5-MeO-DALT (N,N-diallyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a synthetic psychedelic tryptamine synthesized and characterized by Alexander Shulgin, with its effects documented in TiHKAL (1997). The compound features two allyl groups (rather than methyl, ethyl, or isopropyl) on the terminal nitrogen and a methoxy group at the 5-position of the indole ring. This unusual combination of structural features gives 5-MeO-DALT a distinctive pharmacological profile that distinguishes it from both the 5-MeO-DMT family (shared 5-methoxy group) and the standard N,N-dialkyl tryptamines.
5-MeO-DALT is notable for being orally active, producing clear psychedelic effects after oral administration — this is relatively unusual among 5-MeO tryptamines, as 5-MeO-DMT itself requires MAOI co-administration or alternative routes for oral activity. Community reports generally describe 5-MeO-DALT as producing a relatively short-duration (3–5 hours), stimulating, and somewhat erotic psychedelic experience. Users have noted that it lacks some of the deep visual complexity of 4-substituted tryptamines but produces a distinctive stimulating and sensory character. The compound was occasionally discussed in early online psychedelic communities following Shulgin's documentation.
5-MeO-DALT also possesses monoamine reuptake inhibitor activity — it has been shown to inhibit DAT and SERT transporters — giving it a stimulant-adjacent pharmacological dimension absent from most classical psychedelic tryptamines. This may contribute to its stimulating character and could also increase cardiovascular risk.
Safety at a Glance
High Risk- Test Your Substance
- Test with Ehrlich reagent (purple/violet for indole tryptamines). Given 5-MeO-DALT's relative obscurity, the risk of ...
- Toxicity: Cardiovascular Concerns 5-MeO-DALT's monoamine reuptake inhibitor activity at DAT and SERT, combined with adrenergic ...
- Dangerous with: PCP, Cocaine
- Overdose risk: Fatal overdose from 5-MeO-DALT alone, at doses within the typical recreational range, is extremel...
If someone is in crisis, call 911 or Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Dosage
smoked
oral
Duration
smoked
Total: 15 min – 20 minoral
Total: 2 hrs – 4 hrsHow It Feels
The onset of 5-MeO-DALT is rapid and peculiar. Within fifteen to thirty minutes of ingestion, a buzzing, restless energy begins to build in the body — a humming vibration that is concentrated in the limbs and chest. The sensation is difficult to categorize: not quite stimulation, not quite psychedelic body load, but something idiosyncratic and a little uncomfortable. Nausea may appear briefly. The mental effects arrive almost simultaneously: a subtle but noticeable shift in thought patterns, a vague dreaminess, and a feeling that the texture of consciousness has changed in ways that are hard to articulate.
The come-up, which completes within forty-five to sixty minutes, reveals a modest but unusual perceptual landscape. Visual effects are minimal at common doses — perhaps a slight color enhancement, a faint shimmer at the edges of objects, or a barely perceptible breathing of surfaces. The primary subjective effects are cognitive and somatic rather than visual: a strange, slightly dissociative headspace where thoughts feel distant and slippery, a persistent physical restlessness, and an occasional sense that the body's proprioceptive mapping has been subtly altered. Sounds may seem slightly different in character — not pitch-shifted or distorted, but carrying a faintly unfamiliar quality.
The peak, such as it is, arrives around one hour and lasts roughly one to two hours. The experience never reaches the dramatic intensity of classical psychedelics. Instead, it hovers in an ambiguous middle ground — clearly altered, but in ways that are difficult to grasp or direct. The headspace is dreamy and somewhat dissociative, with moments of lucid clarity interspersed with periods of mental drift. There is little euphoria; the emotional tone is neutral to slightly positive. Physical effects persist throughout: the buzzing energy, occasional muscle tension, and a mild but persistent restlessness.
The comedown is relatively rapid, with baseline largely restored within three to four hours of ingestion. There is little afterglow to speak of — the experience fades and leaves behind a slight tiredness and the sense of having taken a brief detour through a mildly strange corridor of consciousness. The overall character of 5-MeO-DALT is that of an oddity: a tryptamine that hints at depth without fully delivering it, interesting primarily for its unusual somatic and cognitive character rather than for any dramatic perceptual transformation.
Subjective Effects
The effects listed below are based on the Subjective Effect Index (SEI), an open research literature based on anecdotal reports and personal analyses. They should be viewed with a healthy degree of skepticism. These effects will not necessarily occur in a predictable or reliable manner, although higher doses are more liable to induce the full spectrum of effects.
