Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic hallucinogens or serotonergic hallucinogens, the term psychedelic is sometimes used more broadly to include various types of hallucinogens, such as those which are atypical or adjacent to psychedelia like salvia and MDMA, respectively.
Tryptamine is an indolamine metabolite of the essential amino acid, tryptophan. The chemical structure is defined by an indole—a fused benzene and pyrrole ring, and a 2-aminoethyl group at the second carbon. The structure of tryptamine is a shared feature of certain aminergic neuromodulators including melatonin, serotonin, bufotenin and psychedelic derivatives such as dimethyltryptamine (DMT), psilocybin, psilocin and others.
Psilocin, also known as 4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (4-OH-DMT), is a substituted tryptamine alkaloid and a serotonergic psychedelic. It is present in most psychedelic mushrooms together with its phosphorylated counterpart psilocybin. Psilocin is a Schedule I drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Acting on the serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, psilocin's psychedelic effects are directly correlated with the drug's occupancy at these receptor sites. The subjective mind-altering effects of psilocin are highly variable and are said to resemble those of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT).
5-MeO-MiPT is a psychedelic and hallucinogen of the tryptamine family. It used by some as an entheogen. It has structural and pharmacodynamic properties similar to the drugs 5-MeO-DiPT, DiPT, and MiPT. It is commonly used as a "substitute" for 5-MeO-DiPT because of the very similar structure and effects.
N-Methyltryptamine (NMT), also known as monomethyltryptamine, is a chemical compound of the tryptamine family and a naturally occurring compound found in the human body and certain plants.
A serotonin receptor agonist is an agonist of one or more serotonin receptors. They activate serotonin receptors in a manner similar to that of serotonin, a neurotransmitter and hormone and the endogenous ligand of the serotonin receptors.
5-Fluoro-α-methyltryptamine, also known as PAL-544, is a putative stimulant, entactogen, and psychedelic tryptamine derivative related to α-methyltryptamine (αMT). It has been found to act as a well-balanced serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agent, a 5-HT2A receptor agonist, and a potent and specific MAO-A inhibitor. which suggests that 5-fluoro-αMT could be an active psychedelic in humans, although it is not known to have been tested in humans and could be dangerous due to its strong inhibition of MAO-A.
5-Fluoro-N,N-dimethyltryptamine is a tryptamine derivative related to compounds such as 5-bromo-DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. It produces a robust head-twitch response in mice, and hence is a putative serotonergic psychedelic. Fluorination of psychedelic tryptamines either reduces or has little effect on 5-HT2A/C receptor affinity or intrinsic activity, although 6-fluoro-DET is inactive as a psychedelic despite acting as a 5-HT2A agonist, while 4-fluoro-5-methoxy-DMT is a much stronger agonist at 5-HT1A than 5-HT2A.
7,N,N-trimethyltryptamine (7-methyl-DMT, 7-TMT), is a tryptamine derivative which acts as an agonist of 5-HT2 receptors. In animal tests, both 7-TMT and its 5-methoxy derivative 5-MeO-7-TMT produced behavioural responses similar to those of psychedelic drugs such as DMT, but the larger 7-ethyl and 7-bromo derivatives of DMT did not produce psychedelic responses despite having higher 5-HT2 receptor affinity in vitro (cf. DOBU, DOAM). 7-TMT also weakly inhibits reuptake of serotonin but with little effect on dopamine or noradrenaline reuptake.
4-MeO-DMT (4-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is a tryptamine derivative which has some central activity in animal tests similar to that of related psychedelic tryptamine drugs, although with significantly lower potency than either 5-MeO-DMT or 4-hydroxy-DMT (psilocin).
4-Fluoro-5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (4-F-5-MeO-DMT) was first described by David E. Nichols team in 2000. It is a potent 5-HT1A agonist. Substitution with the 4-fluorine markedly increased 5-HT1A selectivity over 5-HT2A/2C receptors with potency greater than that of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT.
