to relax the central nervous system. More effects of the alcohol that the body uses to gauge drunkenness. This often leads to excessive drinking with greatly reduced inhibitions, increasing the risk of liver damage and increased dehydration. The effects of stimulants will also allow one to drink past a point where they might normally pass out, increasing the risk. If you do decide to do this then you should set a limit of how much you will drink each hour and stick to it, bearing in mind that you will feel the alcohol and the stimulanta drug that acts on the Central Nervous System, increasing some rates of function such as heart-rate less.
• GHB/GBL – Stimulants increase respiration rate allowing a higher dose of sedatives. If the stimulanta drug that acts on the Central Nervous System, increasing some rates of function such as heart-rate wears off first then the depressant effects of the GHB/GBL may overcome the user and cause respiratory arrestRespiratory arrest is caused by airway obstruction, decreased respiratory drive, or respiratory muscle weakness. More.
• Opioids – Stimulants increase respiration rate allowing a higher dose of opiates. If the stimulanta drug that acts on the Central Nervous System, increasing some rates of function such as heart-rate wears off first then the opiate may overcome the patient and cause respiratory arrestRespiratory arrest is caused by airway obstruction, decreased respiratory drive, or respiratory muscle weakness. More.
• Cocaine – The rewarding effects of cocaine are mediated by DAT inhibition, and an increase of exocytosis of dopamine through the cell membrane. Amphetamine reverses the direction of DAT and the direction vesicular transports within the cell by a pH mediated mechanism of displacement, thus excludes the regular mechanism of dopamine release through means of exocytosis because the effects Na+/K+ ATPase are inhibited. You will find cardiac effects with the combination of cocaine and amphetamine due to a SERT mediated mechanism from the subsequent activation of 5-HT2B, which is an effect of serotonin-related valvulopathy. Amphetamines generally cause hypertensionhigh blood pressure in models of abuse, and this combination can increase the chances of syncope due to turbulent blood flow during valve operation. The rewarding mechanisms of cocaine are reversed by administration of amphetamine ^{18 , 19 , 20}.
• Cannabis – Stimulants increase anxiety levels and the risk of thought loops and paranoiasuspicion, distrust or fear of other people which can lead to negative experiences.
• Caffeine – This combination of stimulants is generally considered unnecessary and may increase strain on the heart, as well as potentially causing anxiety and physical discomfort.
• Tramadol – Tramadol and stimulants both increase the risk of seizuresthe outward effect can vary from uncontrolled jerking movement (tonic-clonic seizure) to as subtle as a momentary loss of awareness More.
• DXM – Both substances raise heart rate, in extreme cases, panic attacks caused by these substances have led to more serious heart issues.
• Ketamine – Combining amphetamine and ketamine may result in psychoses that resemble schizophreniaa severe mental disorder with symptoms such as hallucinations, paranoia, and disorganised thinking More, but not worse than the psychoses produced by either substance alone, but this is debatable. This is due to amphetamines ability to attenuated the disruption of working memory caused by ketamine. Amphetamine alone may result in grandiosity, paranoiasuspicion, distrust or fear of other people, or somatic delusions with little to no effect on negative symptoms. Ketamine, however, will result in thought disorders, disruption of executive functioning, and delusions due to a modification of conception. These mechanisms are due to an increase of dopaminergic activity in the mesolimbic pathway caused by amphetamine due to its pharmacology effecting dopamine, and due to a disruption of dopaminergic functioning in the mesocortical pathways via NMDA antagonism effects of ketamine. Combining the two, you may expect mainly thought disorder along with positive symptoms ¹⁹.
• PCP – Increases risk of tachycardiarapid pulse rate, hypertensionhigh blood pressure, and manic states.
• Methoxetamine – Increases risk of tachycardiarapid pulse rate, hypertensionhigh blood pressure, and manic states.
• Psychedelics (e.g. LSD, mescaline, psilocybin) – Increases risk of anxiety, paranoiasuspicion, distrust or fear of other people, and thought loops.
  • 25x-NBOMe – Amphetamines and NBOMes both provide considerable stimulationcan be defined as any changes in a person's energy levels which are interpreted as stimulating and encouraging when it comes to movement and physical activities such as running, walking, cleaning, socializing, dancing, and climbing More that when combined they can result in tachycardiarapid pulse rate, hypertensionhigh blood pressure, vasoconstrictionnarrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels (in particular the large arteries and small arterioles) and, in extreme cases, heart failure. The anxiogenicsomething that causes anxiety More and focusing effects of stimulants are also not good in combination with psychedelics as they can lead to unpleasant thought loops. NBOMes are known to cause seizuresthe outward effect can vary from uncontrolled jerking movement (tonic-clonic seizure) to as subtle as a momentary loss of awareness More and stimulants can increase this risk.
  • 2C-T-x – Suspected of mild MAOI properties. May increase the risk of hypertensive crisis.
  • 5-MeO-xxT – Suspected of mild MAOI properties. May increase the risk of hypertensive crisis.
  • DOx
• aMT – aMT has MAOI properties which may interact unfavorably with amphetamines.
• MAOIsMAOIs may be used to treat the symptoms of depression. More – MAO-B inhibitors can increase the potency and duration of phenethylamines unpredictably. MAO-A inhibitors with amphetamine can lead to hypertensive crises.

