This is an unofficial archive of PsychonautWiki as of 2025-08-08T03:33:20Z. Content on this page may be outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate. Please refer to the original page for the most up-to-date information.
There are currently {{#ask:[[Category:SUBSTANCE]][[Category:Experience]] | format=count}} experience reports which describe the effects of this substance in our [[experience index]].
There are currently no anecdotal reports which describe the effects of this compound within our [[experience index]]. Additional experience reports can be found here:
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==History and culture==
{{historyStub}}
==Chemistry==
{{chemistry}}
==Pharmacology==
{{pharmacology}}
==Subjective effects==
{{EffectStub}}
{{Preamble/SubjectiveEffects}}
{{effects/base
|{{effects/physical|
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's physical effects may be included here.
You may select physical effects to add below [[Subjective effect index#Physical effects|here]].
*'''[[Effect::Physical effect]]'''
*'''[[Effect::Physical effect2]]'''
*'''[[Effect::Physical effect3]]'''
}}
{{effects/visual|
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's visual effects may be included here.
You may select visual effects to add below [[Subjective effect index#Visual effects|here]].
====Enhancements====
*'''[[Effect::Visual acuity effect1]]'''
====Distortions====
*'''[[Effect::Visual distortion effect1]]'''
====[[Effect::Geometry]]====
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary describing the visual geometry produced by the substance may be included here.
====Hallucinatory states====
If applicable, a brief summary of the substance's visual effects profile may be written here.
*'''[[Effect::Hallucinatory states1]]'''
}}
|{{effects/cognitive|
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's cognitive effects may be included here.
You may select from a list of cognitive effects to add below [[Subjective effect index#Cognitive effects|here]].
*'''[[Effect::Cognitive effect1]]'''
*'''[[Effect::Cognitive effect2]]'''
*'''[[Effect::Cognitive effect3]]'''
}}
{{effects/auditory|
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's auditory effects may be included here.
You may select from a list of auditory effects to add below [[Subjective effect index#Auditory effects|here]].
*'''[[Effect::Auditory effect1]]'''
*'''[[Effect::Auditory effect2]]'''
}}
{{effects/multisensory|
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's multisensory effects may be included here.
You may select from a list of multisensory effects to add below [[Subjective effect index#Multisensory effects|here]].
*'''[[Effect::Multisensory effect1]]'''
*'''[[Effect::Multisensory effect2]]'''
}}
{{effects/transpersonal|
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's transpersonal effects may be included here.
You may select from a list of transpersonal effects to add below [[Subjective effect index#Transpersonal effects|here]].
*'''[[Effect::Transpersonal effect1]]'''
*'''[[Effect::Transpersonal effect2]]'''
}}
}}
===Experience reports===
There are currently {{#ask:[[Category:SUBSTANCE]][[Category:Experience]] | format=count}} experience reports which describe the effects of this substance in our [[experience index]].
* SUBSTANCE ([''PiHKAL'' or ''TiHKAL''] / Isomer Design)
==Literature==
==Literature==
Latest revision as of 12:46, 23 April 2019
This article is in the 'Talk' namespace because it is an unfinished draft. This section is used to host drafts for unpublished articles as well as discussions for published ones. If you'd like to use this area to discuss this draft, please do so in the 'Discussion' section at the very bottom of the page. This notice will be removed once this draft has been approved for publication by an administrator.
It may contain incorrect information, particularly with respect to dosage, duration, subjective effects, toxicity and other risks. It may also not meet PW style and grammar standards.
As a result, it may contain incomplete or wrong information. You can help by expanding it.
Chemistry
{{Phenelzine is administered orally in the form of phenelzine sulfate and is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Time to peak plasma concentration is 43 minutes and half-life is 11.6 hours. Unlike most other drugs, phenelzine irreversibly disables MAO, and as a result, it does not necessarily need to be present in the blood at all times for its effects to be sustained. Because of this, upon phenelzine treatment being ceased, its effects typically do not actually wear off until the body replenishes its enzyme stores, a process which can take as long as 2–3 weeks.
Phenelzine is metabolized primarily in the liver and its metabolites are excreted in the urine. Oxidation is the primary routine of metabolism, and the major metabolites are phenylacetic acid and parahydroxyphenylacetic acid, recovered as about 73% of the excreted dose of phenelzine in the urine over the course of 96 hours after single doses. Acetylation to N2-acetylphenelzine is a minor pathway. Phenelzine may also interact with cytochrome P450 enzymes, inactivating these enzymes through formation of a heme adduct. Two other minor metabolites of phenelzine, as mentioned above, include phenylethylidenehydrazine and phenethylamine. }}
Pharmacology
{{Phenelzine is a non-selective and irreversible inhibitor of the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). It inhibits both of the respective isoforms of MAO, MAO-A and MAO-B, and does so almost equally, with slight preference for the former. By inhibiting MAO, phenelzine prevents the breakdown of the monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin, melatonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine, as well as the trace amine neuromodulators such as phenethylamine, tyramine, octopamine, and tryptamine. This leads to an increase in the extracellular concentrations of these neurochemicals and therefore an alteration in neurochemistry and neurotransmission. This action is thought to be the primary mediator in phenelzine's therapeutic benefits.