Substituted tryptamines, or simply tryptamines, also known as serotonin analogues (i.e., 5-hydroxytryptamine analogues), are organic compounds which may be thought of as being derived from tryptamine itself. The molecular structures of all tryptamines contain an indole ring, joined to an amino (NH2) group via an ethyl (−CH2–CH2−) sidechain. In substituted tryptamines, the indole ring, sidechain, and/or amino group are modified by substituting another group for one of the hydrogen (H) atoms.
5-Chloro-α-methyltryptamine (5-Chloro-αMT), also known as PAL-542, is a tryptamine derivative related to α-methyltryptamine (αMT) and one of only a few known specific serotonin-dopamine releasing agents (SDRAs). It has been investigated in animals as a potential treatment for cocaine dependence. The EC50 values of 5-chloro-αMT in evoking the in vitro release of serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE) in rat synaptosomes were reported as 16 nM, 54 nM, and 3434 nM, with an NE/DA ratio of 63.6 and a DA/5-HT ratio of 3.38, indicating that it is a highly specific and well-balanced SDRA. However, 5-chloro-αMT has also been found to act as a potent full agonist of the 5-HT2A receptor, with an EC50 value of 6.27 nM and an efficacy of 105%. It is likely to act as a potent agonist of other serotonin receptors as well.
O-Acetylbufotenine, or bufotenine O-acetate, also known as 5-acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-AcO-DMT) or O-acetyl-N,N-dimethylserotonin, is a synthetic tryptamine derivative and putative serotonergic psychedelic. It is the O-acetylated analogue of the naturally occurring peripherally selective serotonergic tryptamine bufotenine and is thought to act as a centrally penetrant prodrug of bufotenine.
5-Fluoro-MET (5F-MET, 5-fluoro-N-methyl-N-ethyltryptamine) is a psychedelic tryptamine derivative related to drugs such as 5-Fluoro-DMT and N-methyl-N-ethyltryptamine (MET). It acts as an agonist at the 5-HT2A receptor with an EC50 of 20.6 nM and produces a head-twitch response in animal studies. Ring fluorination in this case increases efficacy at 5-HT2A, with 5F-MET having an efficacy of 87.6% vs 5-HT, vs 36.2% for the partial agonist MET. It is claimed to have antidepressant activity.
5-Fluoro-EPT (5F-EPT, 5-fluoro-N-ethyl-N-propyltryptamine) is a psychedelic tryptamine derivative related to drugs such as EPT and 5-MeO-EPT. It acts as a potent full agonist at the 5-HT2A receptor with an EC50 of 5.54 nM and an efficacy of 104% (compared to serotonin). It produces a head-twitch response in animal studies, and is claimed to have antidepressant activity.
5-Fluoro-DET is a tryptamine derivative related to drugs such as DET and 5-MeO-DET. It acts as an inhibitor of the enzyme myeloperoxidase, and is also thought to be an agonist at the 5-HT2A receptor.
A trip killer, or hallucinogen antidote, is a drug that aborts or reduces the effects of a hallucinogenic drug experience. As there are different types of hallucinogens that work in different ways, there are different types of trip killers. They can completely block or reduce the effects of hallucinogens or they can simply provide anxiety relief and sedation. Examples of trip killers, in the case of serotonergic psychedelics, include serotonin receptor antagonists, like antipsychotics and certain antidepressants, and benzodiazepines. Trip killers are sometimes used by recreational psychedelic users as a form of harm reduction to manage so-called bad trips, for instance difficult experiences with prominent anxiety. They can also be used clinically to manage effects of hallucinogens, like anxiety and psychomotor agitation, for instance in the emergency department.
6-MeO-DMT, or 6-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, also known as 6-OMe-DMT, is a serotonergic drug of the tryptamine family. It is the 6-methoxy derivative of the serotonergic psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and is a positional isomer of the serotonergic psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT.
