DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine): Compound Guide

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This page is education only. It gives no amounts, no preparation and no sourcing. Evidence labels used: promising but limited, insufficient evidence, evidence of harm, preclinical (cells/animals only).

What DMT is

DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is an indole alkaloid widely found in plants and animals, best known for brief and intense psychedelic effects. [1] NIDA lists it among the psychedelic drugs that mainly act on serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, together with psilocybin and LSD. [2] A review of its pharmacology describes agonism at serotonin 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors. [3] Its place among substances: classic psychedelics.

Three things not to confuse

• DMT vs 5-MeO-DMT. They are different compounds with different chemistry and effects. 5-MeO-DMT has its own page: 5-MeO-DMT, and a comparison at DMT vs 5-MeO-DMT.
• DMT vs ayahuasca. Ayahuasca is an Amazonian plant-based brew in which DMT is an integral but not exclusive psychoactive alkaloid. The brew also contains beta-carboline MAO-A inhibitors that potentiate oral DMT. [3] Because of rapid first-pass metabolism, DMT is nearly inactive orally by itself. [3] The brew is a traditional preparation, not an isolated compound; see ayahuasca and DMT vs ayahuasca.
• Natural vs clinical product. Trials use pharmaceutical-grade DMT given under medical monitoring, which is not the same as nonmedical products. See clinical formulations vs nonmedical products.

Where it occurs

NIDA says DMT is found in plants native to the Amazon rainforest that are sometimes used to make ayahuasca. [2] Reviews describe it more broadly as widely found in plants and animals. [1] Some research suggests endogenous DMT may play roles in the body, and may act as a neurotransmitter; this is a hypothesis under study. [1] We do not describe plant identification or any extraction.

What research shows

Clinical studies are few and small.

• Major depressive disorder: promising but limited. A 2026 phase IIa randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 34 adults with moderate-to-severe depression gave a single intravenous infusion of DMT fumarate or placebo with psychotherapeutic support. At 2 weeks the DMT group had a greater fall in MADRS depression score (mean difference -7.35, 95% CI -13.62 to -1.08). An open-label phase followed, so the 3-month findings are not placebo-controlled. No serious adverse events were reported. Several authors had financial ties to companies developing psychedelic treatments. [4]
• Earlier exploratory study. An open-label, fixed-order pilot of 10 people (7 with treatment-resistant depression, 3 healthy) found next-day depression scores fell in the patients, but with no control group. [5]
• Safety review. A systematic review of five early-phase trials found DMT generally well tolerated and no serious adverse events, but noted few trials and mostly healthy volunteers. [6]
• Other conditions: insufficient evidence. We found no controlled trials in the sources read for anxiety, PTSD or addiction. Proper evidence not found for those uses (checked PubMed reviews of DMT clinical trials).
• Not yet established. None of this makes DMT an approved treatment.

Risks and adverse effects

• In early trials, intravenous DMT raised blood pressure and heart rate (systolic pressure up to 25.7% in one set of trials), anxiety and psychotomimetic (psychosis-like) effects, resolving within 20 to 30 minutes in one study; other routes caused throat irritation or nausea. [6][5]
• A review notes DMT appears to have limited neurotoxicity except for intense cardiovascular effects when given intravenously in large doses. [1]
• A meta-analysis of classic psychedelic studies (including DMT) found serious adverse events in about 4% of participants with preexisting neuropsychiatric disorders and none in healthy participants. [7]
• Combining with other drugs: a systematic review found only 3 DMT studies and 1 on ayahuasca on interactions, with attenuated, potentiated and unchanged effects reported. [8] See MAO-inhibiting preparations and interactions.
• Pregnancy: a scoping review found no eligible primary human pregnancy outcome studies for DMT/ayahuasca, and said absence of data should not be read as evidence of safety. [9]

Legal status

Not legal advice; laws change. In the United States, dimethyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine are each separately listed in Schedule I of 21 CFR 1308.11 (eCFR, read 2026-10-22). [10] Other countries: not verified. See psychedelic legal status.