Preloading with 5-HTP

A detailed and well-written report

Substances: 5-HTP, MDMA

I had gone to the pharmacy a few days prior to puchase some 5-HTP. This chemical (5-hydroxytryptophan) is produced by the plant species Griffonia simplicia, and it is an extract of this plant that is used to make 5-HTP supplements.

Now, a little background for those who don't know the mechanics of the MDMA experience. The primary effect of MDMA is to cause serotonergic neurons (also known as 5-HT neurons) to emit serotonin into the synapse at a very accelerated rate. This "flood" of serotonin, and the complicated effects following its release, is the major cause of the MDMA experience. There are two major theories regarding how this release of serotonin is accomplished. The older theory suggests that MDMA somehow speeds up vesicle migration in the axon terminal, causing serotonin to be released in large amounts. A newer theory suggests that MDMA may actually reverse the action of serotonin reuptake transporters on the presynaptic membrane, causing serotonin to be expelled from the neuron rather than being uptaken. You might compare this to a one-way turnstile that has been put in reverse. Normally serotonin is only taken up into the neuron through this gate, but under the influence of MDMA it seems that the gate instead pumps serotonin out, into the synapse, where it stimulates other neurons.

At any rate, the action of MDMA relies critically on serotonin levels. MDMA tolerance occurs because serotonin is depleted at an amazing rate, and is only restored slowly. Theoretically, by boosting the amount of serotonin already present in the presynapse, one is able to improve the effects of MDMA and also avoid some of the nastier side effects.

5-HTP is quickly metabolized in the body into serotonin. Armed with this knowledge, I was confident in my $20 purchase of a bottle of 30 pills of 5-HTP, each pill containing 100mg. 5-HTP can be acquired more cheaply from Internet mailorder houses. Look around.

I began to supplement with the 5-HTP about 5 hours prior to taking the MDMA. I took the pills at a rate of about 1 pill every half hour, beginning around 3 PM. I skipped dinner (which is always a good idea when using psychoactives) and drank two glasses of purified spring water along with another 500mg of 5-HTP. My total intake of 5-HTP was approximately 1 gram. Some proponents of preloading suggest a dosage between 200 and 500mg. I will try this smaller dosage next time, since 5-HTP is so expensive.

By 7 PM I was feeling very strange. I do not know if this was due to the incredible dose of 5-HTP, or simply because I hadn't slept well the previous night. It was by no means a pleasant feeling, and I do not suggest that people try to get high on 5-HTP alone. Perhaps this is what a tremendous serotonin buildup feels like.

It was around 8 PM that I finally took the pill, which was small, blue, and had a Nike emblem imprinted on it. I had taken the same pills before, and I knew their strength. The pills were not adulterated, and as far as I could tell, contained only MDMA (by comparison with previous experiences where I was certain that the chemical in question was MDMA). I expected the effects to be potentiated, but I did NOT expect the experience that occurred. About 30 minutes after ingesting the pill, I began to feel the roll. My custom is to take a bong hit just as the MDMA is coming on. For me, this seems to potentiate the MDMA and cause the experience to build up more quickly. This is more than likely a purely mental effect. A huge bong hit, and I was coughing like crazy. Several people seemed concerned that I was going to cough my lungs out (it felt that way). I got very nauseous and ran to the bathroom to empty my stomach (which was already empty, thankfully, since I hadn't eaten). I felt brand new after that.

The first evidence of the action of the 5-HTP became very apparent very quickly. I sat on the balcony smoking a cigarette and rubbing my hands together. My jaw was probably dropped, and my eyes were wide the whole time. I was in total astonishment over the power of the 5-HTP to enhance the MDMA experience. I've taken a lot of MDMA over a long period of time, but this experience was exactly like the first. The tactile sensations which which you are all familiar were there, and in force. I hadn't experienced these sensations since the first three or four times I took MDMA, and I was worried (before this experiment, that is) that I would never be able to feel it again. I was wrong. The tactile experience was so intense that I was worried to move around lest I be bombarded with overpowering sensations and fall to the floor, senseless.

The MDMA was really ramping up by this point. I was sent on a mission: find the 5-HTP which I had left downstairs, and return to the party with it. My friend "D" came with me. We walked through the stark, white hallways of the dormitory, up and down several flights of stairs, aimlessly. I was having difficulty keeping track of what I was doing.

The entire experience could be described as chronic deja vu. I felt as if everything I did that night, I had already done, and would do again, an infinite number of times. I walked into a friend's room and asked him "How many times have I come in here to bother you tonight? At least ten I think." He stared at me and told me "This is the first I've seen of you all day."

I continued to wander in a reverie, looking for the 5-HTP. I eventually found it downstairs, exactly where I had left it, but had forgotten. The entire mission took about an hour to complete. So long, in fact, that by the time I returned upstairs with the 5-HTP, I was already beginning to slope down.

The evening continued on in a bland sort of way, and I won't give an account of what happened. It was a shame that such a powerful MDMA experience was wasted on such a boring night, but nevertheless I discovered MDMA anew, for the first time, last night.

The profound mental experiences I had are indescribable. The previous paragraphs are a shallow attempt, and do not even come close to what really occurred. The experience was almost comparable to an LSD mind trip, but instead of nasty LSD side effects, I was wrapped in the blanket of the MDMA experience. The linearity of time was completely interrupted at several points. I remember smoking a cigarette while walking outside. I later went to the store to buy a pack of cigarettes. According to my friends, however, I didn't have any cigarettes to smoke. The order in which I experienced events was reversed. Clearly, serotonin is the fundamental basis of our conscious experience. It does not explain consciousness, but it obviously plays a critical role. By altering the serotonin systems of the brain, you can alter your fundamental perceptions and thoughts. It's a nice wakeup call. If a simple chemical can so completely change the fabric of my experienced reality, then that shows me how fragile and constructed that reality truly is. This has always been at the core of the psychedelic experience for me. Psychoactive drugs PROVE that our reality is just a construction of our minds. Who knows what "real" reality really is?

So here's a quick rundown.

Ingest the 5-HTP several hours prior to taking MDMA. Many sources of information about preloading suggest doing this only an hour beforehand, but giving your body more time to metabolize it into serotonin really makes a difference. Take the pills gradually over a period of time. Burping up 5-HTP is really horrible, and the fact that your stomach is empty will just make that worse. When you do take the MDMA, take only one. The secret I've discovered with 5-HTP is that it isn't all about how much MDMA you take; it's about how much serotonin you have to begin with. Had I taken the other pill I had, I probably would have just wasted it, or possibly had a truly terrifying and overwhelming experience. Just this single (relatively weak) pill whooped my butt like it was the first time.

DO NOT, as some sources suggest, ingest DLPA or tyrosine as a pre-loader. These serve the same purpose as 5-HTP, but instead of causing a buildup of serotonin, they cause a dopamine buildup. Dopamine has been shown to play a critical role in the neurotoxic effects of MDMA, and having more of it in your system won't make you roll harder, you'll just be doing yourself more damage. So what if they say "dopamine is the pleasure chemical," all I know is that I got quite a bit of pleasure, almost more than I could handle, from serotonin alone. No need to enhance your risks.

Things I would change next time include: taking vitamin B6 along with the 5-HTP, as this vitamin apparently speeds the metabolism into serotonin. I will also try using glutamine as is suggested by several sources.

Please, use MDMA in moderation. I'm not trying to play mommy, I'm just trying to do my part to keep you all informed, safe, and happily rolling. MDMA is a real treat. Each time you use it, use it as if it's the last time. Make the most out of it.