Physical Effects
Physical(12)
- Body load— A diffuse, heavy physical discomfort involving tension, pressure, and malaise in the torso and limbs...
- Increased blood pressure— Increased blood pressure (hypertension) is an elevation of arterial pressure above the normal 120/80...
- Increased heart rate— A noticeable acceleration of heartbeat that can range from a subtle awareness of one's pulse to a fo...
- Increased libido— A marked enhancement of sexual desire, arousal, and sensitivity to erotic stimuli that can range fro...
- Muscle tension— Persistent partial contractions or tightening of muscles that produces uncomfortable stiffness, cram...
- Nausea— An uncomfortable sensation of queasiness and stomach discomfort that may or may not lead to vomiting...
- Physical euphoria— An intensely pleasurable bodily sensation that can manifest as waves of warmth, tingling electricity...
- Pupil dilation— A visible enlargement of the pupil diameter (mydriasis) that can range from subtle widening to drama...
- Seizure— Uncontrolled brain electrical activity causing convulsions and loss of consciousness -- a life-threa...
- Serotonin syndrome— Serotonin syndrome is a potentially fatal medical emergency caused by excessive serotonergic activit...
- Stimulation— A state of heightened physical and mental energy characterized by increased wakefulness, elevated mo...
- Temperature regulation disruption— Impaired thermoregulation causing unpredictable fluctuations between feeling hot and cold, with risk...
Tactile(1)
- Tactile enhancement— The sense of touch becomes dramatically heightened, making physical contact feel intensely pleasurab...
Cognitive & Perceptual Effects
Visual(7)
- Colour enhancement— An intensification of the brightness, vividness, and saturation of colors in the external environmen...
- Colour shifting— The visual experience of colors on objects and surfaces cycling through continuous, fluid transforma...
- Drifting— The visual experience of perceiving stationary objects, textures, and surfaces as appearing to flow,...
- Geometry— The experience of perceiving complex, ever-shifting geometric patterns superimposed over the visual ...
- Pattern recognition enhancement— An increased ability and tendency to perceive meaningful patterns, faces, and images within ambiguou...
- Symmetrical texture repetition— Textures appear to mirror and tessellate across surfaces in intricate, self-similar symmetrical patt...
- Tracers— Moving objects leave visible trails of varying length and opacity behind them, similar to long-expos...
Cognitive(11)
- Analysis enhancement— A perceived improvement in one's ability to logically deconstruct concepts, recognize patterns, and ...
- Anxiety— Intense feelings of apprehension, worry, and dread that can range from a subtle background unease to...
- Conceptual thinking— A shift in the nature of thought from verbal, linear sentence structures to intuitive, non-linguisti...
- Memory suppression— A dose-dependent inhibition of one's ability to access and utilize short-term and long-term memory, ...
- Novelty enhancement— A feeling of increased fascination, awe, and childlike wonder attributed to everyday concepts, objec...
- Personal bias suppression— A decrease in the personal, cultural, and cognitive biases through which one normally filters their ...
- Psychosis— Psychosis is a serious psychiatric state involving a fundamental break from consensus reality — char...
- Thought acceleration— The experience of thoughts occurring at a dramatically increased rate, as if the mind has been shift...
- Thought connectivity— A state in which disparate thoughts, concepts, and ideas become fluidly and spontaneously interconne...
- Time distortion— Subjective perception of time becomes dramatically altered — minutes may feel like hours, or hours p...
- Wakefulness— An increased ability to stay awake and alert without the desire to sleep. Distinct from stimulation ...
Pharmacology
Multi-Target Pharmacology
5-MeO-DALT has an unusually broad receptor binding profile relative to other tryptamines. Published binding data demonstrates significant affinity (Ki < 10 μM) at serotonin 5-HT1A, 5-HT1D, 5-HT1E, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, 5-HT2C, 5-HT6, α2A, α2B, α2C adrenergic, H1 histamine, κ-opioid, σ1, and σ2 receptors. This breadth of receptor engagement is unusual among synthetic tryptamines.
Primary Psychedelic Mechanism
5-HT2A partial agonism is the primary mechanism underlying psychedelic effects, consistent with the classical psychedelic class. However, the additional receptor targets — particularly the adrenergic, kappa-opioid, and sigma receptor binding — likely contribute meaningfully to 5-MeO-DALT's distinctive character, including its stimulating, somewhat anxiogenic, and sensory-enhancing qualities.
