I like to chew my pills, I can't be assed waiting for them to kick in and even though some of them can taste like crap, especially the classic range, chewing them will take up to 20min off your kick in time and will also get you to the peak faster. This is because by chewing you dont have to wait for the pill to dissolve.

Take on an empty stomach (Tanya: Age 22 Secretary)

I always take my pills on an empty stomach; it helps them to begin working quicker and gives a better effect. By empty I don't mean that you should be hungry, being hungry actually slows your metabolism and can make them work slower and make you feel light headed. I make sure that I haven't eaten a big meal for at least a couple of hours.

Play with the Buchan (Dillon: Age 38 Lawyer)

I haven't been allowed to do this while testing the Gen 3.0 and 3.1 pills but a little trick that I would like to share is the fact that located under your tongue and back as far as you can go is a cavity known as the Buchan cavity. By letting pills dissolve there instead of swallowing them the active ingredients can go directly to the blood stream which means a faster cleaner more potent ride, in some cases it can be 3 times more potent but in others the effect can be about the same. Some pills won't dissolve quickly enough and others just taste too bad, so just have a play with it and see what works for you.

Take the big dose first (Justin: Age 23 Courier)

This is particularly true of BZP-based pills, I dont know exactly why it works like this but for me at least if I take a small dose first then no matter how much I top it up later I can never seem to get the results that I can if I start with a big one, its as if the first dose sets the boundaries. So once you figure out the optimum dose for you always start with that dose.

More is not necessarily better (Steve: Age 20 Currently Between Jobs)

I find that with pills containing T.F.M.P.P you need to hit that sweet spot and when you do it right it can actually rival ecstasy but if you take too much it becomes a bit of a head fuck and much less enjoyable. The first time I ever tried a BZP/TFMPP combo at a 2 to 1 ratio I took way too much and was paranoid for a night that seemed to last a week, I couldn't piss and spent all night worrying that my bladder would explode, drinking water or trying to piss. The second time I used a much lighter dose, about 80mg and loved it to the point where I found it hard to believe that it was actually the same substance.

Write shit down (Jayson: Age 36 IT)

Once you find the right dose for you of a particular product ,write it down. There are so many different things out there now that it is impossible to remember every experience so by writing it down you don't have to guess every time and can safely take a high dose straight off while your body and mind are still fresh.

Dont start drinking until it kicks in (Cristian: Age 25 Carpet Layer)

I am a heavy drinker and I know that strictly speaking you're not supposed to drink at all on pills but we all know that most people do. My advise is to wait till it kicks in first, if not you can end up either too drunk to notice, crashed out unconscious, or spewing it up before it has a chance to work. Maybe you are a bit more controlled than me but I know plenty of people that this has happened to, mostly with the stuff that takes longer to kick in, also the alcohol slows your metabolic rate and acts as a depressant which can make stuff take even longer to come on.

Be well rested (Emma: Age 22 Personal Assistant)

As Lab Rats we are told that we must have had at least 8 hours sleep the night before and have not have had similar substances for 4 days prior and nothing at all for 36 hours, you need to start off with natural chemical levels in your brain or the results are too random.

Be in a positive frame of mind (Melanie: Age 28 Company Director)

I think it is important especially for girls to be in a good frame of mind before we drop, some girls and even the odd boy that I know can get too hung up on the stuff if they have never taken it before and actually cause themselves to freak out. If you are scared to take something then don't, how can you enjoy it if your freaked out? Some people really can be their own worst enemies. Just relax and trust that this kind of thing has never hurt anyone and trust me you will be fine provided you aren't stupid with the dose.

Relax (Matt: Age 19 Personal Trainer)

For some people there can be a few minutes on stuff like Jax or XXX where you are rushing and its still coming up, this can feel overwhelming but just relax, close your eyes and enjoy. It doesn't last long if you relax and think of it as a sign that great things are yet to come. It can actually be very exciting once you get used to it. I actually look forward to it now and feel a bit disappointed if I don't get it.

Environment is everything (Kane: Age 38 Brother of Abel, Son of Adam)

Your brain is a very complex organ and it is impossible to say that any chemical will make you feel a certain way. You cant make anyone feel something they dont want to and when you think about it you control your own feelings based on what you think about the chemicals. They can only enhance or push you in a certain direction, but equally importantly if not more so is your environment, what you are doing, what music is playing and who you are with so don't overestimate the power of pills. You can't drop a Jax, sit down and do your tax return or watch a sad movie and wonder why it didn't work. If you want to have a good time you still have to go out and have a good time.

Eat (Isiah: Age 27 Laborer)

You will feel much better the following day if you keep you food intake up. This can be easier said than done but believe me it is well worth the effort, not only will it help to normalise your bodily function but it will also enable you to sleep much sooner. I recommend things like hot soups, yoghurts and ice creams because they are easy to eat. Protein shakes and smoothies are also very good.

Drink (Victoria: Age 33 Professional Mother of 2 little gems)

I guess this one is pretty obvious. The headache that you might experience the next day is 9 times out of 10 due to dehydration, so drink plenty of water or if its available PowerAde. PowerAde has the necessary minerals in it to keep you hydrated much better than water, if these minerals are not present then the water can just pass through you anyway.

5 HTP is not appropriate for party pills (Jimbo: Part time Chef)

I used to use 5htp for recovery and found it didnt really help, when I asked Dr London about it he explained to me that ecstasy and amphetamine leech serotonin and that is why taking a 5htp supplement helps to replenish your levels, but because party pills don't work like that it is a pretty pointless exercise. The only London Underground pills that would have required 5htp are Doves.

Tips on trying any new pills:

Take it by itself (Zak: Age 25 Retail Assistant)

Whenever I try something new I always give it at least 3 hours of uninterrupted time to do whatever it does, by then if you have taken it on an empty stomach everything that London Underground make will have had time to not only kick in but peak. This also applies to re-dosing. I made the mistake with Neuro Blast where I had taken 1 and after an hour felt nothing, so I dropped 2 more, 5 minutes later the first one kicked in and I knew that I had messed up. I was fine but didn't sleep for 3 Days. Some people will take a long-acting pill like the Gen 3 stuff and give up on it before it has kicked in, then take a faster acting Classic pill and when they both kick in at once not only is it usually too much but they mistakenly think that it was the second pill that was responsible for the whole experience and that the first was crap. 3 hours for a new pill is definitely my rule of thumb.

Take the recommended dose (Lisa: Age 24 Model and Promotions)

Most girls I know are very cautious about trying something new, there are many more male lab rats than female but don't make the mistake of taking less than the recommended dose. The first time you try something the reason is that 9 times out of 10 you will want more and because it is new you don't know whether the first dose has peaked or not yet. Believe it or not it is this overcautious approach that can actually lead to taking too much and of course don't take more than the recommended dose the first time, that is just stupid.