Tuesday Blues: What Causes It and What Can You Do?

The Tuesday blues are a common phenomenon among people who go out on weekends and use stimulants like ecstasy (MDMA). And there are more of them than you might think!

The 2022 European Drug Report shows that almost 12% of Dutch people have tried an ecstasy pill.(1)

In this article, I explain what causes the Tuesday blues, what symptoms you can expect, and provide practical tips to alleviate or even prevent the blues.

The Tuesday blues, also known as the ecstasy hangover or "Tuesday blues", is the tiredness and dip that many people experience one to two days after using ecstasy or MDMA, often on a Tuesday.

When using ecstasy, a lot of serotonin is used in your brain. After the burst of euphoria, serotonin stores are often temporarily depleted, and the body needs time to replenish them.

This recovery takes at least a few days, often leading to a temporary dip in energy and a gloomy mood in the days following the party.

Ecstasy (MDMA) is a popular recreational drug that increases serotonin release and inhibits its reuptake.

Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that influences your mood, energy and motivation.

Due to the effect of XTC, serotonin stays in your brain longer and in a higher concentration, which creates a feeling of euphoria, emotional connectedness and energy.

This happens because ecstasy (MDMA) blocks the serotonin transporter (SERT), a protein that normally carries serotonin back to the nerve cells.

Because XTC uses up your serotonin supply, there is less serotonin in your brain afterwards, which can cause you to feel depressed.

This is often most noticeable a few days after use (often on Tuesdays): the Tuesday blues.

The symptoms of the Tuesday blues can vary from person to person.

But many people feel emotionally vulnerable and exhausted, with little energy and difficulty concentrating.

The most common symptoms are:

• Despondency or depressed feelings
• Anxious feelings
• Little energy and motivation
• Increased irritability and emotional outbursts
• Feeling of emptiness and gloom
• Difficulty with concentration and memory
• Poor appetite and nausea
• Sometimes headache, especially when combined with alcohol use

It is difficult to say how long it will take for you, because the recovery of your serotonin levels is determined by factors such as dose, usage pattern, your general health and your age.

But in general you can assume the following:

• Serotonin recovery after a single use of ecstasy usually takes several days to weeks.
• With more frequent use or high doses, it is possible that your serotonin receptors are damaged, which can cause recovery to take longer, from several months to even a year.(2)(3)

Here's what you can do to avoid a Tuesday slump:

Leaving enough time between uses gives your body the chance to replenish its serotonin stores. This helps reduce the intensity of the Tuesday slump.

Proper dosage reduces the risk of a severe hangover. Too much MDMA at once puts an extra strain on your serotonin levels, which can cause a more severe Tuesday slump.

The correct dosage depends on your body weight:

Take a maximum of 1.0 (little to no experience) to 1.5 mg (a lot of experience) per kg body weight.

For example: If you weigh 75 kg, take a maximum of 75 to 112 mg.

Combining ecstasy with alcohol or other drugs can worsen the Tuesday blues. Ecstasy makes your body feel warmer and more energetic, but alcohol makes you lose more fluid.

Together they increase the risk of dehydration, which puts extra strain on your body.

Other drugs can increase the effects of ecstasy in unpredictably, further depleting your energy supplies and serotonin levels.

When using ecstasy, it's important to drink enough water to prevent dehydration from sweating. However, ecstasy disrupts your sense of thirst and makes you urinate less, causing you to retain fluid.

Drinking too much water can lead to water intoxication, which is dangerous!

Therefore, do not drink more than one glass of water per hour, alternating with soft drinks or a light salty snack to keep your fluid and salt balance safe.

When using ecstasy, your body temperature rises, and if you're dressed too warmly, your body can't get rid of that extra heat effectively. This can cause you to overheat, especially in a crowded, warm environment like a club.

Overheating puts a strain on your body and depletes your energy and fluid reserves, which can make the Tuesday dip worse later on.

Wearing light clothing and not wearing a hat or cap (except at a sunny outdoor festival) will help your body cool down better.

The tips I gave you above can help you prevent an ecstasy hangover or at least make it less severe.

But I can't promise you complete freedom from the aftermath of a night of partying. That's why I have a few tips for you to alleviate the symptoms and speed up your recovery:

The morning after ecstasy use can be tough. Take these steps to support your recovery:

Make sure you are free from obligations for at least 1, but preferably 2 days after use so that you can recover.

