4-CA
Aliases: Pca, P-cmp, 4-cmp
Summary
4-CA is primarily a laboratory neurotoxin used to selectively destroy serotonergic neurons in research. It was briefly investigated as an appetite suppressant and antidepressant in the 1960s-1970s but medical development ceased due to severe neurotoxicity findings. Reports from Belgium (2018) confirmed sporadic adulteration of ecstasy pills with 4-CA, posing acute neurotoxicity risk to unwitting users.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 2-8mg | - | - | 40+mg(notrecommended)+ |
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Peak | Offset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 20-45 min | 1-2 hrs | 1-3 hrs |
Effect Profile
Scores (1–10) curated from multiple sources:
- Effect keyword matching from PsychonautWiki catalog
- Weighted by importance: core (×3), major (×2), minor (×1)
Strong stimulation with moderate sensory enhancement, low euphoria
Strong anxiety/jitters and stimulation with low euphoria and focus
Tolerance
Tolerance Decay
Data on genuine pharmacodynamic tolerance are sparse; decreases in subjective effect with short‑interval reuse may reflect neurotoxic depletion/dysfunction rather than reversible tolerance. Conservative spacing (≥4 weeks) is recommended in harm‑reduction communities, but even isolated exposures may carry persistent risk.
Cross-Tolerances
Effects
- Mild stimulation
- Stimulation
- Insomnia
- Muscle tension
- Headache
- Increased heart rate
- Teeth grinding
- Pupil dilation
- Sedation
- Hyperthermia
- Alertness enhancement
- Euphoria
- Wakefulness
- Anxiety
- Cognitive fatigue
- Depression
- Dysphoria
- Talkativeness
- Time distortion
- Thought acceleration
- Tactile enhancement
- Increased libido
- Increased music appreciation
- Tracers
- Color enhancement
- Pattern recognition enhancement
- Appetite suppression
- Light sensitivity
- Dehydration
- Disinhibition