Health Report MDMA therapy's side effects
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Mar 13, 2026 Tom Snelling, public health professor who trials SMS reminders for childhood vaccination, and Associate Professor Jill Beatty, substance use researcher focused on MDMA psychotherapy for PTSD. They discuss MDMA therapy’s short-term side effects and gaps in long-term safety, how expectations and access shape outcomes, and results of a trial testing different framed SMS reminders to improve vaccine timeliness.
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MDMA Shows Promise But Evidence Is Early
- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy shows promising short-term PTSD benefits but the evidence base is small and methodologically weak.
- Around 330 trial participants and difficulty blinding mean results may be inflated and long-term harms are poorly characterised.
Short Term Side Effects Known Long Term Risks Unknown
- Existing trials report expected short-term MDMA effects like sweating, nausea and temperature changes but lack long-term safety data.
- Most studies stop measuring side effects at three months, leaving unknown longer-term risks.
Set Clear Expectations For MDMA Therapy
- Manage patient expectations: emphasise MDMA is not a magic cure and is intensive, costly, and adjunctive to broader therapy.
- Screen thoroughly, obtain detailed consent and plan post-session integration and follow-up for potential problems.