Monoamine Reuptake Inhibition
5-MeO-DALT also acts as a reuptake inhibitor of dopamine (DAT) and serotonin (SERT) transporters. This is a pharmacological property entirely absent from psilocin, DMT, and most other classical tryptamines. The DAT inhibition contributes to stimulant properties (dopamine accumulation) and the SERT inhibition contributes to serotonergic amplification. This dual mechanism — 5-HT2A agonism plus SERT inhibition — resembles, to a degree, the combined mechanism of some entactogens, though the entactogenic character is less prominent.
Oral Activity
5-MeO-DALT is orally active without MAOI co-administration. The allyl N-substituents appear to reduce MAO-A affinity, and the 5-methoxy substitution affects metabolic pathways, together resulting in meaningful oral bioavailability.
Pharmacokinetics
Oral onset: 30–60 minutes. Peak: 1.5–3 hours. Duration: 3–5 hours — shorter than most 4-AcO/4-HO tryptamines. No formal human pharmacokinetic study. The allyl groups may be metabolized differently than the standard alkyl substituents.
Detection Methods
Urine Detection
5-MeO-DALT is not targeted by standard immunoassay-based urine drug screens. 5-MeO-substituted tryptamines are metabolized primarily through hepatic pathways involving CYP2D6 and monoamine oxidase enzymes, producing demethylated and hydroxylated metabolites that are excreted renally. Specialized LC-MS/MS methods can detect these metabolites in urine for approximately 24 to 48 hours after ingestion, though the detection window varies with dose and individual metabolic rate. The short duration of action of most 5-MeO tryptamines correlates with a relatively brief detection window.
Blood and Serum Detection
Blood detection windows for 5-MeO-DALT are short, typically 2 to 8 hours after administration depending on the route. Smoked or insufflated routes produce rapid peak concentrations followed by swift clearance, while oral administration (particularly with MAO inhibition) extends both the effect and detection windows. LC-MS/MS is required for reliable blood quantification at the low nanogram-per-milliliter concentrations typical of 5-MeO tryptamines.
Standard Drug Panel Inclusion
5-MeO-DALT is NOT included on standard 5-panel, 10-panel, or 12-panel drug screens. 5-MeO tryptamines do not cross-react with any standard immunoassay panel targets. There is no reliable cross-reactivity with amphetamine, opiate, or any other standard immunoassay. Detection requires a specific request for tryptamine testing at a laboratory with novel psychoactive substance capabilities.
Confirmatory Methods
Definitive identification of 5-MeO-DALT requires LC-MS/MS or GC-MS analysis with compound-specific reference standards. Some forensic toxicology laboratories include 5-MeO-DMT in their expanded tryptamine panels, but coverage of other 5-MeO variants is less common. Bufotenin (5-HO-DMT), a metabolite of 5-MeO-DMT, may also be targeted. Quantitative analysis requires validated methods, as the structural similarity among 5-MeO tryptamines can complicate chromatographic separation without optimized conditions.
Reagent Testing (Harm Reduction)
The Ehrlich reagent produces a purple to violet reaction with 5-MeO-DALT, confirming the presence of an indole ring characteristic of all tryptamines. This is the primary field identification tool and should always be the first test performed. The Hofmann reagent provides a confirmatory blue reaction. The Marquis reagent typically shows no reaction or a faint yellow to brown discoloration with 5-MeO tryptamines. Because 5-MeO tryptamines can be significantly more potent by weight than 4-substituted analogs, reagent testing alone is not sufficient for safe use. Quantitative analysis and accurate dosing are critically important for this subclass.
Interactions
| Substance | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PCP | Dangerous | — |
| Cocaine | Unsafe | — |
| 3-FMA | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| 4-MMC | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| 8-Chlorotheophylline | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| Adrafinil | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| Anandamide | Caution | Cannabis can unpredictably intensify psychedelic effects and increase anxiety |
| 2C-T-x | Uncertain | — |
| 2C-x | Uncertain | — |
| Cannabis | Uncertain | — |
| DOx | Uncertain | — |
| MDMA | Uncertain | — |
History
Shulgin Synthesis and Documentation
5-MeO-DALT was synthesized by Alexander Shulgin and documented in TiHKAL (1997). Shulgin described it as a relatively brief, stimulating psychedelic and noted its distinct character from the other 5-MeO compounds in his survey. His documentation established the compound's existence and effect profile in the literature, setting the stage for its later appearance in the research chemical market.
