5-MeO-DMT for Health & Longevity - Quick Reference Sheet

5-MeO-DMT for Health & Longevity

Created on 09/06/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 5 – Audit

A short-acting toad-venom and plant compound that briefly dissolves the sense of self. Company-run hospital trials report most people with long-standing, treatment-resistant low mood symptom-free within a day; drinking fell in a small open study. Sharp blood-pressure rises, nausea and overwhelming fear are common. Benefit duration and reliance on data from firms that profit remain unresolved. (Full Review)

Protocol

Individualized escalating inhalation (GH Research)
6, 12 and 18 mg on one day
Each dose given only if the previous produced no peak experience.
Fixed single intranasal dose (Beckley Psytech protocol)
10 mg or 12 mg benzoate salt powder
With psychological support; smaller symptom changes than escalating inhalation.
Preparation and integration schedule
3 sessions before, 3 after
Used in the alcohol trial; most associated with larger effects.
Time to effect
Depressive symptoms
Hours, endpoint at day 8
Onset within seconds of inhalation; remission from two hours after the final dose.
Alcohol consumption and craving
Sustained to 12 weeks
After one intranasal dose inside a ten-week course of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Anxiety, stress and life satisfaction
4 weeks
Anxiety and stress ratings fell and life satisfaction rose, both still changed four weeks after a single inhalation.

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (phenelzine, tranylcypromine, selegiline, moclobemide) or harmala preparations (ayahuasca, Banisteriopsis caapi, Peganum harmala, yopo)
  • Personal history of schizophrenia, schizoaffective or delusional disorder, bipolar I or II, or psychotic depression
  • First-degree relative with schizophrenia, bipolar, delusional or schizoaffective disorder
  • Suicidal ideation, attempt or self-injury within 12 months
  • Uncontrolled hypertension (≥160 systolic or ≥100 mmHg diastolic)
  • Coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction (<6 months), decompensated heart failure (New York Heart Association III or IV), corrected QT >500 ms
  • Seizure within 2 years, or a seizure disorder
  • Pregnancy, planned pregnancy, or lactation
  • Hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B or C)
  • Current alcohol or substance use disorder outside supervised treatment
Key Interactions
  • Serotonin and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (sertraline, fluoxetine, escitalopram, venlafaxine, duloxetine)
  • Other serotonergic prescription drugs (triptans, tramadol, linezolid, lithium)
  • CYP2D6 inhibitors (paroxetine, fluoxetine, bupropion, quinidine, terbinafine)
  • Antihypertensive and cardiac medication (beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers)
  • Over-the-counter serotonergic agents (dextromethorphan, St John's wort)
  • Serotonergic supplements (5-hydroxytryptophan, L-Tryptophan, S-adenosylmethionine, Rhodiola rosea)
  • Cardiovascular supplements (high-dose caffeine, synephrine, yohimbine, ephedra-type stimulants)
  • Other psychedelics and dissociatives (psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, ibogaine, ketamine)

Risk & Side Effects

  • High: Transient cardiovascular activation; nausea, vomiting, and headache; acute fear, anxiety, and loss of behavioral control; nasal irritation and administration-site pain
  • Medium: Reactivations
  • Low: Serotonin toxicity when combined with monoamine oxidase inhibitors; psychiatric destabilization in predisposed individuals; physical injury during the acutely incapacitated state
  • Speculative: Seizure-like cortical activity; cardiotoxicity and contaminants from toad-derived secretion

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
Seated blood pressure 110–120 / 70–80 mmHg Baseline for the acute pressor response
Resting heart rate 50–70 bpm Baseline for acute tachycardia and beta-blockade masking
12-lead electrocardiogram, corrected QT interval <440 ms (men), <460 ms (women) Screens for repolarization delay that a serotonergic surge could aggravate
ALT 10–26 U/L Detects impaired clearance capacity in the liver
hs-CRP <0.5 mg/L Baseline inflammatory tone; anti-inflammatory signaling is a proposed mechanism
PHQ-9 0–4 Tracks the primary outcome the intervention targets
GAD-7 0–4 Tracks anxiety, the second most consistently reported gain
CYP2D6 genotype No established target; poor, intermediate, normal or ultrarapid metabolizer Predicts exposure through the secondary clearance route

Cadence: Blood pressure and heart rate every 15 minutes for the first hour and before discharge; mood and anxiety scores at day 2, day 8, week 4, week 8 and month 6; liver enzymes at week 4 only if baseline was abnormal.

Qualitative Assessment

  • Sleep quality and dream intensity for the first fortnight
  • Frequency, duration and emotional tone of reactivations
  • Emotional reactivity and the sense of distance from difficult thoughts
  • Alcohol intake in units per week
  • Cognitive clarity and energy in the first week
  • Whether the session's personal meaning holds up at four weeks