Table of Contents
- Introduction
- General
- Dosage and Ingestion
- Effects
- How important is set/setting for AMT?
- Is there any nausea with AMT?
- What is a recommended starting dose?
- What are fun/stimulating things to do on AMT?
- Is it difficult to hide the effects from other people?
- What is the experience like (general effects summary)?
- What are some of the specific effects?
- How can I reduce the unpleasant body load of the comedown?
- Chemistry
- Other Info
I have tried to gather as much information that exists (which isn't a lot) about AMT (alpha-methyltryptamine) thatI could into a FAQ so that all your questions can be answered. There are a lot of missing elements though, and if you know of something that should be added, please email me at [Erowid Note: email address no longer valid, Oct 2006] dialtonez at phreaker.net.
This FAQ is for informational purposes only, and the use of AMT or any other substance is not condoned
by the author. Any damage done to your body/life/mind for stupidity of acting on the information in this
document is NOT my responsibilty. I've done the best I can to ensure that this information is accurate,
but I'm not perfect. Email me if you see anything that is incorrect.
Well, it finally happened. AMT is on it's way to criminalization. It's no surprise, really. There are two drug cultures in the US, and the less responsible one will always ruin something good. But just because it's illegal doesn't mean it's disappeared. One day, we'll be Free again.
AMT stands for Alpha-methyltryptamine. AMT is the indole analog of amphetamine, which accounts for it's stimulant properties. It has some MAOI properties and was studied for a time as an antidepressant. AMT is a research chemical. Make sure you understand this fully before you try it.
Alpha-methyltryptamine was studied in the 1960's by a couple pharmaceutical companies as a potential antidepressant for it's MAOI properties, along with AET. AET became marketed by the Upjohn Company as Monase, but is now a Schedule 1 drug. AMT was available in the 60's in the Soviet Union in 5 and 10 mg tablets under the name of Indopan. Today, not a lot is known about it and not much (if any) formal research is being done.
Is AMT known by any other names?
Alpha-methyltryptamine
AMT
IT-290 (dl form from Sandoz)
IT-403 (d form from Sandoz)
U-14,164E (dl form from Upjohn)
3-(2-Aminopropyl) indole
CAS RN: 299-26-3
RTECS ID
Number: NL4550000
Chemical Formula: C11H14N2
Prescription AMT from the Soviet Union in the 60's was known as Indopan.
Slang: Amtrak, Amthrax
Alpha-methyltryptamine is Schedule I in the US beginning on April 4, 2003. AMT is supposedly illegal to sell or possess in Germany. Please see Erowid's AMT Law page for more up to date information..
There is not much known about AMT's safety and long-term effects. There have been no reports of any deaths or long-term complications from the use of AMT that I am aware of. You must understand that you are using AMT at your own risk. AMT may be very safe, or quite the opposite. YOU are the guinea pig. Read about the dangers of research chemicals on Erowid.org. AMT also acts as a mild MAOI,so it is wise to take the same precautions you'd take with all other MAOIs.
Read the list of foods
and drugs
to avoid with MAOIs very thoroughly and follow it closely.
According to Erowid:
Oral Dosage: Smoked
Dosage:
Threshold: 5-15 mg Threshold:
2 mg
Light: 15-20 mg Light:
4-5 mg
Common: 20-40 mg Common:
6-10 mg
Strong: 35-60 mg Strong:
10-20+ mg
Heavy: 60-80 mg
38 mg/kg i.p. in mice and 22 mg/kg orally in rats. (Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.
4, 547 (1962))
What are common ingestion methods?
Oral:
Oral ingestion is the most common, and probably the best. You can dump the powder in a glass of water and down it. AMT doesn't taste all that bad. (It's the smell that'll get to you). Or you can put it in a capsule..note: Do NOT fill a capsule with AMT and take it..that's too much. Chemicals that are active at such low doses need to be measured carefully. A filled cap of AMT could be many times the standard dose. Make sure you measure it out correctly and accurately using a high-quality scale or the Psychedelic Booze method.