Research Chemical Era
5-MeO-DALT became available through research chemical vendors in the mid-2000s, sparked largely by Shulgin's documentation and online community interest in systematically exploring his catalogued compounds. It gained brief popular attention in some psychedelic communities but never achieved the widespread use of DMT analogs or the 4-AcO family.
Pharmacological Research
Unlike many of the compounds in this batch, 5-MeO-DALT has been the subject of some published pharmacological investigation — the multi-target receptor binding profile and monoamine reuptake inhibitor activity have been characterized in the literature. These published binding studies are unusual for a research chemical and reflect some scientific interest in the compound's distinctive pharmacology.
Contemporary Status
5-MeO-DALT maintains a niche presence in the research chemical community. Its distinctive pharmacological profile — combining classical 5-HT2A psychedelic agonism with monoamine reuptake inhibition and broader receptor engagement — makes it of ongoing scientific and community interest, though it has not attracted modern clinical research attention.
Harm Reduction
Test Your Substance
Test with Ehrlich reagent (purple/violet for indole tryptamines). Given 5-MeO-DALT's relative obscurity, the risk of mislabeled or adulterated samples is meaningful.
Dosing
- Threshold: 5 mg |Common: 10–20 mg |Strong: 20–40 mg (Shulgin's documented active range: 12–20 mg orally)
- Start at 5–10 mg for first experiences. The stimulating character and multi-target pharmacology create more uncertainty than simpler tryptamines.
- Milligram-accurate scale required.
Cardiovascular Caution
Given DAT inhibition and adrenergic binding, individuals with cardiovascular conditions, hypertension, or arrhythmias should avoid 5-MeO-DALT entirely. For others, minimize concurrent stimulant use.
MAOI Interactions: Enhanced Danger
The SERT inhibitor component of 5-MeO-DALT makes MAOI combination substantially more dangerous than with classical tryptamines. Serotonin syndrome risk is meaningfully elevated. Do not combine with any MAOI.
Shorter Duration: Planning Advantage
The 3–5 hour duration is shorter than most 4-AcO compounds. This can be a practical advantage but may tempt premature redosing. Respect the recommended interval between doses.
Toxicity & Safety
Cardiovascular Concerns
5-MeO-DALT's monoamine reuptake inhibitor activity at DAT and SERT, combined with adrenergic receptor binding, creates a more significant cardiovascular concern than typical serotonergic psychedelics. Increased heart rate and blood pressure may be more pronounced than with psilocybin or 4-AcO-DMT.
5-HT2B Agonism
5-HT2B agonism has been linked to cardiac valvulopathy with chronic use of serotonergic drugs (as demonstrated with fenfluramine). While single-use risks are minimal, repeated 5-HT2B agonist exposure warrants attention. 5-MeO-DALT's 5-HT2B binding is a concern for heavy or frequent use patterns.
Acute Toxicity
No formal human toxicological data. Community reports do not document serious acute physiological harm at typical doses. The multi-target pharmacology creates somewhat more uncertainty than for simpler tryptamines.
Psychological Risks
Standard psychedelic class risks apply. The stimulating character may increase anxiety in susceptible individuals. Standard contraindications (psychosis history, MAOI co-use, lithium) apply with particular emphasis on the monoamine reuptake inhibitor activity when considering MAOI combinations.
Drug Interactions
- MAOIs — Particularly significant risk given both 5-HT2A agonism and SERT inhibition; serotonin syndrome risk is substantially elevated compared to classical tryptamines. Avoid.
- Stimulants — Additive cardiovascular stress and dopaminergic effects.
- SSRIs — SERT inhibition could create complex interactions.
- Lithium — Absolute contraindication; seizure risk.
Addiction Potential
not habit-forming
Overdose Information
Fatal overdose from 5-MeO-DALT alone, at doses within the typical recreational range, is extremely unlikely based on the available evidence for classical psychedelics. The therapeutic index for most psychedelics is very wide.
However, psychological emergencies can occur and require appropriate response:
- Severe anxiety, panic, or psychotic episodes
- Dangerous behavior due to impaired reality testing
- Self-harm in the context of a distressing experience
Emergency management: If someone is experiencing a severe adverse reaction, move them to a calm, quiet environment. Speak reassuringly. Do not restrain unless there is immediate danger. Benzodiazepines (if available and the person is conscious and able to swallow) can reduce acute anxiety. If psychotic symptoms, self-harm risk, or medical distress is present, seek emergency medical attention.
Medical attention: Seek help immediately for seizures, extremely elevated body temperature, signs of serotonin syndrome (agitation, tremor, diarrhea, rapid heart rate), or if the substance consumed is uncertain.
