DMT Withdrawal Symptoms
DMT is unusual among drugs of abuse — including other hallucinogens — in that there are no DMT withdrawal symptoms. However, during a “trip” people will appear detached from reality and may have dilated pupils. People may also exhibit some of the following symptoms:
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Elevated blood pressure and heart rate
- Dry mouth
- Profuse sweating
- Bizarre behaviors
- Psychosis
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Dizziness
- Rapid eye movements
- Chest pain
- Overwhelming fright
At high doses, DMT may cause seizures, respiratory arrest and coma.
The symptoms of fright and agitation may last for days after the previous drug use. Such elongated symptoms may be considered to be a withdrawal effect.
People withdrawing from DMT use may, at some point, develop persistent after-effects:
- Persistent Psychosis: Ongoing psychosis that persists long after the last drug use. The individual essentially develops schizophrenia.
- Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPDD): sudden, unpredictable flashbacks of hallucinations and other psychosis symptoms, lasting months or years after the drug was used previously.
How Long Does DMT Withdrawal Take?
Because DMT does not have a withdrawal period akin to other drugs, like opioids, the effects of DMT use wearing off (the “trip”) may be considered as DMT withdrawal. A DMT “trip” does not last very long. The drug is rapidly metabolized by the body so that the onset of its effects are only seconds to minutes from taking the drug and only lasts 15 to 60 minutes depending on how it was taken. On average, the drug’s effects start within two minutes and are negligible by 30 minutes.
Although a “bad trip” will last an hour or less, people often remain genuinely frightened for hours or days afterward and may not be able to function properly. Behavior may be erratic during this time.