Smoked:
AMT may be smoked. See dosage information.
Intranasally:
AMT can be snorted, but I don't know too much about this. I would take
care when experimenting
with this method. Here is a quote from some old Usenet postings about AMT hosted
on Erowid
and the Lycaeum:
So, I started out with 4 mg intranasally, whch burns and smells bad The effect took quite a while to come on , even by this route of ingestion. After half a hour BINGO a very slowly building of A DEFINITIVE PSYCHEDELIC! feeling came on. It keeps building slowly but strongly for another two hours untill a plateau is reached which lasts almost four hours after which a very slow decline sets in.18 hours after ingestion, after 7 hours of sleep I awoke still feeling the effect.
Rectally:
I've heard very little about this method.
Everyone has their own opinion. There are both positive and negative effects to it, as with all drugs. It's all a matter of what you can tolerate. The positive effects may outweigh the negative for you, or vice versa. You may or may not enjoy this chemical. There's only one way to find out.
How important are set/setting for AMT?
Keep in mind that AMT is a psychedelic substance. You must take all the precautions/preparations you would take with LSD, `shrooms, etc. Most people should be able to handle anything that comes up, as long as you're not on an insane dose, but there are those that can't. AMT isn't as sensitive to set/setting as LSD, in my opinion.
For most people, there will be some nausea and possible vomiting with this substance. Take it on an empty stomach and do any other anti-nausea preparations that you must if a little stomach upset bothers you. The nausea generally builds over the first hour or two, then usually goes away completely. There are cases where the nausea persisted throughout the entire experience. The nausea is more likely to go away after vomiting. If you use an anti-emetic, be sure it's a non-drowsy formula, because the drowsy varieties can cause an uncomfortable and sometimes frightening experience.
What is a recommended starting dose?
It is recommended to start low and work your way up. Start around 20 mg.
What are fun/stimulating things to do on AMT?
Once again, treat this like other psychedelics and apply interesting things to it. Lights, trees, and stars are cool. Mirrors can be VERY interesting. Being in nature is great. Just go with the flow.
Is it difficult to hide the effects from other people?
It depends on the intensity of the trip. It is fairly difficult to hide the effects even on 40 mg. Make plans to be away from people during the trip.
What is the experience like (general effects summary)?
The stimulant effects are like amphetamine, with the visuals being similar to LSD, though less intense. The mental effects are also similar to LSD, only less intense. Most find these effects very enjoyable until the comedown. Depending on how much you've eaten, you will begin to feel the effects in 30 minutes to an hour. The experience will build over the next hour or so and you will peak and level off for about 4-8 hours. The comedown can last anywhere from 3-5 hours, and you will feel the after effects between 2-8 hours. During the comedown (~T+12h, but sometimes as far as ~T+20h), there will be a definite crash. The intensity of the crash seems to be in approximate correlation with the dose. Higher doses have quite an unpleasant comdown. You want to sleep very badly, but it is usually beyond impossible. I think this quote from Bob Seger's "Turn The Page" applies to AMT:
"But your thoughts will soon be wanderin', the way they always do. When you're ridin' sixteen hours, and there's
nothing much to do. And you don't feel much like ridin', you just wish the trip
was through."
What are some of the specific effects?
According to Erowid's AMT Vault:
Positive effects include: increase in energy, mood lift and smiling, visual
patterning and closed-eye visuals,
increased
awareness and appreciation of music, and empathogenic qualities.
Neutral effects include: general change in consciousness, blurred vision,
restlessness, yawning, and dilated pupils.
Negative effects include: anxiety and tension, nausea and vomiting, decrease
in coordination, muscle aches,
headaches,
and jaw clenching.
How can I reduce the unpleasant body load of the comedown?
If you have difficulty during the comedown and are unable to just ride it through, taking some sort of depressant is helpful. Some benzos are strongly recommended (you'll need more than one valium to do the job, though!). You'll feel better once it's over with.
