Onset of action is the duration of time it takes for a drug's effects to come to prominence upon administration. With oral administration, it typically ranges anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour, depending on the drug in question. Other methods of ingestion such as smoking or injection can take as little as seconds to minutes to take effect. The determination of the onset of action, however, is not completely dependent upon route of administration. There are several other factors that determine the onset of action for a specific drug, including drug formulation, dosage, and the patient receiving the drug.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 Onset of action in the context of Psilocybin
Psilocybin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (4-PO-DMT), is a naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid and investigational drug found in more than 200 species of mushrooms, with hallucinogenic and serotonergic effects. Effects include euphoria, changes in perception, a distorted sense of time (via brain desynchronization), and perceived spiritual experiences. It can also cause adverse reactions such as nausea and panic attacks.
Psilocybin is a prodrug of psilocin. That is, the compound itself is biologically inactive but quickly converted by the body to psilocin. Psilocybin is transformed into psilocin by dephosphorylation mediated via phosphatase enzymes. Psilocin is chemically related to the neurotransmitter serotonin and acts as a non-selective agonist of the serotonin receptors. Activation of one serotonin receptor, the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, is specifically responsible for the hallucinogenic effects of psilocin and other serotonergic psychedelics. Psilocybin is usually taken orally. By this route, its onset is about 20 to 50 minutes, peak effects occur after about 1 to 2 hours, and its duration is about 4 to 6 hours.
In this Dossier
Onset of action in the context of Mescaline
Mescaline, also known as mescalin or mezcalin, and in chemical terms 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine, is a naturally occurring psychedelic protoalkaloid of the substituted phenethylamine class, found in cacti like peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and San Pedro (certain species of the genus Echinopsis) and known for its serotonergic hallucinogenic effects.
Mescaline is typically taken orally and used recreationally, spiritually, and medically, with psychedelic effects occurring at doses from 100 to 1,000 mg, including microdosing below 75 mg, and it can be consumed in pure form or via mescaline-containing cacti. Mescaline induces a psychedelic experience characterized by vivid visual patterns, altered perception of time and self, synesthesia, and spiritual effects, with an onset of 0.5 to 0.9 hours and a duration that increases with dose, ranging from about 6 to 14 hours. Ketanserin blocks mescaline’s psychoactive effects, and while it's unclear if mescaline is metabolized by monoamine oxidase enzymes, preliminary evidence suggests harmala alkaloids may potentiate its effects.
Onset of action in the context of Dimethyltryptamine
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), also known as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (N,N-DMT), is a serotonergic hallucinogen and investigational drug of the tryptamine family that occurs naturally in many plants and animals. DMT is used as a psychedelic drug and prepared by various cultures for ritual purposes as an entheogen.
DMT has a rapid onset, intense effects, and a relatively short duration of action. For those reasons, DMT was known as the "businessman's trip" during the 1960s in the United States, as a user could access the full depth of a psychedelic experience in considerably less time than with other substances such as LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. DMT can be inhaled or injected and its effects depend on the dose, as well as the mode of administration. When inhaled or injected, the effects last about five to fifteen minutes. Effects can last three hours or more when orally ingested along with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), such as the ayahuasca brew of many native Amazonian tribes. DMT induces intense, often indescribable subjective experiences involving vivid visual hallucinations, altered sensory perception, ego dissolution, and encounters with seemingly autonomous entities. DMT is generally considered non-addictive with low dependence and no tolerance buildup, but it may cause acute psychological distress or cardiovascular effects, especially in predisposed individuals.