Usually MDMA has absolutely no observable backlash (it may still harm your brain though, even if you don't feel it, I don't know if it will or not) if you don't take it more often than once in 3 months (or 1 month if you insist, but absolutely never more often), avoid taking too much of it, take enough piracetam, magnesium and antioxidants (acetyl-l-carnitine, acetyl-l-cysteine, vitamins E and C, lipoic acid, CoQ10, green tea extract, grape seed extract etc) before, during and after the MDMA trip, take L-tryptophan+piracetam after the trip, smoke some weed (but don't do it in advance - this can cause a panic attack and nausea), drink enough water, sleep well and take L-tryptophan+piracetam again when you get up. What will follow is usually going to be a rather pleasant state called "afterglow". Taking emoxypine, piracetam, magnesium and St. John's wort during the days after to actually restore the receptors can also be a good idea. I have also heard eating some psilocybin shrooms can prevent MDMA hangover too but I doubt combining psychedelics is a good idea for everybody.
DISCLAIMER: The above is a piece of theoretical knowledge provided for harm-reduction purposes only and not even proven scientifically (I'd be glad if the researchers could consider checking it). Use it at your own risk. Don't take what is not legal in your country. I don't recommend taking MDMA without a prescription though I do recommend to consider harm-reduction measures if you decide to take it. Anyway, make sure you are not allergic to any of the substances you are going to take, are not taking any drugs that may interact with them and don't have any other contraindications.
It's proven that your brain down-regulates serotonin after taking MDMA, which can last a couple of days (or even longer). What's not proven is those supplements you mention. They are the go-to advice you find on websites like rollsafe etc. but that's all based on shaky science (small control groups, non peer-reviewed papers, tests on mice that might not reflect on humans etc.). Basically MDMA has not been researched well enough on humans (so thanks Pineapple fund for improving this situation). There's also no evidence that supports 'afterglow' and the supplements you mention are mainly antioxidants (and magnesium to reduce jaw clenching) that will reduce the oxidation in the brain, but doesn't affect the serotonin levels. Another good way to reduce oxidation is to keep your body cooled (but hard to do at parties). Taking 5-HTP the days after might have an effect on serotonin levels, but again, research is lacking.
What I am saying is there will certainly be some backlash if you don't do anything to prevent it but you can (or you can not - sure I can't say these advices will help everybody, perhaps some of these may even harm somebody if they have some specific contraindications) effectively prevent about 99% of it. Perhaps my grammar is not perfect but I hope the idea is fairly easy to get.
> What's not proven is those supplements you mention.
Sure, not proven any credible way. Hopefully the researchers will read this thread, take these in consideration and prove or disprove some parts.
> tests on mice
In fact there have been quite enough "testing" on humans though it's neither scientifically clean (no double-blind placebo-controlled trials, no large control groups observed, no measurements etc) nor official enough for obvious reasons. Everything is based on personal experience people share anonymously, but believe me - though not formally credible nor systematic this data is very far from being entirely mythical and useless. It's absolutely worth testing by researchers we are talking about and, well... by unaccredited enthusiasts who are going to to engage in the research on their own perhaps.
> There's also no evidence that supports 'afterglow'
Sure, no evidence, just reportedly-systematic experience of anonymous individuals. Let's just say it may cause this state, not that it necessarily will.
> and magnesium to reduce jaw clenching
Magnesium is not just to reduce jaw clenching, it's also an NDMA antagonist, known to prevent amphetamine-type drugs tolerance. And it is also an important electrolyte that you may loose if you dink, sewat and pee excessively.
> keep your body cooled (but hard to do at parties)
MDMA is, arguably, much more fun and much more safe to take at home together with just the one you love. I especially discourage taking it at parties and especially mixing it with alcohol.
> but doesn't affect the serotonin levels... Taking 5-HTP the days after...
That's why I recommend L-tryptophan. Tough less-famous than 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) for a number of reasons, it can be considered a more natural and more safe alternative to 5-HTP. L-tryptophan is the essential amino-acid naturally meant to be consumed regularly (it occurs naturally in many foods and also available in pure form as an over-the-counter supplement) your body uses to produce the amounts of 5-HTP (and then serotonin) it needs from it.
Also St. John's wort is known to upregulate serotonin receptors and increase of serotonin (!!!up to potentially life-threatening levels if combined with other serotonin-boosting substances so never take it together with MDMA, only the day after!!!).
Piracetam and emoxypine are not only antioxidants (in fact I don't even know if piracetam is an antioxidant at all) but nootropics that may improve brain blood flow, oxygen consumption and synaptic transmission, modulate the receptor complexes of the brain membranes by increasing their binding ability, stabilize biomembranes (i.e. membrane structures of blood cells - erythrocytes and thrombocytes during their haemolysis or mechanical injury accompanied by the formation of free radicals), have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory action, change the monoamine level and increases the dopamine content in the brain etc.
> but again, research is lacking.
That's why it's so great to read about the ladies and gentlemen at the Pineapple Fund going to fund the research and that MAPS is undertaking it. And that's why it's so important to share every potentially valuable idea on the subject with them so they can use it in the research.
There are 2 reasons I am writing this here:
1. I hope this can help people (though I am not sure it will help everybody) to save their health and prevent unpleasant experiences (as far as I've heard overwhelming majority of people who try MDMA experiences rather severe backlashes - this suggests they are doing it wrong and cause damage to their brains).
2. I hope this can provide the researches with ideas to start with when looking for safety measures to be proven scientifically. Surely "making sure that your schedule is clear of obligations the next day" is always a great idea but I think the stuff I've described above (including the previous commentary) should better be used too.
By the way I live in Europe and have been taking piracetam (it is an approved medicine available at every drugstore here, over-the-counter in some countries, on prescription in others) every day (making just occasional pauses for a month or two) during about 15 years already and man it's just so great I don't want to live in a country where I can't get it easily. In my opinion (based on my own long-term systematic experience with it) piracetam is an essential for brain fitness, good quality of life, physical, creative, spiritual, educational and professional self-realization. And I have never had a headache during these years (except slight headakes that I had a couple of times after having drank a way too much alcohol) although I used to have headache almost every day when I was a child and wasn't taking piracetam!
The impact of MDMA in these trials is that it's not "a few hours of excitement": the drug often helps the patient make large, permanent breakthroughs in their trauma or self-image that wouldn't be possible without the "life preserver" of the substance. Going through the trauma and reorienting oneself to it in a new, healthy way seems much more possible (to many people anyway, certainly those with full-on diagnosable PTSD) with the help of MDMA.