Dangerous Interactions
The combinations listed below may be life-threatening. Independent research should always be conducted to ensure safety when combining substances.
Tolerance
| Full | almost immediately after ingestion |
| Half | 3 days |
| Zero | 7 days |
Cross-tolerances
Legal Status
Austria: Since January 1, 2012, 5-MeO-DALT is illegal to possess, produce and sell under the NPSG (Neue-Psychoaktive-Substanzen-Gesetz Österreich).
China: 5-MeO-DALT is a controlled substance in China as of October 2015.
Germany: 5-MeO-DALT is controlled under the NpSG (New Psychoactive Substances Act) as of July 18, 2019. Production and import with the aim to place it on the market, administration to another person, placing it on the market and trading is punishable. Possession is illegal but not punishable. The legislator considers it possible that orders of 5-MeO-DALT are punishable as an incitement to place it on the market.
Japan: 5-MeO-DALT became a controlled substance in Japan in April 2007 due to an amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law.
Sweden: 5-MeO-DALT is a Schedule I substance in Sweden as of May 1, 2012. It was published by Medical Products Agency in their regulation LVFS 2012:6.
Slovakia: 5-MeO-DALT is a Schedule I substance in Slovakia as of December 1, 2021
Switzerland: 5-MeO-DALT is a controlled substance specifically named under Verzeichnis E.
United Kingdom: 5-MeO-DALT is a Class A drug in the UK as it is an ether of the drug 5-HO-DALT, which is a Class A drug as a result of the tryptamine catch-all clause.
United States: 5-MeO-DALT is unscheduled in the United States. It may be considered an analogue of 5-MeO-DiPT, a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. As such, the sale for human consumption or the use for illicit non-medical or industrial intents and purposes could be prosecuted as crimes under the Federal Analogue Act.
Florida: 5-MeO-DALT is a Schedule I controlled substance in the state of Florida, making it illegal to buy, sell, or possess.
Responsible use
Research chemical
Tryptamine
DALT
5-MeO-DiPT
5-MeO-DALT (Wikipedia)
5-MeO-DALT (Erowid Vault)
5-MeO-DALT (TiHKAL / Isomer Design)
Discussion
UK Chemical Research 5-MeO-DALT thread
The Big & Dandy 5-MeO-DALT Thread
Brandt, S. D., Kavanagh, P. V., Dowling, G., Talbot, B., Westphal, F., Meyer, M. R., ... & Halberstadt, A. L. (2017). Analytical characterization of N, N‐diallyltryptamine (DALT) and 16 ring‐substituted derivatives. Drug Testing and Analysis, 9(1), 115-126. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.1974
Experience Reports (1)
Tips (7)
People with a personal or family history of psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar type I) should avoid 5-MeO-DALT and other psychedelics. These substances can trigger or exacerbate psychotic episodes in predisposed individuals.
Clear your schedule for the full duration of 5-MeO-DALT plus afterglow. Do not plan any obligations, driving, or important decisions for the day. Having a time pressure or commitment hanging over you adds unnecessary anxiety.
As with all tryptamines containing the 5-MeO substitution, do not combine 5-MeO-DALT with MAOIs or other serotonergic substances. The 5-MeO group may make it more susceptible to dangerous interactions than non-5-MeO tryptamines.
Use a milligram scale to weigh 5-MeO-DALT if it comes as a powder. Eyeballing doses of potent psychedelics is irresponsible. A quality 0.001g scale costs under $30 and could prevent a seriously overwhelming experience.
Keep a benzodiazepine like alprazolam on hand as an emergency trip abort tool when using 5-MeO-DALT. Even just knowing you have one available provides psychological reassurance. It will not fully end the trip but significantly reduces intensity.
5-MeO-DALT is considered one of the milder psychedelic tryptamines with a relatively short duration of 3-4 hours. Effects tend to be more body-focused with mild visual enhancement rather than deep psychedelic immersion. Some users find it underwhelming compared to other tryptamines.
Community Discussions (1)
See Also
References (5)
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety — Griffiths et al. Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)paper
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging — Carhart-Harris et al. PNAS (2016)paper
- PubChem: 5-MeO-DALT
PubChem compound page for 5-MeO-DALT (CID: 50878551)
pubchem - 5-MeO-DALT - TripSit Factsheet
TripSit factsheet for 5-MeO-DALT
tripsit - 5-MeO-DALT - Wikipedia
Wikipedia article on 5-MeO-DALT
wikipedia