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MDAI
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WARNING: Always start with lower doses due to differences between individual body weight, tolerance, metabolism, and personal sensitivity. See responsible use section.
DISCLAIMER: PW's dosage information is gathered from users and resources for educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation and should be verified with other sources for accuracy.
MDAI was developed in the 1990s by a team led by David E. Nichols at Purdue University. It acts as a putatively non-neurotoxic and highly selective serotoninreleasing agent (SSRA), without the corresponding dopamine and norepinephrine release associated with typical entactogens, which reportedly limits its potential at producing overtly pro-social and euphoric effects.
MDAI has a history of being marketed alongside research chemicalentactogens like 5-MAPB, 5-APB, and 6-APB as a legal, grey-market alternative to MDMA, and is almost exclusively distributed through online research chemical vendors.
MDAI, or 5,6-methylenedioxy-2-aminoindane, is a synthetic molecule of the aminoindane class with structural similarity to amphetamines. It features the R3 terminal carbon of the propane chain of amphetamine bound to the benzene ring. This creates an indane group, a bicyclic moeity containing a benzene ring fused to a pentane ring. MDAI contains an amino group NH2 bound to R2 of the indane ring. MDAI also contains two oxygen substitutions at R5 and R6 joined by a methylene bridge to form a methylenedioxy group. MDAI is structurally related to 2-AI with the addition of a methylenedioxy ring.
Pharmacology
MDAI has been shown to inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and has a selective affinity for the serotonin receptor. Studies show that the brains of animals treated with MDAI have greater extracellular concentrations of monoamine neural transmitters, most significantly serotonin. For comparison, MDAI is similar in potency with releasing serotonin to MDA, but significantly less potent than MDMA.[1] This is done by inhibiting the reuptake and reabsorption of the neurotransmitters after they have performed their function of transmitting a neural impulse, essentially allowing them to accumulate, be reused and cause entactogenic effects.
Subjective effects
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
Spontaneous physical sensations - The "body high" of MDAI can be described as a moderate to extreme euphoric, soft and warm tingling sensation that encompasses the entire body. It is capable of becoming overwhelmingly pleasurable at higher doses. This sensation maintains a consistent presence that steadily rises with the onset and hits its limit once the peak has been reached.
Sedation - The biggest difference between MDAI and MDMA is that due to a comparative lack of dopaminereuptake inhibition, MDAI primarily results in moderate sedation and can therefore discourage physical activities such as running, dancing or climbing.
Vibrating vision - At high doses, a person's eyeballs may begin to spontaneously wiggle back and forth in a rapid motion, causing the vision to become blurry and temporarily out of focus. This is a condition known as nystagmus.
Dehydration - Feelings of dry mouth and dehydration are a universal experience with MDAI; this effect is a product of an increased heart rate and an extreme motivation to engage in strenuous physical activities. While it is important to avoid becoming dehydrated (especially when out dancing in a hot environment) there have been a number of users suffering from water intoxication through over-drinking, so it is advised that users simply sip at water and never over-drink.
Difficulty urinating- Much like MDMA, higher doses of MDAI result in difficulty urinating. This is an effect that is completely temporary and harmless. It is most likely due to the promotion of the release of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), which is the mechanism responsible for this side effect within MDMA. Anti-diuretic hormone is responsible for regulating urination. Difficulty urinating can be lessened by simply relaxing, but can be significantly relieved by placing a hot flannel over the genitals to warm them up and encourage blood flow. Some have reported that simply listening to the sound of running water also helps (such as a tap/faucet).
The cognitive effects of MDAI can be broken down into several components which progressively intensify proportional to dosage. The general head space of MDAI is described by many as one of euphoria and feelings of love or empathy. It contains a number of typical entactogenic cognitive effects.
The most prominent of these cognitive effects generally include:
Cognitive euphoria - Strong emotional euphoria and feelings of happiness are present within MDAI and are a direct result of serotonin release.
Empathy, affection, and sociability enhancement - This particular effect is not as pronounced, powerful and therapeutic as that of MDMA or 2C-B. It is the most obvious and noticeable effect within any MDAI experience and dominates the head space.
The effects which occur during the offset of a stimulant experience generally feel negative and uncomfortable in comparison to the effects which occurred during its peak. This is often referred to as a "comedown" and occurs because of neurotransmitter depletion. Its effects commonly include:
There are currently no anecdotal reports which describe the effects of this compound within our experience index. Additional experience reports can be found here:
MDAI and other similar drugs have been widely used in scientific research as they are able to replicate many of the effects of MDMA, but without causing the neurotoxicity which may be associated with MDMA and some related drugs. No tests have been performed on cardiovascular toxicity.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
There is currently no scientific data on the lethal dose of MDAI within human beings and the exact toxic dosage is unknown but it is thought to be high in comparison to its active dose. Due to its action as a serotoninreuptake inhibitor, overdoses of this substance would likely result in acute or even fatal serotonin syndrome.
The chronic use of MDAI can be considered somewhat addictive with a low potential for abuse and is unlikely to be capable of causing psychological dependence among most users. This is because unlike traditional stimulants, MDAI does not increase concentrations of dopamine. If addiction has developed, cravings and withdrawal effects may occur if a person suddenly stops their usage.