• Possession
  • Maximum sentence – 7 years imprisonment, a fine, or both.
• Possession With Intent To Supply
  • Maximum sentence – life imprisonment, a fine, or both.
• Supply (including being concerned in supply, conspiracy to supply, aggravated supply and offer to supply)
  • Maximum sentence – life imprisonment, a fine, or both.
• Production.
  • Maximum sentence – life imprisonment, a fine, or both ².

In practice maximum sentences are rarely used ².

This is very hard to estimate with tablets, but here are a few things to consider:

• What are the markings on tablets that are being offered around? Make sure you can see what you are taking.
• ‘Ramps’ or marks on tabs are no guarantee of content, but they can help guide you.
• Colour and size or texture can help to identify a tablet, but producers rely on a type of brand recognition that can work on a number of levels.
• Just because one type of pill say a ‘white dove’, for example, was good a couple of months ago, doesn’t mean you can rely on it now.
• Check the websites that offer information. These days, ‘smartphones’ offers an extra level of self-protection that was not available to people at clubs previously. But the same advice applies, perhaps the best way to look at it is – you are looking for reports of bad pills, not necessarily endorsements of good ones.
• If you can, get your pills tested before taking them. If they include PMA/PMMA do not take the pills ².

Remember that if you don’t feel any effect from one pill (at the most) after 45 minutes, it is possible that you have not taken MDMA. Taking more of the same will not help. If it is PMA/PMMA you are taking a significant risk.

The possible interaction with other substances particularly alcohol and alcohol/energy drink mixes; if you are doing pills these should be avoided ².

Setting: This means the environment that you are in. While you are out to have a good time, don’t get too lost in the moment. It is particularly important to be aware that your body will be more likely to overheat if you are dancing in a packed club and you should make sure you top up on liquids, particularly water or an ‘isotonic’ beverage. The recommended guidelines are sipping 500ml/hour (when dancing) or 250ml/hour (when inactive) of water. However, be cautious of consuming over this amount as it can lead to overhydration which can be fatal.

Overheating is a cause for concern as one of the symptoms of PMA/PMMA at dangerous doses is hyperthermiaThis is a condition in which the body's temperature is higher than normal More. If you are in a club, do not try to counter-balance this by going out immediately to cool down, a sudden drastic change in environment can be risky. You will want to get somewhere more temperate, but overheating with PMA/PMMA does not only occur in clubs, it is an internal physical reaction. If you are worried and you begin to overheat, call an ambulance.

Stay together with your mates for at least an hour if you do take any pills.

Make sure you know where your trusted friends are if you are at a big rave, and if you get separated, have a meet-up point. If you are in other social settings (i.e. not raves or nightclubs) and you or someone who know shows signs of overheating, it is advisable to be cautious that you have taken PMA/PMMA and you should seek medical help ².