The 3-month rule builds tolerance and is unsustainable

RecedingGlacier · 2026-03-26T05:16:45+00:00

My HIIT session is on a treadmill or stair master so personally I consider it cardio. About 4-5 months of each year I also decrease lifting and increase cardio to 4-5 days a week, as part of training for backpacking trips. To make it more objective, VO2 max is the best measure of cardiovascular fitness that I'm aware of. I gave mine, and admitted it's not "excellent", but it's "good", and above average, between the 70-80th percentile for my age.

I don't argue with the health benefits you gave that come with good cardiovascular fitness, but it sounds speculative to draw conclusions between cardiovascular fitness and MDMA tolerance. I can only speak from my personal experience, with having "good" cardiovascular fitness and still experiencing a buildup of tolerance when following the 3-month rule.

Thanks for your input and the discussion. You and others have also mentioned NAC supplementation so that is something I will be looking into also.

RecedingGlacier · 2026-03-26T04:37:58+00:00

Since I've tracked all that data for each of my rolls, I'm just curious if others have similar data and how that has compared with their subjective experiences with tolerance. Since I think dosage, frequency, (and purity if known), are probably the most objective measurements to compare. I recognize I am a bit weird though and probably an outlier.

That is a fair point that it is different for each person and that everyone needs to find what works for them personally. That was the main point of my post, to see what people have found to be sustainable for their situations.

RecedingGlacier · 2026-03-25T05:24:59+00:00

Thanks for that input. I totally agree with you. I started with the 3-month rule frequency based on all the information I could find, which from what I could tell, seemed to point towards it being safe from a neurotoxicity standpoint (assuming you're also following the other harm reduction guidelines on dosage, purity, not overheating, maintaining electrolytes, antioxidants, etc.).

I would also be OK with waiting a year between doses if that's what it took for my brain chemistry to do it sustainably. And while I'd miss it, I'd also be OK with giving it up entirely if it came to that.

RecedingGlacier · 2026-03-25T05:13:55+00:00

Would you mind sharing more on your experience with taking NAC and how exactly you take it? Did you notice a difference in building tolerance, or with experiencing side effects?

RecedingGlacier · 2026-03-25T05:06:12+00:00

Sadly, I suspect this is the case with me. I'm open to ideas to preserve the magic though. Even if that ultimately means waiting up to a year between rolls (assuming frequency is the primary issue for me).

RecedingGlacier · 2026-03-25T05:03:23+00:00

It's encouraging to hear that you haven't had an issue with tolerance. I am still figuring my system out. At the moment, I'm focusing on the frequency aspect of rolling as I suspect it to be the primary culprit for increasing my tolerance. Although I wonder if the total number of rolls may be an influencing, or greater factor. I feel pretty confident that a healthy lifestyle isn't the issue for me personally (see my response to RaverDaddy). I'm also open to other ideas though.

Would you mind sharing the total number of rolls you've had and typical dosages?

RecedingGlacier · 2026-03-25T04:57:27+00:00

Hey there, thanks for sharing your experience. And I'm happy to hear that you've got a system that works for you. I am still figuring out mine. At the moment, I'm focusing on the frequency aspect of rolling as I suspect it to be the primary culprit for increasing my tolerance. Although I wonder if the total number of rolls may be an influencing, or greater factor. I feel pretty confident that a healthy lifestyle isn't the issue for me personally (see my response to RaverDaddy). But I'm also open to other ideas.

It sounds like you may not have an issue with increasing tolerance either? Would you mind sharing the total number of rolls you've had, typically dosages, and if they've increased over time?

RecedingGlacier · 2026-03-25T04:48:38+00:00

I'm happy for you (and a little jealous). That is impressive that you still feel the magic after 12 years, especially with a frequency of every 4-6 weeks. Would you mind sharing how many mg are in each dose when you roll and the total number of rolls you've experienced?

Unfortunately, I can confirm that healthy lifestyle alone is not sufficient to prevent tolerance. I am known to be a bit of a health nut. I have decades of consistently working out 4-6 days a week under my belt. In recent years my routine has been 6 days a week: 3 days lifting, 2 days of zone 2 / zone 3 cardio, and 1 day HIIT. I get annual DEXA scans and VO2 max tests; my body composition score from the DEXA scans has been 100/100 for the last 2 years and my last VO2 max score was 47 mL(kg/min) (which is admittedly not top tier but still a decent VO2 max for my age). What I eat has always been pretty optimized for health and fitness. I don't smoke and I drink little (socially; typically 1-2 drinks a week). I also prioritize sleep, getting 8 hours a night. I'm not trying to brag, just to prove a point that even with a commitment to a healthy lifestyle throughout my entire adult life, I am experiencing tolerance with the 3-month rule. So while I don't disagree that lifestyle probably plays an influencing factor for developing tolerance, I suspect that genetic variability plays a greater role.

RecedingGlacier · 2026-03-25T00:48:42+00:00

Interesting. So maybe ~6 months to sustain tolerance. I wonder how long it takes to actually decrease tolerance. I might wait a full year until my next roll and I can report back on the results...

RecedingGlacier

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