Tolerance to many of the effects of MDAI develops with prolonged and repeated use. This results in users having to administer increasingly large doses to achieve the same effects. After that, it takes about 3 - 7 days for the tolerance to be reduced to half and 1 - 2 weeks to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). MDAI presents cross-tolerance with [[Cross-tolerance::all serotoninergicstimulants]], meaning that after the consumption of MDAI all serotonergic stimulants will have a reduced effect.
Dangerous interactions
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.
"[[DangerousInteraction" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]] & "[[DangerousInteraction" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]] - 25x compounds are highly stimulating and physically straining. Combinations with MDAI should be strictly avoided due to the risk of excessive stimulation and heart strain. This can result in increased blood pressure, vasoconstriction, panic attacks, thought loops, seizures, and heart failure in extreme cases.
"[[UncertainInteraction" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]] - Combining alcohol with stimulants can be dangerous due to the risk of accidental over-intoxication. Stimulants mask alcohol's depressant effects, which is what most people use to assess their degree of intoxication. Once the stimulant wears off, the depressant effects will be left unopposed, which can result in blackouts and severe respiratory depression. If mixing, the user should strictly limit themselves to only drinking a certain amount of alcohol per hour.
"[[UnsafeInteraction" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]] - Combinations with DXM should be avoided due to its inhibiting effects on serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake. There is an increased risk of panic attacks and hypertensive crisis, or serotonin syndrome with serotonin releasers (MDMA, methylone, mephedrone, etc.). Monitor blood pressure carefully and avoid strenuous physical activity.
"[[UnsafeInteraction" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]] - Any neurotoxic effects of MDMA are likely to be increased when other stimulants are present. There is also a risk of excessive blood pressure and heart strain (cardiotoxicity).
"[[UncertainInteraction" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]] - Some reports suggest combinations with MXE may dangerously increase blood pressure and increase the risk of mania and psychosis.
"[[UncertainInteraction" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]] - Both classes carry a risk of delusions, mania and psychosis, and these risk may be multiplied when combined.
"[[UnsafeInteraction" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]] - MDAI may be dangerous to combine with other stimulants like cocaine as they can increase one's heart rate and blood pressure to dangerous levels.
"[[DangerousInteraction" contains a listed "[" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.]] - Tramadol is known to lower the seizure threshold[9] and combinations with stimulants may further increase this risk.
MDMA - The neurotoxic effects of MDMA may be increased when combined with other stimulants.
Cocaine - This combination may increase strain on the heart.
Combinations with the following substances can cause dangerously high serotonin levels. Serotonin syndrome requires immediate medical attention and can be fatal if left untreated.
As such, it may contain incomplete or wrong information. You can help by expanding it.
Brazil - Possession, production and sale is illegal as it is listed on Portaria SVS/MS nº 344.[11]
United Kingdom - It is illegal to produce, supply, or import this drug under the Psychoactive Substance Act, which came into effect on May 26th, 2016.[12]
China - As of October 2015, MDAI is a controlled substance in China.[13]
Denmark - MDAI is illegal in Denmark as of September 2015.[14]
↑Johnson MP, Conarty PF, Nichols DE. [3H]monoamine releasing and uptake inhibition properties of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and p-chloroamphetamine analogs. Eur J Pharmacol. 1991 Jul 23;200(1):9-16. PMID 1685125
↑Nichols DE, Brewster WK, Johnson MP, Oberlender R, Riggs RM. Nonneurotoxic tetralin and indan analogs of 3,4-(methylenedioxy)amphetamine (MDA). Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 1990 Feb;33(2):703-10. PMID 1967651
↑Nichols DE, Johnson MP, Oberlender R. 5-Iodo-2-aminoindan, a non-neurotoxic analog of p-iodoamphetamine. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour. 1991 Jan;38(1):135-9. PMID 1826785
↑Johnson MP, Frescas SP, Oberlender R, Nichols DE. Synthesis and Pharmacological Examination of 1-(3-Methoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane and 5-Methoxy-6-methyl-2-aminoindan: Similarities to 3,4-(Methylenedioxy)methamphetamine (MDMA). Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 1991;34:1662-1668.
↑Johnson MP, Huang XM, Nichols DE. Serotonin neurotoxicity in rats after combined treatment with a dopaminergic agent followed by a non-neurotoxic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) analog. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour. 1991 Dec;40(4):915-22. PMID 1726189
↑Nichols DE, Marona-Lewicka D, Huang X, Johnson MP. Novel serotonergic agents. Drug Design and Discovery. 1993;9(3-4):299-312. PMID 8400010
↑Sprague JE, Johnson MP, Schmidt CJ, Nichols DE. Studies on the mechanism of p-chloroamphetamine neurotoxicity. Biochemical Pharmacology. 1996 Oct 25;52(8):1271-7. PMID 8937435
↑Cozzi NV, Frescas S, Marona-Lewicka D, Huang X, Nichols DE. Indan analogs of fenfluramine and norfenfluramine have reduced neurotoxic potential. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour. 1998 Mar;59(3):709-15. PMID 9512076
↑Talaie, H.; Panahandeh, R.; Fayaznouri, M. R.; Asadi, Z.; Abdollahi, M. (2009). "Dose-independent occurrence of seizure with tramadol". Journal of Medical Toxicology. 5 (2): 63–67. doi:10.1007/BF03161089. eISSN1937-6995. ISSN1556-9039. OCLC163567183.
. eISSN 1471-6771. ISSN 0007-0912. OCLC 01537271. PMID 16051647.