Don't drink coffee or alcohol the next day, as this will dehydrate your body even more. Instead, opt for drinks that restore your fluid and electrolyte balance, such as ORS.

You can make an ORS solution yourself by boiling 1 liter of clean water and letting it cool to room temperature.

Then add 6 teaspoons of sugar 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water and stir well until everything is dissolved.

A quiet walk in a low-stimulus environment, such as the woods or a nature reserve, helps your body to produce serotonin.

Exercise promotes the production of tryptophan, an amino acid essential for the production of serotonin.

Walking in nature allows you to avoid the hustle and bustle and overstimulation of the city, allowing your senses to calm down and you to recover faster.

After using ecstasy, your body is extra susceptible to oxidative stress, which can cause damage to cells and tissues.

Vitamin C and antioxidants help neutralize this damage by fighting free radicals.

Eating foods rich in vitamin C (such as citrus fruits, berries, and peppers) and antioxidants (such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds) helps support your body's recovery process.

After using ecstasy (MDMA), your body can become exhausted and your serotonin supplies can be reduced.

Some supplements, such as 5-HTP, tryptophan, and L-tyrosine, can help restore and replenish serotonin, but you should be careful about dosage and timing.

These supplements can help after using ecstasy and thus alleviate your Tuesday blues:

• 5-HTP and Tryptophan
  5-HTP and tryptophan help the body produce serotonin. Tryptophan is an amino acid that you also get through food and is necessary for serotonin production. And 5-HTP is an intermediate that is directly converted into serotonin in the brain (it is not found in food).
• L-Tyrosine
  L-tyrosine plays a role in the production of other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which can also be affected by MDMA.

If you use these supplements before or too soon after ecstasy, serotonin production can increase too much, putting you at risk of so-called serotonin syndrome.

This syndrome can cause serious symptoms, such as:

• Increased heart rate
• Confusion
• Fever
• Muscle spasms or tremors

However, this is rare, especially if you are careful with dosage and timing.

The risk is greatest when the combination of MDMA and serotonin-boosting supplements such as 5-HTP is taken too quickly or in too high doses.(4)(5)

Our Serobooster supports the natural production of serotonin and contains high-quality ingredients such as:

• The very best Griffonia Simplicifolia extract with 25% 5-HTP
• Vitamin B6 in the active form
• Vitamin B12 in the active forms
• Easily absorbable zinc citrate

These ingredients work together to safely and effectively replenish your serotonin after a weekend of partying.

The product is vegan and is safe to use without any addictive effects.

The Tuesday dip is a common phenomenon among ecstasy users, caused by a temporary shortage of serotonin in your brain.

After an intense weekend of partying, your body can't fully restore its serotonin levels, leading to feelings of fatigue, sadness, and a lack of energy.

When taking supplements that help replenish your serotonin, such as 5-HTP and tryptophan, it is important that you only do so 24 hours after use to avoid serotonin syndrome (and certainly not beforehand!).

By using ecstasy responsibly, allowing enough time between parties and taking the necessary precautions, you can significantly reduce the impact of the Tuesday blues.

Sources used

1. European Drug Report 2022: Trends and Developments | www.euda.europa.eu. (nd). https://www.euda.europa.eu/publications/edr/trends-developments/2022_en
2. Roberts, C. A., Jones, A., & Montgomery, C. (2016). Meta-analysis of molecular imaging of serotonin transporters in ecstasy/polydrug users. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 63, 158–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.02.003
3. Müller, F., Brändle, R., Liechti, M.E., & Borgwardt, S. (2018). Neuroimaging of chronic MDMA (“ecstasy”) effects: A meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 96, 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.11.004
4. Tao R, Shokry IM, Callanan JJ. Environment Influencing Serotonin Syndrome Induced by Ecstasy Abuse. Ann Forensic Res Anal. 2017;4(1):1039. Epub 2017 Mar 7. PMID: 29732414; PMCID: PMC5931730.
5. Parrott, A.C. (2002). Recreational Ecstasy/MDMA, the serotonin syndrome, and serotonergic neurotoxicity. Pharmacology Biochemistry And Behavior, 71(4), 837–844. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0091-3057(01)00711-0