What is the Tuesday dip?
MDMA is a psychoactive drug known for its empathogenic and stimulant effects. In addition to therapeutic sessions, it is used much more and in higher doses at parties and in clubs as a recreational drug. A well-known phenomenon after using a lot of MDMA is the "Tuesday dip" or "Tuesday afternoon dip", where people feel tired and depressed on the Tuesday after the weekend, when they have used MDMA.
Serotonin
There are several reasons why the Tuesday blues can occur after using MDMA. First, MDMA use can lead to depletion of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep and appetite. MDMA use can deplete the brain's serotonin stores, leaving less serotonin available to regulate these functions. This can lead to feelings of fatigue, sadness and sleep problems, which are often associated with the Tuesday blues.
Lack of sleep
Another possible cause of the Tuesday blues after using MDMA is the further disruption of sleep due to the stimulating effect on the central nervous system. As a result, people often have extra difficulty falling asleep after using it. This can lead to lack of sleep and fatigue, which contributes to the feelings of the Tuesday blues. Furthermore, the disruption of sleep can lead to a disruption of circadian rhythms, which play an important role in the regulation of mood and energy levels.
Dopamine
A third possible cause of the Tuesday blues after using MDMA is the depletion of dopamine stores in the brain. MDMA increases the release of dopamine in the brain, which can cause a feeling of reward and euphoria. However, MDMA use can also lead to a depletion of dopamine stores in the brain, which can make people feel sad and depressed after using it. This can contribute to the feelings of the Tuesday blues.
Sleep better against the Tuesday blues
Sleep problems and the depletion of serotonin and dopamine therefore play a major role in getting the Tuesday blues. To prevent sleeping problems as much as possible, it is advisable not to use MDMA too late in the day. With a therapeutic dose of MDMA, most of the effects disappear after 6 hours. However, it is still difficult to fall asleep for a few hours. We therefore recommend starting MDMA sessions before 5:00 PM and if possible even earlier. Starting between 10am and 3pm is considered ideal to minimize sleep deprivation.
More serotonin against the Tuesday blues
The depletion of the body's own serotonin plays a major role in the Tuesday dip. You can replenish serotonin stores naturally with food that contains a lot of tryptophan, such as turkey, chicken, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, tofu and fish. Regular exercise can also stimulate serotonin production in the brain. Sunlight stimulates the production of vitamin D in the body, which in turn can increase serotonin production (15-30 minutes in the sun is enough).
You can use supplements to replenish serotonin after an MDMA session, but not too soon. To prevent high levels of serotonin, MDMA must first be completely worn off and to be on the safe side, take an extra 24 hours as a buffer. In many cases, this means that the 2nd day after MDMA use you can start taking 5HTP or tryptophan in combination with krill or algae oil.
More information about serotonin: Serotonin and how to increase it
More dopamine against the Tuesday blues
During the MDMA sessions that we organize at Triptherapie, we offer a legal analogue of MDMA. The advantage of this analogue is that less dopamine is used. This keeps the dopamine level at a reasonable level and these sessions contribute less to a chronic loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. The depletion of dopamine that occurs to a lesser extent in our sessions can also be supplemented with food and supplements, just like the complete depletion with MDMA use. You can stimulate production through nutrition with bananas, avocados, oily fish, nuts, seeds and cocoa.
As with serotonin, the use of supplements is only recommended once MDMA has completely worn off and, to be on the safe side, with an additional margin of 24 hours. The following supplements help increase the available dopamine in the brain: Tyrsine or Mucuna puriens in combination with turmeric and magnesium.
More tips for it increasing dopamine
Use MDMA wisely
The chance of Tuesday dips is smaller with MDMA sessions because first of all, a therapeutic dosage of 75-125 mg and therefore not the party dosages of sometimes more than 300 mg, which causes more depletion of the neurotransmitters. Often taking more is no longer useful and it is wise to stop taking it. So more is not always better. Even with doses of 75-125 mg MDMA for MDMA therapy, it is wise to allow a recovery period of at least one month to prevent chronic loss of dopaminergic receptors in the brain.
Live healthy and feel better
Psychedelic therapy included MDMA therapy can make it easier to make the healthy choice. With or without a dip, it is advisable to eat healthy, exercise and engage in social interactions. So take advantage of the push to do the right thing. For example, read one of our blogs about health via the links below:
Healthy fats | Sugars and sweeteners | Amino acids and proteins | Anti-depression diet | The best diet
Our MDMA sessions
The MDMA sessions that we supervise at Trip Therapy have less chance of Tuesday dips and we take neurochemistry into account during the preparation. Based on the intake, we advise which diet and supplements you can use for the MDMA session You can already achieve a better balance between dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine and GABA. This preparation contributes to better sessions and better results. Would you like to do an MDMA session with us? First complete the intake via the link below. We will then immediately check whether you have any contraindications.