Phenelzine and its metabolites also inhibit at least two other enzymes to a lesser extent, of which are alanine transaminase (ALA-T),[9] and γ-Aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T),[10] the latter of which is not caused by phenelzine itself, but by a phenelzine metabolite phenylethylidenehydrazine (PEH). By inhibiting ALA-T and GABA-T, phenelzine causes an increase in the alanine and GABA levels in the brain and body. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, and is very important for the normal suppression of anxiety, stress, and depression. Phenelzine's action in increasing GABA concentrations may significantly contribute to its antidepressant, and especially, anxiolytic/antipanic properties, the latter of which have been considered superior to those of other antidepressants. As for ALA-T inhibition, though the consequences of disabling this enzyme are currently not well understood, there is some evidence to suggest that it is this action of the hydrazines (including phenelzine) which may be responsible for the occasional incidence of hepatitis and liver failure.
Phenelzine has also been shown to metabolize to phenethylamine (PEA).[11] PEA acts as a releasing agent of norepinephrine and dopamine, and produces effects very similar to those of amphetamine, though with markedly different pharmacokinetics such as a far shorter duration of action. Phenelzine's enhancement of PEA levels may contribute further to its overall antidepressant effects to some degree. In addition, phenethylamine is a substrate for MAO-B, and treatment with MAOIs that inhibit MAO-B such as phenelzine have been shown to consistently and significantly elevate its concentrations.
Like many other antidepressants, phenelzine usually requires several weeks of treatment to achieve full therapeutic effects. The reason for this delay is not fully understood, but it is believed to be due to many factors, including achieving steady-state levels of MAO inhibition and the resulting adaptations in mean neurotransmitter levels, the possibility of necessary desensitization of autoreceptors which normally inhibit the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and also the upregulation of enzymes such as serotonin N-acetyltransferase. Typically, a therapeutic response to MAOIs is associated with an inhibition of at least 80-85% of monoamine oxidase activity.[12] }}
Disclaimer: The effects listed below cite the Subjective Effect Index (SEI), an open research literature based on anecdotal user reports and the personal analyses of PsychonautWikicontributors. As a result, they should be viewed with a healthy degree of skepticism.
It is also worth noting that 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. Likewise, adverse effects become increasingly likely with higher doses and may include addiction, severe injury, or death ☠.
Physical effects
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's physical effects may be included here.
You may select physical effects to add below here.
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's cognitive effects may be included here.
You may select from a list of cognitive effects to add below here.
MAOI antidepressants such as phenelzine, can decrease feelings of depression such as low mood, low self esteem, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Phenelzine specifically, causes increased energy and mental euphoria, significant increases in self esteem which can feel euphoric.
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's auditory effects may be included here.
You may select from a list of auditory effects to add below here.
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's multisensory effects may be included here.
You may select from a list of multisensory effects to add below here.
If applicable, a brief paragraph summary of the substance's transpersonal effects may be included here.
You may select from a list of transpersonal effects to add below here.
There are currently no anecdotal reports which describe the effects of this compound within our experience index. Additional experience reports can be found here:
This toxicity and harm potential section is a stub.
As a result, it may contain incomplete or even dangerously wrong information! You can help by expanding upon or correcting it. Note: Always conduct independent research and use harm reduction practices if using this substance.
{{The MAOIs are infamous for their problematic food restrictions and drug interactions. Hypertensive crisis may result from the overconsumption of tyramine-containing foods. As a result, patients on phenelzine and other MAOIs must avoid excess quantities of certain foods that contain tyramine such as aged cheeses and cured meats, among others. Serotonin syndrome may result from an interaction with certain drugs which increase serotonin activity such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin releasing agents, and serotonin agonists. Several deaths have been reported due to drug interaction-related serotonin syndrome such as the case of Libby Zion. }}
Warning:Many psychoactive substances that are reasonably safe to use on their own can suddenly become dangerous and even life-threatening when combined with certain other substances. The following list provides some known dangerous interactions (although it is not guaranteed to include all of them).
Always conduct independent research (e.g. Google, DuckDuckGo, PubMed) to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe to consume. Some of the listed interactions have been sourced from TripSit.