Where can I find the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on AMT?
You can find the MSDS for AMT mirrored from Fisher at the Lycaeum.
What is the synthesis of AMT (according to TIHKAL)?
This is the synthesis of AMT quoted from TIHKAL by Alexander Shulgin:
SYNTHESIS : There was prepared a solution of
25.75 g indole in 100 mL DMF. A second solution was also prepared by cooling
80 mL DMF in an external ice bath (internal temperature about 12 °C), stirring
well, and adding 20 mL POCl3 dropwise over the course of 30 min. This was then
warmed to 25 °C and the first solution of indole in DMF was added dropwise
(with continued stirring) over an additional 30 min. Stirring was continued
for yet another 45 min, during which time the temperature was raised to 40 °C.
Yellow solids formed during this period. The reaction mixture was poured onto
chipped ice which produced a clear red solution. This was made basic with the
addition of 200 mL 5 N NaOH which allowed the separation of a yellow solid.
This was diluted by the addition of 200 mL hot H2O and, after cooling again,
the product was removed by filtration and washed with cold H2O. This can be
recrystallized from aqueous DMF to yield, after air drying, 24.5 g (84%) of
indole-3-carboxaldehyde as faint orange needles.
A solution of 4.35 g indole-3-carboxaldehyde in 17.2 mL nitroethane was treated
with 0.77 g ammonium acetate and heated, with occasional swirling, on the steam
bath for 2.5 h. The excess reagent was removed under vacuum and the resulting
yellow solids washed with H2O and air dried. Trituration under 25 mL dry MeOH,
filtration, and air-drying gave 5.22 g (86%) 1-(3-indolyl)-2-nitropropene-1
as a yellow powder with mp 190-192 °C.
A suspension of 10.7 g LAH in 100 mL anhydrous THF was placed under an inert atmosphere, stirred, and treated dropwise with a solution of 10 g 1-(3-indolyl)-2-nitropropene-1 in anhydrous THF over the course of 2.5 h. The reaction mixture was brought to reflux temperature, held there for 2 h, and then returned to room temperature. The excess hydride was destroyed with an aqueous THF solution (80 mL of 25% solution) and there was then added 10 mL of 50% NaOH. There was added 150 mL Et2O, and the stirring was continued until no more solids formed. The reaction mixture was filtered and the filter cake washed with 150 mL Et2O. The filtrates and washings were combined, dried over K2CO3, and the solvent removed under vacuum. The residue weighed 9.2 g and was distilled at 130-140 °C at 1 mm/Hg to give a white oil that crystallized and had a mp of 96-98 °C. This was recrystallized from an ethyl acetate/petroleum ether mixture, and had a mp of 97-100 °C. The yield was 6.3 g (73%). IR (in cm-1): 750, 818, 911, 933, 1093, 1111. MS (in m/z): C2H6N+ 44 (100%); indolemethylene+ 130, 131 (44%, 43%); parent ion 174 (2%). A sample dissolved in 10 volumes of methanol, treated with one equivalent of glacial acetic acid, and taken to dryness under vacuum gave the acetate salt which, on recrystallization from ethyl acetate and air drying to constant weight yielded the product a-methyltryptamine (a-MT) as fine white crystals with a mp of 143-144 °C. The fumarate salt, formed by the addition of ethyl acetate to a hot solution of free base a-MT in methanol which had been neutralized with fumaric acid, was isolated as fine white needles with a mp of 200-203 °C.
This is located at /library/books_online/tihkal/tihkal48.shtml
What are some other syntheses of AMT?
There are several methods at Rhodium.
Where can I find more info about AMT?
All the information you need can be found at www.erowid.org and www.lycaeum.org
© DialToneZ 2002
You may freely link to or host this FAQ, as long asall credit and copyright information remains intact. Let me know if you link or reproduce this FAQ, and where I can find the link/copy.